Well there it is, in the blink of an eye yet another year has passed and WOW what a year it was too, I really don’t know where to start, so much has happened this year, not just for me personally, my businesses have really flourished this year with so many new clients being added to the books, I don’t think year really could of gone any better, well apart from being knighted that is, but shhhhh mums the word for now as something like that maybe on the cards for the new year.
The Woodspring Pigeon Shooting & Wildfowling Club to which I am Chairman again has grown this year, our young sports section is over flowing with a great many family memberships, our management team also support and help run Pass It On Young Sports, this year we have added a great many new sporting venues taking us up to just over the 30.000 acre mark, we have 3 main game shoots and several ponds and Wildfowling options, the club have not done much with the wildfowling side this year, due mainly to the fact we consider there to be a decline in the wildfowl in our areas, this could be due to many things like the mild weather or predation of building houses etc on flight lines, there is more to write but not on this article, we have had some amazing pigeon shooting and vermin control this year and all the club getting in some fine sport. www.woodspring-pigeon-shooting.co.uk
Pass It On Young Sports has grown from strength to strength this last year, now with Pass It On Young Sports Scotland & Wales being launched, and the Welsh Director launching an amazing very first taster day, it was so well attended I was in ore, the Welsh people really are some fine country sporting folk, so many new families were introduced to field sports and conservation, so between head office that is based in my beloved North Somerset England and The Welsh regional office our teams really proved our mantra this year, just the Scottish team to do something now, we are hoping to have an Irish regional Director coming on board for 2018 so watch this space.
All our taster days in England are so well attended now, this years ferret show was awesome with competitors coming from all over the country and some fine young sport ferret handlers too, for me the best bit was when a young girl won the Pass It On Young Sports working ferret championship, she saw off some fine working ferrets and handlers I telle, she had great pleasure in showing me her photos of her out traditionally ferreting with her Dad and her ferrets, I was smiling like a Cheshire cat I telle muckers, traditional ferreting is my all time favourite field sport, so a young sport winning my personal working ferret trophy I sponsor, well I can telle my heart was beating from my chest with pride.
The Fishing match, wow what a turn out of fathers and sons mums and daughters all wanting to win top spot, the event was sponsored by JP ANGLING of Bristol who also judges it too, the final was won by young Chris Stokes a fine young sports of 8 years old who loves air rifle shooting and with his Dad Big Chris has fished all over the country and world, he is a very lucky young man to have a Dad like he does, I got to witness young Chris play a 9lb common carp that took him all over the lake, the fish put up a mighty battle for 25 mins, but young Chris fought back and played that fish like a professional beyond his 8 years, he got it to the net 5 times and each time it took off, young Chris finally landed it single handed and was exhausted just as the whistle blew to say end of match, all in all a fabulous taster day and fishing match at a new venue, the 2018 fishing match will be back at Jackland’s Fishing Lakes.
The Pass It On Young Sports Air Rifle Range, WOW seriously could not have gone any better, since we launched it back in May 2017 and meet every other Tuesday at The Ring O Bells Public House in Nailsea, its just gone from strength to strength, we are now looking to extending it and adding two more shooting lanes we are that busy, new families come every time as the word has got out about this mighty little range, we have even had schools wanting us to put on events for them, each session we have a marksmanship championship, the top young sport gets a trophy that they have to bring back to defend in two weeks time, the same for the Adults too, we also have on top of all the training medals and certificates for the safest shot the top sportsman or indeed woman as we have a lot of mum and daughters coming along too, even the BBC have come along and filmed with us and BBC radio did a live broadcast with us, so I say HURRAH we really are promoting shooting sports in the best and proper light for all to see, our motto really does stand tall as a shining light from The East smib.
TOGETHER WE CAN INSPIRE.
www.pass-it-on-young-sports.org.uk
TOGETHER WE CAN INSPIRE.
