Update
28th August, 2017
As
usual I must apologise for not keeping up with my correspondence: I was
horrified to see that the last missive was in May, just after the Deep River
show which I sadly was unable to attend.
As
some of you will remember, my wife Chrissy was diagnosed with a particular
nasty cancer back in February and life has been pretty complicated ever since.
A long and complicated abdominal operation came next and now we are on to
chemotherapy which runs until late October. Our annual trip to Scotland was
cancelled but we have got away for the odd day or two between treatments. We
can but travel hopefully and she is determined to remain positive.
At
the beginning of August we travelled to York for a couple of days of luxury in
a lovely hotel only a couple of minutes saunter from York Minster. There I was privileged
to watch the pair of peregrines that have made the medieval towers their home:
it was a strange experience to be surrounded by tourists who had not the faintest
idea they were only yards from one of our most spectacular birds of prey.
After
leaving York I was privileged to spend a morning and evening stalking Roe bucks
with John Robson in Driffield and had the great
fortune to bag a bronze medal and a good cull.
Left: Bronze medal Roe buck Right: Cull Roe buck
Here
the weather has been pretty good in recent weeks but is not forecast to last.
The birds seem to have had a good breeding season, possibly because of the
fewer magpies! We hit them hard a year or two back and they don’t seem to have
recovered as yet. No doubt they will be back in force soon! Novelties have been
a pair of ravens which are very rarely see this far south and a breeding pair
of hobbys nearby which must
be one of the prettiest small birds of prey. Their agility and speed is astounding
and it is not surprising that apparently two of their favoured prey are
dragonflies and swifts!
Tilly
the labrador has, as usual, been complaining about the
severe reduction in rations since the game season finished. She outdid herself by
cleaning up a whole tray of blinis with smoked salmon while we were feeding our
guests on venison. We are taking much greater care not to leave food at muzzle
height now!
Anyway
to guns:
In
the last few days I have completed a really sweet, lightweight
hammergun by Thomas Turner. It has all the well-known features of his guns:
miniature locks and forend, cut-away stock, short-ish
barrels (27 1/8”) and has got to be the definitive ‘upland game gun’ at only
5lb 3oz!
In
preparation for the Vintage Gunners Cup in Maryland, I am just finishing off
seven new projects:
A
20g damascus hammergun by William Moore & Grey;
A
Scott SLNE 20g retailed by FA Bales and rebarrelled by Westley Richards;
Two
12g H&H Royals, both first models with replacement steel barrels;
An
1876 12g Bar in Wood hammergun by Westley Richards;
A
sidelever 12g hammergun by J Woodward & Sons;
And
lastly a really spectacular J Purdey & Sons self-opener SLE. What makes
this gun so unusual is the ‘Daw Lever’, a snap underlever, and the most
outrageous bunches of grapes on the fences. According to Nick Harlow of Purdey,
this was only the 11th gun made by Purdey on the Beasley patent!
I
will post full details and prices as soon as they are available and let you all
know when uploaded.
Of
the guns I shipped out to the USA in late April, the 1900
James MacNaughton Roundaction Ejector and the 1896
James Woodward SLE have both found new homes, no surprise there then!
Still
available are a lovely 1893
Scott-made 12g Backaction SLE retailed by Leech and Son;
A
very nice 1889
Holland & Holland Royal 12g SLE: 15” restock, 28” TIG sleeved barrels
and a Leather & Brass case;
And
a gorgeous antique James
Purdey & Sons 12g self-opening SLE complete with Oak & Leather
case.
Guns
that were already in the USA include
Henry
Atkin (From Purdeys) 12g SLE
Wm
Cashmore 12g BLNE Pigeon Gun
John
Dickson & Son 12g RAE,
Cased
Lastly,
I recently finished relining the case for a Holland
& Holland 16g SLNE no 8787 that I had not had time to do before. I am
very pleased with how it has come out.
Other
guns that will be on show in Maryland are:
AJ
Russell 12g 30” damascus BLE
T
Murcott 12g 30” damascus hammergun
Visit
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Facebook is not everybody’s cup of tea but we will post photos and news there
that are not relevant to our main web site pages.
Enjoy
your guns and shooting wherever you are!
Toby Barclay
Links
to our show venues can be found on our Home page.