The woodcock is an enigmatic species revered by Shots and birders alike, and one that I have spent the majority of my career studying. There have been nights enduring pouring…
The Field
Sporting Diana: Georgie Stanford
My shooting career started not with a gun, but with a beating stick. Some of my fondest childhood memories are of a family shoot in Hampshire. the day was run…
The Field Quiz 2023
The Field Quiz 2023 Shooting 1) Who wrote the famous shooting poem that begins, “Never, never let your gun/ Pointed be at anyone”? 2) Why are plus-fours so named? 3)…
Forging damascus steel barrels – the rarest of skills
ITS SINUOUS beauty is the essence of the gunmaker’s art, although some regard it as an obsolete technology fit for nothing more than blackpowder. Damascus steel barrels are widely misunderstood…
Cold houses and how to stay warm this winter
I can’t exactly claim to have been brought up in cold houses. I realise that this is a distinctly non-U admission, so I need to clarify things a little. I…
Seasons greetings – a love letter to postage stamps
One of my first memories is of helping my mother with Christmas cards. My father’s role in this endeavour extended to grumpily signing his name after an inordinate amount of…
January 2023
The Field’s January issue kicks off our 170th-anniversary year with a bang. It is brimming with brand-new content and sporting articles. From testing steel shot on challenging pheasants on Saddleworth…
The best festive fruitcakes for Christmas feasting
If you haven’t had time to make and ice a fruitcake for Christmas then never despair. We’ve sought out a selection of the best festive fruitcakes to feast on over…
Unusual hare gifts handpicked by The Field
It is said that hares are “old souls” and certainly hare mythology abounds, playing a key part in our stories and history. Read The Field’s article “Hare mythology: why we’re…
Give the Norfolk jacket a chance
Without doubt, I have an inner peacock and quite often things catch my eye and become part of my dressing-up box: the Liberty silk dressing gown from an Oxford second-hand…