Countryside pursuits bring people from all walks of life together - Yorkshire Post Letters
From: Nick Pack, Market Weighton, East Yorkshire.
What a wonderful piece by James Ardron (published on January 10), he is the General Manager at Coniston Shooting Ground.
His rendition of how so many people from all walks of life come together at his ground on an equal footing for companionship, some friendly sport, a good chat, and to enjoy the fresh air and freedom of the countryside is typical of the many clay pigeon shooting grounds around the country. The physical and psychological benefits to those involved are enormous, places to belong.
Putting aside the fact this piece was about a shooting ground it could apply to any location involving a facility to enjoy a given activity, tennis, squash, golf, archery, bowls, etc. The salient point being that they are all places where people go to belong and share a common interest with fellow members.
Yes, some sports are more geared to rural areas, hunting and shooting I would suggest are the prime candidates here, our “friends” in Westminster appear not to appreciate their value to those involved and wish them to be abolished, the activities where many people go to belong and in doing so provide employment for many thousands of souls.
This government has in mind to destroy farming, hunting, shooting and anything else to do with the countryside, they see the moors, swathes of farmland, the mountain sides, the dales as gigantic solar and wind collection areas in a frantic bid for the UK to achieve net zero. What does the UK contribute to CO2 emissions worldwide? Less than 1 per cent!
Fortunately, this government’s days are numbered, hopefully the next will look further North than Westminster and will appreciate and protect the heritage, traditions and way of life of the rural communities.