The Carter Jonas Game Fair Theatre is well known for its full programme of celebrities and keynote speakers covering a huge number of topics throughout The Game Fair. Friday saw discussions range from inheritance tax and the future of farming to Hunting Ethics and – on a lighter note – also saw star barman and rural pub owner Merlin Griffiths and The Game Fair’s VIP Enclosure, sponsored by Rathbones, host Jimmy Doherty drop by to discuss all things countryside.

Merlin charmed the audience with some behind the scenes tales from some of the TV programmes he is involved with before going on to describe the important role a village pub has in rural communities, often acting as a safety net when it comes to taking care of the locals. A village with a couple of pubs will often have well known regulars, and if they don’t appear on an expected night, it’s customary for them to expect a knock on the door to see if they are okay. “Village Pubs still need saving,” he said.


Later in the day, Jimmy Doherty brought to the stage his 25 years of farming expertise, as well as his more recent work rescuing Polar Bears. When asked how his first day at The Game Fair was going, he commented “It has been a great day so far,” and that the Carter Jonas Theatre was his last gig for the day.

During the talk, host Charlie Jacoby asked Jimmy how he moved from traditional farming to ostensibly zoo keeping.

“There are similarities to how we work with rare breeds but in other ways it is completely different. The move from farming traditional pigs, processing and selling direct in markets led to the farm shop opening, then the restaurant kept visitors on site for longer, so a small farm park was started. Then requests came in to take care of more exotic animals and now the Polar Bears that are resident in the Jimmy’s Wildlife Park have a dedicated TV series.”

When asked about his ethos on farming, Jimmy commented, “Farming is demonised by the media and the general public. Getting close to nature and teaching people about animals and how to look after them teaches responsibility and thoughtfulness – which can only be a force for good.”

Jimmy and Merlin will be appearing again in the Carter Jonas Game Fair Theatre over the weekend so keep a lookout on the timetable.