peter-peter Posted September 6, 2008 Report Share Posted September 6, 2008 (edited) I shot for food in my younger days, rabbits hares pigeons partridges pewits rooks et'c all for the family pot.my grand son now wants to shoot game but has been told if you shoot it you skin and dress it and you eat it. otherwise stick to clays. vermin excepted. As I see it, the majority of PW members share this kind of philosophy, but we shouldn't forget that there is an element for whom driven shooting is simply a bit of sport - where the welfare of the animals (and that of the staff, to be honest) is either a side-issue or, worse still, entirely fails to register. He wrote a very anti game shooting article for the Telegraph a few years back which was quoted on Animal Aid's website, it would seem he has now changed his mind! Money eh!! Personally, I think that HFW is absolutely right to use his celebrity status to highlight the less savoury aspects of our sport alongside his promotion of game and wild animal harvesting for food. However, I also recognise that it's easy for me, from my cosy office in London, to sound off sanctimoniously about this - how I would feel about turning away the amateur corporate guns from my shoot if my livelihood depended on it, I honestly don't know. pewits Incidentally Peter - what does lapwing taste like? LS we shot them back in the 50's cut of the breasts and fried em in butter beautiful. a bit like partridge but nicer. cant shoot em now they are protected. I prefer to see them flying round nowadays lovely birds. Edited September 6, 2008 by peter-peter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peely Posted September 6, 2008 Report Share Posted September 6, 2008 I tend to agree with Game Boy on the subject of HFW. All of the programs he seems to bring out now are nowhere near as good as the original River Cottage's. He seems to be on some sort of crusade? My wife and myself went down to his place when we were on summer holiday this year for an open day, the B and B that we stayed in didn't have a good word to say about him (and she was a countryside lady), seems that he's upset a few people in the local area. Having said all of that, I have ordered his Game DVD and have sent an info email about the shooting and plucking day! Maybe I'm the sucker... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peely Posted September 23, 2008 Report Share Posted September 23, 2008 £495 for the day as a Gun (30 bird day) and then a bit of plucking and skinning then a meal. £175 to be a beater on the day, WHAT!!!!! £70 for the evening meal. Don't think I'll bother with this one..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roadkill Posted September 23, 2008 Report Share Posted September 23, 2008 £495 for the day as a Gun (30 bird day) and then a bit of plucking and skinning then a meal. £175 to be a beater on the day, WHAT!!!!! £70 for the evening meal. Don't think I'll bother with this one..... ouch , count me out to Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ziplex Posted September 23, 2008 Report Share Posted September 23, 2008 I've watched and read a lot of his stuff.........A Cook on the Wild Side and early River Cottage was fantastic I thought, now he seems hypocrytical and a money grabber in the extreme, I certainly wouldn't line his pockets. Shame really as he came across as a real salt of the earth type initially, he's manipulated a lot of people I think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan147 Posted September 23, 2008 Report Share Posted September 23, 2008 Got the details back today with the prices .... all i can say is ouch..... Wont be going somehow! In running this event, safety has to be at the top of our agenda. There are a few restrictions we need to put in place, when a party books on to this event. · All guests must own their own gun and hold a shot gun license – which the shoot organisers require to see on the day. · All guests must hold a shooting insurance policy. Organisations such as BASC, CLA and Countryside Alliance all offer these with their membership. Proof of the policy is required on the day. · All guests must have recent experience shooting of clay or game. The shoot organisers would like to have some idea of all guests experience so they can staff the morning accordingly. Unfortunately we can not accept any guest who have never shot before. · All guns must be over 18 years old. Beaters must be over 16 years old. If you have a partner or friend who would like to join the day as a beater, they are very welcome or if they just fancy coming for dinner we can also accommodate (though numbers are limited) Party sizes Maximum group size: 8 guns, 4 beaters, 4 dinner only places Minimum group size: 6 guns, 4 beaters, 6 dinner places. We have put a minimum group size in order to cover our costs but we can discuss this combination over the phone with you. The run of the day will be as follows: We ask all guests to meet at River Cottage HQ at 8.15am. We will then head off to the local shoot (transport provided) which is a 15 minute drive from us. The shoot is located in stunning West Dorset. The morning will involve three drives, which will be led by shoot owners Robert and Chris. After the second drive, we will stop for coffee and homemade cakes. The third drive will take us up to lunchtime for hot soup and a shot of River Cottage bull-shot, before we head back to River Cottage HQ. Once back and relaxed at HQ, we will spend the afternoon in the River Cottage Barn, with Ray Smith, our brilliant River Cottage butcher. The afternoon is an opportunity to really