Update
28th May, 2017
I
thought I should touch base with you all as I am taking an afternoon out of the
workshop to catch up with computer work.
Here
the weather has been glorious for the last week or so, temperatures in the mid
20’s Celsius, sunny skies and enough rain to keep the garden growing well
without beating down the more delicate plants. The birds seem to have had a
good breeding season with broods in our own small garden of 4 species of tit,
robins, hedge sparrow, song thrush, black bird, woodpecker, collared dove, gold
and green finch, yellowhammer and of course the ubiquitous wood pigeon! The
only youngsters not seen yet are the tawny owls and kestrels but maybe we are
still too early. I got lucky and dealt with the resident pair of magpies early
in the breeding season and this may well have helped the smaller birds.
Young
rabbits broke through our defences a week or so ago to start work on Chrissy’s
precious flower beds and met the nemesis of my Air Arms PCP air rifle and the
hated grey squirrels that have been raiding the bird feeders suffered a similar
fate.
Tilly
the labrador has, as usual, been complaining about the
severe reduction in rations since the game season finished. I explain patiently
she must suffer to maintain her figure and fine looks but she is not convinced.
I took her out to a local clay shoot this morning and she behaved impeccably even
though her much adored boyfriend Sidney was up for some fun! (Yes, I know that
is a silly name for a dog but it seems to suit!) Mind you, while I was
shooting, she did spend most of her time eating rabbit poo. Maybe this was to
underline her imminent death by starvation.
As
some of you will know, 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 October. Holidays have had to be cancelled and a long, tedious
and uncomfortable summer beckons. We can but travel hopefully and she is
determined to remain positive.
On
the subject of guns, I have recently got in six new projects: a 20g hammergun
by William Moore & Grey; a Scott SLNE 20g retailed by FA Bales; two 12g H&H
Royals, one an 1889 1st model, the other an 1895 2nd
model with AB ejectors and lastly, a beautiful pair of 1898 29” SLE Woodwards
with extra 28” barrels.
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 in the last few days 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.
Visit
our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Heritage-Guns/1456166597974211.
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.