In article , Norman
wrote:
On Wed, 22 Sep 2004 00:33:04 +0100, "Derek.Moody"
wrote:

A year's hunt membership costs about the same as a football season ticket.
A day's wrecking costs more than a day's hunting. It's cheaper if you
folllow on foot - the majority follow on foot.

Of course if you want to spend more you can - just like certain angling
tackle-junkies.

Outside the home counties the great majority of hunters are 'working' class.
(One of the checkout girls in my local supermarket for eg.)

Of course the Anti's don't bother to tell you any of this. It's no secret
that fishing is due for a lot more anti pressure once this one has gone
through, are you ready?

What you are talking about is a collection of people who following
hunting for its traditional aspects and are mearly observers.

Er, yes. Thats the point isn't it?

It costs about £200 per week to keep a horse and thousands more to buy
all the regalia, horse equipment and transport.

It can be done for much less but most followers don't ride. (I have never
checked but I wouldn't be surprised if the ratio of those who ride to hounds
rather than follow on foot was similar to the ratio of those who boatfish as
opposed to those who fish the shore. Costs too.)

It cost nothing to watch someone fishing and there is no comparison in

Well you -can- watch the hunt for free too. It's considered reasonable to do
so if you happen to be in the area and the hunt comes by but if you're going
to do so regulary then you should subscribe.

the financial outlay needed for the two activities. Notice I do not
use the term "sport" as neither activity conforms to the definition
"an active diversion requiring physical exertion and competition "

Whereas they fully fit:
'To cavort, make merry, play, trifle or seek diversion.'

members of the House of Lords were appointed. The Appointments
Commission was given the key role of recommending to Her Majesty The
Queen the names of individuals they think should be appointed on
merit. As you can see Mr Blair is not involved in the selection of

Remind me who appointed the Appointments Commission.

Take a look at the last seven year's new members.

in the various seats of government. The interim situation that exists
in the "Lords" there today will be replaced hopefully with a more
democratic setup in the none too distant future.

OT: but I hope we never have an elected house, OK, start a new set if you
like but make them hereditory. The last person to trust with power is
someone who wants it enough to seek election.

Why Tony Blair should come in for such hostility over the issue is
beyond me. He is the elected leader of the Labour Party (Prime

Teflon Tony can be trusted to look good on TV, to feel our pain and to be
somewhere else whenever the consequences of his actions come to light.

Sea fishing was traditionally done to supplement the food supply for
the people who lived in the coastal areas of the country. Fox hunting
was never undertaken by the common people. The faithful "retainers"
looked after the dogs, horses and cleaned the gentry's boots gripping
their forelocks if their "Lords" glanced in their direction.

Wherever did you get that idea?

Fox hunting is done so that you can have free-range eggs, chicken and lamb.
The huntsmen are professionals employed by the hunt to manage the business
(so tend to be of the managerial classes, they have to look after a number
of employees and the hunt's finances.) The MFH is usually one of the
landowners over who's land the hunt works but the members will come from all
classes. Ouside the home counties local people predominate, there will be
farmers, farmworkers, shopgirls, chefs, builders, nurses and even the odd
computer programmer.

If you are in south Wales you may encounter the Brangwen Miner's hunt, no
toffs there. In the borders and Cumbria there are hunts that charge a tenner
for membership and hunt exclusively on foot (John Peel of the song never
rode a horse to hounds, the fells he hunted are far too steep for horses).
Even in the Hooray-Henry belt around London the hunts go out three or four
times a week - but only at weekends are there toffs galloping around (and
fewer foxes caught) most of the real work is done on weekdays with only two
or three followers in attendance.

The moral of all this is that the "people" will decide what happens in
this country and since Queen Victoria's era the landed gentry are
getting less influential and the commonality more influential.

The commonality couldn't care less about hunting (or fishing for that
matter). In general they can't understand why parliament is wasting it's
time on the topic instead of getting us out of Tony's fiasco in the middle
east.

A few frustrated socialist MPs (see what happens if you let anyone who wants
power have any?) are driving this for completely misplaced reasons. They
swallowed the stereotype and ignored the evidence. The AR nutters are
cock-a-whoop.

The pity is that the way the bill is phrased it will be easy for bans to be
extended to shooting and fishing by following the precedent.

Do yourself a favour - don't believe what I've written, check it for
yourself. Your local hunt will be in the 'phone book. Get in touch and ask
them. Arrange to go and see for yourself. While you're there ask what it
feels like to be the target of saboteurs every week - get prepared for when
they turn to angling.

Cheerio,

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