‘Oh we all read your blog – don’t you worry‘ – a senior staff member of a pro-shooting organisation.
Trimbush – was that you entering Churchills’s tent at around lunchtime on Saturday?
‘Ian Coghill out-Faraged Nigel Farage‘ – a back-handed compliment, if a compliment at all.
‘Nigerian Garage‘ – how the GWCT’s Chair was reported to have referred to the leader of one of the UK’s largest political parties (allegedly).
The Songbird Survival stand was less bonkers than it used to be, but that’s the only plug it’s going to get as Keith Cowieson knows that a Guest Blog is on permanent offer for him to set out his organisation’s views.
‘The biggest poacher in the country‘ – someone, of someone else.
‘Everything eats something else‘ – a wise member of the public
‘There’s that evil man Mark Avery‘ – Robin Page when he had an audience (he is so often wrong)
A sensible discussion – Robin Page when he doesn’t have an audience.
‘Your daughter’s much nicer than you are‘ – Robin Page (he is sometimes right).
I had a nice wave and a smile from the CLA President as he swept by on Sunday.
‘Many BASC members would be better off joining the Golf Club instead of pretending that they are interested in shooting or the countryside. It’s a social thing, really.’ – not heard on the BASC stand.
‘A page-turner of a book‘ – the reported view of a senior member of a land-owning and land-managing organisation of A Message from Martha.
Chrissie Harper and I swapped thoughts on the state of the world and what it’s like to have your name on an e-petition – here’s mine by the way.
[registration_form]
“The SongBird Survival stand was less bonkers than it used to be, but that’s the only plug it’s going to get…..”
Thanks Mark, and may I just say that your last couple of blogs on the Game Fair are less bonkers than some of your recent fare – well done!
BTW, have you seen this recent e-petition on the government website?
http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/67527 – ‘Hen Harrier Joint Recovery Plan – Publish It’
Well worth endorsing and circulating to your blog, FB and Twitter followers. The joint, inclusive and consensual approach to resolving the HH conflict in our uplands. Umpty-ump years in gestation in one form or another. Let’s give it a go and break this divisive, goodwill-destroying, energy-sapping, resource-wasting logjam.
I commend it to all upland enthusiasts, shooting-adherents, HH lovers and other interested parties. You know it makes sense!
Keith – ah return to bonkers land. The epetition is very funny. Aren’t they all? But I can say that it has done less well in its first week than my own little offering did even though it has had the GWCT and BASC plugging it. I’m sure that part of the problem is that asking government to publish an agreed plan when it isn’t a plan and isn’t agreed is a bit silly. Since we don’t know what is in the non-plan you would have to be an unthinking adherent of the cause of GWCT to sign an epetition asking for the unknown contents of an unagreed plan to be published.
I’m almost inclined to sign it myself, maybe i will, but I keep being told that e-petitions don’t achieve a thing. Mine (ours) is on 8576 at the moment. that’s not bad is it. It is asking for something perfectly clear – an end to driven grouse shooting. I’m hopeful, but not at all confident, that it may reach 10,000 by 12 August – wouldn’t that be grand?
Publish a plan …. a bit tame methinks, what about delivery of it? So timely, couldn’t possibly have been ‘persuaded’ to by others fed up with waiting?
All the talk has thus far failed from those nice consensual people, hence the need to raise the ante.
Very best for the 10 August, sadly can’t be there but am really looking forwarrd to hearing about it from friends who will be and of course the write ups.
Well Mud-Lark,
In order to deliver the plan, it first has to be implemented and in order to implement the plan it first has to be published.
So let’s make a start and encourage Defra to publish the plan, or at least the latest iteration of the plan. Shining a light on the progress made so far and a little bit of transparency can do wonders for kick-starting such an initiative…..
NOTE FROM MARK: this is the 20,000th comment on this blog (and on the 1500th blog post too)
Grand? Surely you meant ‘Glorious’……
Just like the weather, ambiance, and collegiate atmosphere here at the Royal Welsh Show. All conservation bodies apparently pulling together to do the right thing for Welsh natural capital – very encouraging to see and hear.
It is sweet of you to think I’m worth a mention but just for the record I argued against Nigel Farage’s position, not for it, as some might infer from your comment. Nor did I call him a Nigerian Garage. I simply pointed out that when I texted someone to tell them that I was sharing a platform with him, that is what my predictive text sent, which happens to be true.
You’re evidently good at eaves dropping and know a lot of the background stuff perhaps you can tell who this ‘Voldamorte’ is that I heard whispered about on the RSPB stand?
Ian – I am sweet. i couldn’t say who…is….
Ahh, of course; The One Who Must Not Be Named.
I would like to thank you for the efforts
you have put in writing this website. I’m hoping
to view the same high-grade content by you
in the future as well. In fact, your creative writing abilities has motivated me to get my very own website now 😉