get stuck in to the butchery yourself or you can watch as Ray demonstrates...it is entirely up to you. We will teach you how to pluck and draw your own pheasant and Ray will also show how to skin and obtain the pheasant breast for cooking. We will then make game sausages. The butchery session will end with a demonstration from one of our River Cottage chefs, who will show you how to make some gamey treats with the pheasant and other game. You will take home a plucked and dressed pheasant ready for the oven. At about 5.30pm we will serve a glass of Dorset bubbly and canapés to welcome partners for the dinner and this will also give you an opportunity to walk around the River Cottage smallholding building up our appetites for a delicious dinner in the 17th Century Farmhouse dining room. You and your friends will dine on a veritable 4 course game feast, some of which you have seen prepared or prepared yourself. Local and organic French wines will accompany each course. The evening will finish at around 9.30pm. Prices: £495 per gun £175 per beater £75 per person for a dinner place (5.30pm – 9.30pm) Other points: The shoot will be a 30 bird day. Please note that can’t supply ear and eye protection on the day. Cartridges are not included in the price, you will need to provide your own. The price per gun includes the beaters tip. All prices include VAT. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dunkield Posted September 23, 2008 Report Share Posted September 23, 2008 Makes his fishing trips sound cheap! I don't know whether to laugh or cry, and I bet it sells out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferret Master Posted September 23, 2008 Report Share Posted September 23, 2008 So the beaters have to pay £175 for the 'pleasure' of beating on the day but then get tipped. ***. FM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scorchy Posted September 24, 2008 Report Share Posted September 24, 2008 is this a sign of things to come , paying to go beating,i know times are hard for shoots but this is taking the mick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al4x Posted September 24, 2008 Report Share Posted September 24, 2008 the cost for beating presumably includes the cooking course after plus the sit down meal. Yes its on the expensive side especially for only a 30 bird day which I guess is worth @£750 split between the guns. On the upside I'd guess its pretty memorable and probably a good form of diversification for the shoot involved as well as HFW Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roadkill Posted September 24, 2008 Report Share Posted September 24, 2008 i have red through it and if im not being blind where does it mention that HFW will b there at the event Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mudpatten Posted September 24, 2008 Report Share Posted September 24, 2008 Someone said earlier that they thought HFW was a "salt of the earth" sort of bloke. I might be misconstruing that to mean that he`s some sort of working class bloke made good. He is in fact the son of a High Court judge who attended an expensive public school and who has never done an honest days work in his life. And you`re right, he probably won`t actually be there himself on the shoot. I met the bloke once and it was an experience I`d rather not repeat. Nick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lord_seagrave Posted September 25, 2008 Author Report Share Posted September 25, 2008 Someone said earlier that they thought HFW was a "salt of the earth" sort of bloke. I might be misconstruing that to mean that he`s some sort of working class bloke made good. He is in fact the son of a High Court judge who attended an expensive public school and who has never done an honest days work in his life. And you`re right, he probably won`t actually be there himself on the shoot. I met the bloke once and it was an experience I`d rather not repeat. Nick. I don't think that anyone here is labouring under the misapprehension that HFW is any kind of working-class bloke made good (at least, not after he opens his mouth!). However, it is my opinion and that of a significant number of others that he is talented and entertaining, and ethically sound. I begrudge him neither the occupation of his father (a well-regarded lawyer certainly, but not a High Court Judge), the education he received, nor his previous occupations. The way he earns a living now is having a positive effect on a variety of people, far more than detract from his enterprises. I'm prepared to pay to be entertained and educated by his DVDs and books. I don't think the shoot day is for me, but I am quite sure that there are many people who will lap up the experience. Shooters get out in the field and get taught some more/new kitchen skills and they get a good feed in good company. Sound like a good thing to me, and everyone has a different idea about what constitutes value for money. Good on him as far as I'm concerned. Regards, LS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duncan Posted September 25, 2008 Report Share Posted September 25, 2008 i have been on a few big shoots(as a beater) ,one in herts was a 700 bird day .But it is the small shoots that are the best days , we beaters get £20 + a couple of cans of beer at lunch time and a meal in the evening with the guns at the local pub + at the end of the season we get a beaters day and are treated like paying guns . So i don`t think i will popping down to river cottage Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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