It’s the sight we all wait for on a wet and cold shooting day. The welcome vision of a vehicle with its tailgate up, packed with flasks, food and the odd bottle of sloe gin, ready to restore weary Guns midway through the morning’s shooting. Some call it ‘elevenses’ — a lovely word reminiscent of my school days — others call it by what ever might be in the hamper. When my husband ran a family shoot in Dorset, we called it ‘soup’.
And for anyone who had set out early that morning, driving from far afield to arrive on time, it’s desperately important. For the shivering companions of Guns, it is the divine punctuation of the day. And for any children, I’d guess a promise of hot sausages and a mug of steaming broth can be a major reason for turning up at all.
The members of our little shoot preferred a late lunch at the end of the day, so elevenses needed to be reasonably substantial. A soup or broth-based toddy was essential. The largest flask would be filled with velvety and creamy soup, something that the children would find as good as the adults, so nothing too exotic.
Denne historien er fra October 07, 2020-utgaven av Shooting Times & Country.
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Denne historien er fra October 07, 2020-utgaven av Shooting Times & Country.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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United we stand
Following United Utilities' decision to end grouse shooting on its land, Lindsay Waddell asks what will happen if we ignore our vital moors
Serious matters
An old gamebook prompts a contemplation on punt-gunning
They're not always as easy as they seem
While coneys of the furry variety don't pose a problem for Blue Zulu, he's left frustrated once again by bolting bunnies of the clay sort
Debutant gundogs
There's lots to think about when it comes to making the decision about when to introduce your dog to shooting
When the going gets rough
Al Gabriel returns to the West London Shooting School to brush up on his rough shooting technique
The Field Guide To British Deer - BDS 60th Anniversary Edition
In this excerpt from the 60th anniversary edition of the BDS's Field Guide To British Deer, Charles Smith-Jones considers the noise they make
A step too far?
Simon Garnham wonders whether a new dog, a new gun and two different fields in need of protection might have been asking too much for one afternoon's work
Two bucks before breakfast
A journey from old South London to rural Hertfordshire to stalk muntjac suggests that the two aren't as far detached as they might seem
Stalking Diary
Stalkers can be a sentimental bunch, and they often carry a huge attachment to their hill
Gamekeeper
Alan Edwards believes unique, private experiences can help keepers become more competent and passionate custodians of the countryside