Beating then and now

Paul Quagliana reflects on his memories as a beater and shares some tips for those who fancy giving it a go

- Paul Quagliana

For a driven shoot to function well there are many factors that come into play. One of those is a decent and reliable beating team. Without beaters a shoot simply cannot function.

My introduction to beating was as a teenager on a grouse moor in Yorkshire where my dad used to shoot. I was lucky enough to pull a trigger there but also joined the beating team as well. Despite being a sprightly lad, it was tough work with great distances to cover. But it left me with many memories seeing what it was like on the other side of the fence. It was the 1980s and the moors we used to shoot on were near Hebden Bridge. I recall that Hebden Bridge ‘bogs’ were illustrated with toilet graffiti so artistic and meticulous in its attention to detail it put any biology school book on human reproduction I had read to shame. What has happened to quality toilet graffiti? It has become a lost art.

Mutiny