Welcome to issue 38. Thank you for coming along. In this issue we are going to enter our "Parallel Universe", as a friend referred to the CLA Game Fair. Here we have nothing to fear, except misguided townies.

THE CLA GAME FAIR 2009 BELVOIR CASTLE, LEICESTERSHIRE

While getting here may not be half of the fun, being here is immensely satisfying, and as always, deeply rewarding. If only we could add another day, we could see a bit more, do a bit more, and maybe buy a bit more too.

From the moment you enter the grounds you give a sigh of relief, psychological, if not actually physical. This is a different world, our world. Those hostile to our way of life, to our values, are not anywhere close. You stand there for a minute or so, and just breathe in.

There is a young lady with a Springer Spaniel puppy. She tells him to “sit.” And he does too. This is his first Game Fair, and he is on his best behaviour. You want to pick up the little fellow and give him a big hug. You ask the young lady if you can say hello to her dog. She is delighted. She is not hesitant about speaking to a stranger. Not here.

We make our way to the Press Tent. There is the sound of shooting in the distance. The clay shooters are off to an early start. It’s music to my ears. In the Press Tent there are warm greetings all around. Fiona, Marishelle and Paul have everything under control. We’re pleased to see that Helen (see Home Page) is back again this year, and there’s a new girl looking after us, Tracy Leigh.

There are some wild boar sausages to taste. Nedra isn’t really eating them two at the time; one of them is mine. They are delicious. Are wild boar really back in England as a game quarry? I’ll need to get my firearms certificate amended so that I can go off in pursuit.

We take a trip down Fisherman’s Row, and sure enough, just what you’d expect, we meet a fish. She isn’t actually a fish, but a girl dressed like one, passing out brochures telling about all that good fishing in Wales.

I caught a sea trout there once, at night. It went three quarters of a pound. But the brochure is super. They call the part on sea trout, “Sea-trout Heaven,” and there’s a picture of a chap with one that looks like it will go twenty pounds. Maybe I should go back and try again. The best time is at night, the darker the better. It’s kind of spooky when you can’t see anything. And if you want to change your fly, you have to move away from the water, so the fish won’t get scared off by the light emanating from your torch (better remember to take along your torch).

Moving along we meet up with Andy Miller, Eyebrook Trout Fishery boss, and his chief warden, Dawn. They’re here to tell you all about Eyebrook. I arrange to go fishing there, after the Game Fair. I have a lot to say about it too. Keep reading. I call it England’s national treasure.

Just across the way is Lure Flash, the home of lots of very effective flies. Just ask me. I should know. I feel a bit guilty, buying flies, when I should be making them. But it’s the luxury of time that I can’t really afford, and the fact that some of their flies are such intricate creations that I lack the ability to make them. However, I placate myself by buying some hooks with gold beads already attached, and some others, weighted at the front, which could become “tin heads,” for when I get the time to do some tying.

Down by the water kids are being taught to fly cast. You need a good instructor to show you how. Age eight isn’t too early. It’s a nice way to fish. You get a lesson fly casting, and then you want to start tying your own flies. Step right up to the Fly Dresser’s Guild. They'll show you how.

Let's say "Hello," to the dogs. They’re a great bunch, always ready to have a chat. The owners are nice too. Nedra wants a Lab. She says they’re such good conversationalists. I’m inclined in the direction of a German wire-haired pointer, and maybe a Springer, too. Springers are all crazy of course, but so filled with love, and clever too, when they want to be.

At the Fletcher’s stand we encountered John and Nicola, who each do his and her own thing. John, besides being a veterinarian, is also a deer farmer. He gave me a sample. “It’s good,” I said. “It’s shin,” John confessed. I admitted that I didn’t usually expect much from shin. But it’s what you do to it that makes the difference. My own feeling is that you can make any fish or game into something pretty good. Nicola, who writes about food, and John, presented us with copies of their books, which we will review in our next issue.

While thus engaged in conversation with the Fletchers, a couple, with their newish baby in tow, stepped up to try some of that shin. And we got to talking, as one does at the Game Fair, about the pursuit of game. The chap was a ferret man, and he told us that a couple of his ferrets made their escape, and killed some of his neighbour’s chickens, and he wasn’t too popular any more.

We stopped in to Yorkshire Clothing Company, where we always buy a coat or two, and got to chatting with Claire Eaton, who works with Dogs for the Deaf, located near High Wycombe. She has been with them for four years, and, understandably, loves the work, as a trainer, socializing potential working dogs. She said it was essential to match the dog to the person.

The Game Fair is very much a family event, in which we are all expressing our involvement with the countryside. We are not very pleased when the townies, with their distorted city values, come marching into the countryside.

We made our way over to Gun-makers Row. Here was Mike Yardley signing one of his books. (Incidentally, Mike won the Press Clay Pigeon Shoot again).

We then came upon Viking Arms, a special place for us. A very special place. Its founder was Geoffrey Brown, who will be known to everybody in the gun trade, and beyond. He will also be known as the founder of Guns Review Magazine. That’s where I came in. I first saw the magazine on a news-stand, and sent them an article, which was published, along with other material that followed, largely drawn from my US hunting experiences.

Guns Reviews’ editorial offices were in Yorkshire. I wrote to Geoffrey and said if ever he and his wife were in London, come and have dinner with us. They were, every month, for editorial reasons, and they did. And so began a friendship that lasted almost thirty-four years, and ended only with Geoffrey’s unfortunate and untimely death. We became a part of their family, and we shared our lives. Going to stay with them up in Yorkshire was a source of deepest pleasure, where I was often a guest on their shoot.

Geoffrey opened new horizons for me in the shooting and gun world, and made our lives rich and rewarding, and our sojourn in Britain immensely satisfying. I am deeply cognisant of how indebted I am to him, and how grateful I am for all that he did.

When the magazine was sold and Geoffrey no longer had to come to London, he was greatly relieved, since he had a Northerner's feeling about the South. But they sent their kids down to stay with us, which we thoroughly enjoyed. On one occasion, when Samantha was sixteen, and visiting with us, she carefully studied a portrait of me that I'd had done, (which I didn’t like much) and after some time, gave us her opinion: "You look like Yasser Arafat," she said. She was right, which was a manifestation of how astute she was, even at that early age.

When she graduated from university in London, and was on her way to becoming a barrister, Geoffrey’s Northern stoicism completely evaporated as he all but burst with pride. Later, at the time of her wedding, in which Geoffrey took an active part, he was already ill. It was a beautiful and memorable wedding. Twenty days later Geoffrey was gone, and we were back up in Yorkshire. Geoffrey had decreed that we drink champagne at his funeral. He was as brave in death as he had been in life.

Now, at the Game Fair, we entered the world of Viking arms, replete with the firearms from around the universe, which they distributed. We were greeted warmly by Geoffrey’s son Simon, who escorted us into the inner domain of Vikings’ temporary headquarters, where Hilary awaited us. Here also was Samantha, the new Managing Director of Viking Arms. There were hugs all around. It had been a while. These moments were precious.

Samantha was preparing lunch for her staff, and asked us to join them. We did with pleasure. Geoffrey would have been so proud.

Ragley Hall
Nr Alcester
Warwickshire
Friday 23rd – Sunday 25th July 2010

web: www.gamefair.co.uk
Tel: 0845 6122 052
Advanced ticket line: 0844 848 0990
Hotel accommodations: 0845 612 2042
Caravan/camping: 0845 6122 045

FIONA EASTMAN, Director of Marketing and Development:
fiona.eastman@cla.org.uk

Marishelle Gibson, Press Officer: marishelle.gibson@cla.org.uk

© Sidney Du Broff 2009