A fun quiz

Mark 10 Comments

 

I quite like Country Life – I might take out a subscription.

In this week’s magazine there is a quiz to see whether you are a real countryman (women need not apply).  It is quite fun, and consists of 100 questions set by Simon Lester, who is apparently a naturalist and former gamekeeper (an interesting cv), perhaps with a little help from the features editor. 

 

I got 67 out of 100 but I couldn’t find whether that made me a real countryman (women need not apply) or not.  I’d love to hear how real, real countrymen such as Robin Page, Tim Bonner, Andrew Gilruth and others perform. Rather better on the hunting, shooting and fishing questions than I did I’m sure.  Nice to see mention of man traps – not that we are living in the past at all.

Here are a couple of questions to get you in the mood, but because they are very difficult I have turned them into multiple choice questions:

 

a) I’ll sack that ‘keeper!

b) The imaginary view from Amanda’s kitchen window

c) The prelude to death

 

 

a) Not much

b) Something to do with tadpoles?

c) Not much

 

[registration_form]

10 Replies to “A fun quiz”

  1. Mark have you ever thought of doing a wee sideline in writing for ‘Have I got News For You’ etc? I’m surprised Private Eye haven’t taken you on yet (or have they….). Many, many thanks for making me start a Sunday with aching sides (in a good way).

  2. Yep, that will get me through another day of hard graft preparing coppice products from our ancient woodland….
    I’m sure I can ask for the quiz from Robin himself so that we can compare results! (although as a scientist who knows nothing I certainly cannot be classed as a countryperson, gender not stipulated or necessary – maybe I’ll have to get him indoors to do the quiz unstead!)

  3. Not hard to recognise ‘real country people’:
    1) They only ever read CountryLlife when it is 2 yrs old in a doctors waiting room,
    2) There perusal is punctuated by gasps of ” HOW MUCH!!!!!)
    3) There is no period of the year when they are absent from their local patch, because you cannot manage the veg patch and the chickens, or cut logs or cart straw, if you are sunning on a beach in the Carribean or sliding down a snow slope i the Alps on expensive planks of wood.
    4) They will usually look to share surplus produce with neighbours and friends; if offered such stuff, the correct response is “How much is it?” Which will generally elicit the response, ” You’re all right mate, glad to be shot of it before it goes off”. If you just say ‘Thank you’ and take it, you are NOT a proper countryman and won’t get asked again!!!
    5) They know how to drive past livestock on the road, and not to park in gateways.

    I could go on………..

    2. Real country people are like all ‘real’ people in that they do not neatly conform to some stereotypical definition imposed to satisfy a particular political view whether that is that to a man/woman they all believe that the only good predator is a dead predator or that they all spend their time cheerfully giving away free vegetables. Just like town-dwellers they earn their livings in a variety of different ways, spend their leisure time in various different ways and have varying attitudes and views on all sorts of different things.

      If the apologists for raptor persecution seek to advance the idea that opponents of shooting and the malpractices that often accompany it are ‘not real country people’ and do not understand the issues involved in wildlife management and therefore cannot hold a valid opinion on it, we should not indulge them by getting into a debate about what is or isn’t a real country person. The arguments about the harm done by grouse moor management have nothing to do with where the person advancing them happens to live or work and we should not be drawn into irrelevant digressions about their countryside credentials.

  5. It asks can I beat the editor, to which I must reply; give me a dark alley and stick with a nail in it and I’ll find out.

    I do so loathe those “are you a real…[anything]” type of questions. All it ever does is encourage snidey elitism.

  6. All light hearted amusement of course.
    Those who regard themselves as country people are many and varied, readers of this blog may, or may not agree, with their points of view or opinions.
    However , many will, at some point engage with issues affecting the countryside that concern us all,
    and their support will be valued , because the rest of the population don’t give a shite.
    Simon Lester is a good sport, as those of us at the Bird Fair 2016 can attest, he has knowledge and experience, and is not just somebody’s mouthpiece.
    I am away to lean on my favourite gate, with a straw in my mouth, while I complete the quiz.

    1. Trapit – I like Simon Lester, but then I like lots of people with whom I disagree (it’s one reason I object to bring called an eco-zealot – although I will sometimes self-identify as one).

      I thought it might be those who call themselves real country people who need our help and support.

      Let me know how you do in the quiz.

  7. The village shop only gets one copy, and that’s for the big house.
    I could go and ask if its finished with, but they have probably filled the answers in, I will try in town tomorrow.

Comments are closed.