I did a couple of radio interviews yesterday morning, from the BBC Millbank studios in London – with BBC Radios Leeds and York (one of which was with Amanda Anderson of the Moorland Association). You can see how glamorous the studios are from the photo. And the evening before I’d been in the same Millbank building to do a TV debate on BBC Yorkshire TV, also with Amanda Anderson. The TV debate was the most difficult because the sound feed in my right ear had a delay so that my own voice was played back to me a fraction of a second after I had heard it in reality – that’s quite disorientating – but one soldiers on.
And that wasn’t the funny thing.
The funny thing was that Amanda, in both interviews, made some reference to how things had moved on so much since I left the RSPB and things were just going swimmingly! I think the audience were supposed to think that I am out of touch. That’s what is funny: being criticised for being out of touch by an organisation that holds to Victorian values as far as raptors and the public are concerned. That made me chuckle.
And attacking me makes much more sense than attacking the RSPB – they are a little way behind public opinion at the moment – but it is very encouraging. Clearly, when Amanda has to give up her Sunday to film a Hen Harrier Day rally, and then is so bereft of arguments that she plays the man (me) instead of the ball (the issues), it is very encouraging.
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The negative comments about you with reference to the RSPB are all part of the hidden agenda to divide those that are coming together to halt raptor persecution. We are stronger when we are united (even if we sometimes disagree on the route to get to our goal). The RSPB have remained highly professional and dignified in the face of some pretty outrageous criticism. Which is why I find it amazing that Mike Clarke can still find the will to offer olive branches, to quote him in his recent blog on the RSPB website:-
In the interests of fairness, I should point out that the Moorland Association did tell me at the Game Fair that they considered many of the public comments made about the RSPB “inaccurate and unhelpful”.
What a shame that Amanda, on behalf of the MA, didn’t take the opportunity to say that publicly on TV – now that would have been progressive.
However, what a great day the #inglorious12th was – even from a distance.
I asked AA at Hen Harrier day if the Moorland Association would publicly condemn the actions of YFTB and she did tell me that she had given an interview in which she described their contribution as “unhelpful “. I think she mentioned the Times, but I’m not able to check as I’m not inclined to spend my hard earned on Murdoch’s paywall.
One of the highlights of Hen Harrier day was observing Amanda Anderson gently lecturing Findley Wilde on the “need for balance” keeping gamekeepers onside etc etc. Being impeccably mannered he refrained from telling her she was talking nonsense and nodded away politely, but the look on his face clearly betrayed the fact that he is a young man equipped with a fully functioning bs detector.
Does she spend the same amount of time telling young gamekeepers that they should keep conservationists on side?
She apparently has a degree in Zoology – how odd, and what a waste of an education – you study animals in order to learn how to kill more of them?
I love palindromes but this is scary! I’ve checked the petition three times today, first 13031, then 13131 and now 13231! And it’s not the first time.
Richard – spooky!
100001 would have a nice ring to it.
She should have come to the Mull event and then she could have seen ‘live’ Hen Harriers’ not dead ones. Next years event may even show you a few eagles at the same time! Derbyshire is dead. Get on your bikes next year. What would you prefer – Chris Packham and a load of poodles dressed as harriers or a ‘live’ Hen Harrier? 7 were seen this year!
john – thanks for your support. This is a campaign, not a day trip. I’m glad the Mull event went well, and it had support from BAWC and from me (including those free raffle prizes signed by me and provided by Bloomsbury).
‘Derbyshire is dead’
Yes – that’s the whole point of holding a Hen Harrier Day in the Peak Park..
Which is precisely why the Derbyshire day should continue, as a call for a return of HH presence. Walk away & ‘they’ win.
Surely the day is about more than a field trip to see birds but a media opportunity, networking with likeminded etc.
That’s not to say 7 HH isn’t a spectacular sight but we’d not want her or her friends to take too close an interest in them ….
Amanda is, of course, right – things have changed, Mark, since you were at RSPB. Whilst we might have feared it, who would have predicted that the shooting interests would go ahead and make HH effectively extinct as an English breeding species ? Who would have predicted that the response to the 2014 protests would be out and out confrontation ? Amanda has an impossible job to do trying to persuade anyone that there is any common ground now, so its not surprising she’s hitting out in all directions.