Some years ago, in gentler times, I ended up with a gun being pointed at me and my hands instinctively raised above my head. I was at Heathrow catching a flight to who knows where. Neither the man pointing the gun nor his colleagues who searched me were anything less than completely terrifying.
My crime was to have grabbed my Barbour jacket that had been lying forgotten on a peg at home since the previous winter. What I had failed to do was to check the pockets when I was finally allowed to lower my hands, I discovered they contained a dozen shotgun cartridges from the previous season’s shooting. It wasn’t a good moment.
More recently, I was about to enter an event attended by a member of the Royal family, but, luckily, I stuck my fingers into the pockets, to discover some more cartridges lurking in the bottom. I chose to miss the event. Please don’t make the mistakes of my past always check your pockets at the end of a day’s shooting and make sure you store the contents away safely. Good luck for the new season and safe shooting.
-
From one Earl and his dog to the resurrection of one of Scotland's great buildings: The remarkable tale of Glamis CastleJohn Goodall explores the development of the medieval Glamis Castle in Angus — seat of the Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne — and its spectacular transformation into one of the landmark buildings of Scottish architecture. Photography by Paul Highnam.
-
Athena: In the eyes of Government, will the Arts always be last?After a year of Labour rule, life doesn't seem to be getting any better for Britain's cultural institutions.