www.pass-it-on-young-sports.org.uk
THE OLE HEDGE CREEPER HIMSELF
The Ole Hedge Creeper, what a year, I am that busy I have met myself coming back so many times now, my stand up shows have been such a huge hit this passed 2 years with so many bookings, I am now actually finding myself turning shows down, I take pride in every show I put on weather its a pigeon or wildfowling demo a game cooking demo a night vision demo and so much more, I make all my shows hysterically funny, inspiring and educational, I really have drawn some huge crowds but not forgetting the young sports, you see I incorporate the kids as volunteers from the crowds so they really are the stars of the show, the more laughter from the crowd and cheers the more the crowds build, I actually have people at shows booking time slots to watch my shows now and volunteering their kids and in many cases themselves to take part in my shows, I am already booked out until December 2018 for my shows with very few spaces left,
My Masonic career that I take very seriously for its all about charity has really progressed, I am now a member of 2 more lodges and about to join one of the worlds most prestigious ones after being invited to join, not something all masons aspire to so I must be doing something right to be invited to join those noble ranks, I have also been asked to head up the Somerset branch of a national masonic fishing charity (www.mtsfc.org.uk) a great honour and a post I have gratefully accepted, this is a charity that works close to my heart, for its about giving children in need those with problems etc a new passion ans something to aspire too, its also for anyone in need like veterans with PTSD etc another thing close to my heart and well just about anybody with problems or special needs, take a look at their website for you maybe able to help, you don’t have to be a mason to join in and help, I have also been working a lot in the main stream media this year with the BBC and others not only actively defending field sports but also conservation and how it walks hand in hand, also taking up the fight against this ghastly idea of licensing sub powered air rifles, for I say education is the key not more licensing, and that’s why our Pass It On Young Sports Air Rifle range is so important, for its founded on education and a passion to pass the right firearms training on to our children. www.theolehedgecreeper.co.uk
The Out Post Shop, lets start with the shop, my Shop has gotten so busy now I have had to take on a secretary to help with the running of everything, many of you have met Mag’s she really is a god send and runs my diary and office now as I am too busy, The Out Post Shop is growing day by day and is the place to get all The Ole Hedge Creepers endorsed products, if they don’t do what they say on the tin they don’t get stocked on my shelves, so anything you buy from my shop you know it comes with my golden thumbs up seal of approval, its also the place on line you can get all my books and game cookery books, all profits go directly to Pass It On Young Sports thus helping inspire and secure the futer of Country Sports. www.theoutpostshop.co.uk
Really Wild Adventures & Really Wild Pest Control, what can I say here this company started as a little English Acorn in the back of my mind some three years ago, since then its gone from that Acorn to a seedling and now mighty fine sapling, give her a few years and she will be a mighty English Oak in all her splendour, this passed year so many new clients have come on board booking us time and time again, weather corporate or domestic we pride ourselves in our services and customer service to be second to none, take a look at our website and see for yourself, now I have been running a pest control company for may years and been a professional in that industry for a couple of decades now, it seemed only right to bring this company in house, a decision that has turned out to be a brilliant one, we have many VIP clients on our books ranging from councils to sports clubs and some well known celebrities, we stand behind our mantra and that is we are The Ecological Green Pest Control Company, we don’t use any poisons unless absolutely necessary, although all our pest techs are very experienced and qualified we prefer the green approach to pest control, as we say Poison Free Pest Control At It Finest here at Really Wild Pest Control, that’s why we have some of the huge conservation clients on our books and more. www.reallywildadventures.co.uk
The Countryman’s Diary, what can I say about this mighty little English Field Sports Magazine, it was the brain child of two rough ole country boys from The West Country, Greg from Cornwall and Rob(me) from Somerset, 6 years ago at The British Shooting Show whilst we were both working for another well known country magazine Greg and I came up with the idea for The Countryman’s Diary, well as they say the rest is history as we have out grown ourselves twice, the best way to do our humble little magazine that punches way above and beyond her weight justice, is quite simply to say go over and read her.
Www.countrymans-diary.co.uk
Www.countrymans-diary.co.uk
Gun Ice, again this is a brain child of two back woods good ole country boys from The West Country, the full story is on the website, but Greg and Rob are both very proud of this for it actually saves lives, so go on the website and read the full story and get yourself a gun ice for it saves lives, can you afford to go out and dance with mother nature without one. Www.gun-ice.co.uk
Final words from The Ole Hedge Creeper, I have been flying the flag all year from the bow of our Mighty Ship made from the finest English Oak, I have lead my team into days were we show field sports and conservation walk hand in had to over 2600 inner city school kids from 91 inner city schools, we have worked with The BBC TV and Radio promoting what I/we stand for and that’s the correct and ethical balance that comes from field sports and conservation, I have hunted/shot/trapped and fished all over the country, one memorable day was with my Dad and Uncle Dave down in Dorset beach casting for mackerel, there are so many days this year that stick in my memory and too many to put down on paper, you should read my articles on the Countryman’s Diary magazine, I have written in depth on there all about this year, I will let some of the pictures do the talking for now on this end of year round up.
All that’s left for me to do now is wish you all a very Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year, see you on the other side in 2018 for tiz proper job muckers I telle.
www.theolehedgecreeper.co.uk
A Year Gone BY
By The Ole Hedge Creeper
www.theolehedgecreeper.co.uk
A Year Gone BY
By The Ole Hedge Creeper
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