The failure of firearms licensing departments to prioritise resources is having a significant impact on participation in shooting sports and on the gun trade in England and Wales. Dozens of firearms licensing departments across the two countries are beset with significant delays and backlogs. The British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC), the UK’s largest shooting organisation, is aware of 18 police forces that are taking more than 100 days to turn around applications, with some accepting that it can take up to a year to process. One applicant was recently told a certificate would take ...

Whether it’s a Daschund or a German Shepherd, attendees of The Game Fair are invited to bring along their four-legged-friends to test out Joules’ hoops and hurdles and browse their brand new market square. Joules is delighted to announce that it’s hugely successful dog agility course will be returning to The Game Fair for 2022 and will once again be open to all breeds and abilities! Also this year, there will be even more to explore as the brand is bringing the Joules Market Square to fair for the first time. This specially designed area has ...

A pan-European study on Eurasian wigeon – an amber-listed duck which spends its winters in the UK – has recorded the species’ monumental migration of nearly 10,000km. One bird, satellite-tagged in Finland, has now revealed its full migratory route between its wintering grounds on the east coast of England and Scotland, across Scandinavia to its breeding grounds in Russia. Its epic journey was recorded as part of Project Penelope, an international collaborative three-year project led by the Waterfowlers’ Network and scientists at the British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC). The project aims to learn more ...

Top shooting ground E J Churchill is inviting members and on-members alike to take advantage of some great clay prices during its late-night shooting evenings. On Wednesdays and Thursdays the ground near High Wycombe, Bucks, will be from 5pm to 8pm for keen guns to get some practice in after work and clays will be priced at just 35p each during that time. With over 200 traps operating and available to shoot, high towers, four compak sporting layouts, an Olympic trap layout and loads of sporting stands, this is the perfect way to unwind after a busy day in ...

Prestigious bootmakers Le Chameau have launched the ‘Imperfects’ initiative for the second year running to raise money for The Prince’s Countryside Fund. The Imperfects campaign ran last year throughout July and was a chance for fans of the brand to purchase imperfect versions of the boots at a discounted rate in support of the charity, and this year’s campaign will offer customers the chance to support an incredible charity for a second time. Le Chameau boots are handmade by ‘maître bottiers’ (master bootmakers) in a meticulous process that takes days just to create one pair. Known ...

Game Fair visitors will be able to toast a brand-new drink in the Beckford’s Rum range next month (July), with the launch of its Maroon. Coming in at an impressive 65% ABV, the Maroon has already scooped a gold medal at the Grocer Food Expo Awards 2022, although it is only being officially launched at The Game Fair. Beckford’s says: “A rum should be so smooth you should be able to drink it neat if you want over ice,” although it also tastes great with a good ginger beer, ice and a slice. It’s a premium ...

Imagine heritage design buildings that not only blend into the landscape but are the perfect places to escape to, away from the madding crowds and the stresses and strains of everyday life. Bonnie Boltholes is set to make a huge splash at this year’s Game Fair, as it will be bringing a stunning 24ft x 10ft fully furnished building to the Ragley Hall estate to showcase its official launch. The bespoke building, modelled on a traditional Bothy, will be the centrepiece of the new brand, which specialises in using natural stone, heritage slate tiles and, where ...

Luxury designer brand Nicola Sexton is Game Fair ready and plans to unveil two key launches at the event this summer. After two years of development, the team is able to finally launch its brand-new sneakers. Set on a sculptural textured flatform sole, the Fleur sneaker will elevate any look from dawn to dusk. Set on a foam footbed for ultimate comfort, each sneaker features a subtle yet eye-catching heel cup in a fabulous array of leathers. At the same time, look out for the India Bag, described as a timeless piece for any occasion. Carefully designed to ...

The Game Fair gundog section sponsor Dog & Field prides itself on setting the right foundations for each puppy it feeds. The brand enjoys watching puppies thrive from a balanced diet and so the creation of its Puppy Pack was a natural process. With the help of its ambassadors, Dog & Field trialled and tested many methods to help customers bring their puppies home with ease. The ‘50% off’ voucher is an instant hit as it can be used before the puppy comes home – this means a 12kg bag of food can be there ready ...

The team behind three major countryside events, The Game Fair, the GWCT Scottish Game Fair and the new GWCT Welsh Game Fair, is delighted to announce that INEOS Automotive will be sponsoring all three events for 2022. The brand’s rugged Grenadier 4X4 is a modern workhorse, engineered and built to world-class standards. Available as a two-seat utility wagon or a 5-seat station wagon, it is the brainchild of billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe, whose aim was to create a highly capable and no-nonsense vehicle with exceptional off-road capability, a practical hose-out interior and on-road comfort and refinement. ...

Following the invasion of Ukraine, The Country Food Trust – this year’s chosen charity for The Game Fair, has launched a dedicated Ukraine appeal to raise funds and send meals to those in need. Its nutritional pouches were perfect for the conditions being experienced in the crisis as they need no refrigeration and can be eaten either cold or, if heated amongst other ways as rudimentary as a pot of river water over an open fire. The Country food Trust also successfully completed a bespoke run that included pasta to provide a comprehensive, complete meal. The campaign raised enough funds ...

The Game Fair 2022 is just around the corner and the team at Welligogs HQ is getting super excited, as they explain: “We just love the atmosphere at the show and especially the Ladies Day Best Dressed Competition! Each year we are the proud sponsors of the competition, and it is a fabulous time to have a glass of fizz, enjoy meeting lots of lovely people, and of course observing incredible outfits. “This year we are even more thrilled as we will be teaming up with Mackenzie & George to allocate the first-place prize! The winner ...

The Game Fair has announced that The Country Food Trust, founded in 2015, to provide free, nutritious game-based meals to those in food poverty, is its charity partner for the 2022 event. The two organisations partnered for the first time in 2021, and this year the aim is to raise even more money to help the charity feed more people in need. The Country Food Trust is a registered charity which donates game-based meals to some of the 8.4 million people in food poverty in the UK. The charity’s focus is on providing people with free ...

Visitors to the Scottish, English and Welsh Game Fairs are being invited to stretch themselves in a bid to become the ultimate casting champion. To be with a chance of qualifying for the Grand Final, to be staged at the GWCT Welsh Game Fair at Vaynol estate in September, participants will be challenged over three key disciplines – salmon and trout distance and a fly-casting accuracy contest. The top scorers from these events at the GWCT Scottish Game Fair – being held at Scone Palace from July 1sy to 3rd – The Game Fair at Ragley ...

The UK’s latest innovative platform for new and used shotguns, rifles, air guns and sporting equipment – Gunroom.digital – will be live and in-person at this summer’s Game Fair. Gunroom.digital was designed and created to use the power of modern technology to create a system that supports anyone from the general public wanting to sell their shotgun to large multilocation RFDs that need a fully integrated firearms register. With the current o social media restrictions on advertising shotguns, rifles and airguns, people can no longer advertise these items for free to thousands of people and instead ...

Take a Friend Fishing is back for spring and summer 2022, giving even more people the chance to get out fishing with a friend or relative. Building on the continued success of the 2020 and 2021 campaigns, Take a Friend Fishing will cover both The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee bank holiday and the summer holidays. To celebrate the Platinum Jubilee week, between Saturday 28th May to Sunday 5th June (inclusive), existing fishing licence holders can register for a FREE one-day fishing licence from the Environment Agency at www.takeafriendfishing.co.uk to take someone they know fishing. To take advantage of the summer holidays and National Fishing month, between Monday 1st August to ...

Oliver Preston has been a cartoonist for more than 25 years, publishing 20 books and helping people enjoy a laugh and a smile with his engaging and well-observed works. As he prepares to return to this summer’s Game Fair after a five-year absence, Trade News caught up with him to find out more… TGF: How did you start in this business? Oliver Preston: I am very lucky. The art came from the Swiss side of my family, the humour from my British father. I have always thought that if it was the other way round, I wouldn’t ...

Looking to entertain guests during your visit to the Game Fair? Why not contact the Ragley Events Team to discuss the exclusive hospitality packages the hall offers throughout The Game Fair weekend? From fine dining in the 17th century Great Hall to champagne receptions in the Victorian Rose Gardens, the event venues at Ragley make the perfect setting to relax and entertain as you overlook the event. Whilst the masses enjoy the many activities on site, give your guests a taste of the VIP treatment with a private reception in one of the spectacular state rooms. ...

The Canal and River Trust, the charity which looks after many of our waterways, is also the organisation behind the hugely popular ‘have-a-go’ fishing at The Game Fair. Once again, this summer, the beautiful lake at Ragley Hall in Warwickshire will be the venue for anyone keen to catch their first fish – or get a bit of angling advice. The qualified angling coaches will be running FREE taster sessions throughout the weekend – last year these sessions were booked solid for all three days. It’s all part of the CRT’s Let’s Fish! initiative. Whether you've ...

The British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC)’s wild food team is celebrating educating more than 700 members of the next generation of chefs about game meat in the last year. BASC has worked with 36 colleges across the UK since early 2021 to highlight the field to fork journey of game meat to students and staff and to highlight and promote its versatility, benefits and fantastic flavours. The college visits culminated in the launch of a competition, with the overall winner going on to cook their winning dish at the Eat Game Awards in London ...