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 ...

Dog & Field’s Original Clone Rabbit Dummy is a great simulation retrieve, thanks not only to its textured fur middle but also to the spread of the weight in the dummy, which is unevenly spread from top to bottom. The top end of the dummy is heavy, simulating the head and the front legs of the rabbit, deliberately making the rabbit awkward to pick, hopefully then making the dog learn to pick the middle body part for a more balanced retrieve. James Harding from Riverggin Gundogs said: “The dummy comes in two sizes – small or ...

Following a successful relaunch in 2021, National Fishing Month is back for 2022 and will be the biggest year ever with the Angling Trades Association, Angling Trust and the Environment Agency joining forces to bring angling to the masses! The event, which celebrates the wonderful world of fishing, will run between Monday, August 1st and Wednesday, August 31st but organisers including the ATA, EA and Canal & River Trust will be at The Game Fair in the run-up to the venture to explain more to visitors. This year’s campaign sees the launch of a brand new ...

UK REACH restriction dossier for England, Scotland and Wales published by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) today. Following the publication of the UK REACH restriction dossier for lead ammunition today, 6 May, BASC executive director of operations Steve Bloomfield said: “The proposed restrictions would see a ban on the sale and use of many forms of lead ammunition outdoors in England, Scotland and Wales. Limited exemptions have been outlined in the dossier for the continued use of lead ammunition in some licensed settings. “The wide-ranging proposed restrictions, which closely reflect EU REACH proposals, would apply ...

The British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC) will be pushing for “meaningful improvements” within a Defra-published public consultation on a series of proposals to the dog microchipping regulations. The Microchipping of Dogs (England) Regulations were introduced in 2015 to increase re-unification rates of lost and stolen dogs, benefiting dog welfare and saving local authorities and charities kennelling costs. The eight-week consultation follows on from recommendations made by the Pet Theft Taskforce last year. Proposals within the consultation include the creation of a single access point for those permitted to query the various databases; the enactment ...

The Game Fair, one of England’s most celebrated countryside events, has taken its seat alongside brands including Claridge’s, McLaren, Mulberry, Purdey and Rolls-Royce Motor Cars as a member of Walpole, the official sector body for UK luxury. The Game Fair, which already has established partnerships with the likes of LAPADA, Gleneagles and Bentley, will now strengthen its ties with the sector whilst maintaining its vital links with countryside stakeholder groups. The Game Fair is an annual gathering for people passionate about countryside pursuits, and the great British countryside in all its glory, and returns to Ragley ...

Dog owners need look no further when looking for a tasty, healthy way to keep their ‘furr babies’ hydrated at The Game Fair 2022 – Furr Boost is bringing its delicious dog drinks to the show this year, and there’ll be free samples for your pooch to try throughout the weekend. Designed especially for our canine counterparts, Furr Boost provides a junk-free complement to your dog’s daily water intake and is formulated using only human-grade, high-quality ingredients, so discerning dog owners can be sure that they’re giving their pet a treat which is both delicious and ...

Fairfax & Favor’s Verbier Mid-Calf is a sleek take on an après ski boot, inspired by country living and the need for hard wearing but comfortable footwear, whilst retaining an element of style. Features include the cosy faux fur trim - matching the trim on the Charlotte Padded range - full length back zips for ease of foot entry and finished with the interchangeable signature Fairfax & Favor tassels with antique brass shields. The Verbier Mid-Calf has a Sympatex lining, making it an exciting addition to the water-resistant range, and completed with branded traction rubber soles, ...

If you have ever fancied taking up fishing but aren‘t sure where to start then this summer’s Game Fair at Ragley Hall, Warwickshire, is the perfect place to do so. As part of the launch of National Fishing Month – which will run hundreds of events up and down the country throughout the summer holidays – The Game Fair is giving you a chance to have a go at fishing and, hopefully, catch your very first fish. Expert coaches from the Canal & River Trust will be on hand throughout the weekend of July 29th to ...

This year’s Eat Game Award winners have been crowned at a glittering dinner and ceremony in London. The awards marked the culmination of a national search to find businesses and individuals championing the use of British wild game. More than 11,000 votes were cast by the public, with the shortlisted businesses and individuals in each category going forward to be reviewed by a panel of expert judges. The awards are organised and run by the British Association for Shooting and Conservation’s (BASC) Eat Game initiative, which promotes the nutritious, taste and sustainability benefits of British wild game. ...

Defra Minister Lord Benyon has said ‘every single shooting interest’ should sign up to British Game Assurance. This is the clearest and most public indication the Government has given on what it expects from the shooting community in order to fend off future regulation. Speaking for the Government in the House of Lords, Lord Benyon said: “I would say to any shoot that is not signed up to British Game Assurance, they are very stupid and they should, because they [BGA] are proving they are getting shooting’s act in order and I really do encourage every ...

The Game Fair is pleased to announce the appearance of Amanda Owen, the Yorkshire Shepherdess, at this year’s event. Amanda is a hill farmer, Sunday Times best-selling author, passionate photographer and inspiring public speaker living in the Yorkshire Dales with her family, and who shares the challenges and realities of her unique rural life with the world through her work. The Game Fair returns to Ragley Hall in Warwickshire from Friday 29 July to Sunday 31 July 2022 for 3 exciting days celebrating the best of the British countryside. Amanda will create a special Sunday Lunch ...

Entering its 40th anniversary, the French Game Fair is an annual event held at the Lamotte-Beuvron Federal Equestrian Park, in the heart of the Sologne, 17-19th June. In 2022, The Game Fair will take its first British Pavilion to the event and invites you to join.  With subsidised costs and possible grant funding, the event is perfect for businesses looking to test a new market with very low entry costs. The French Game Fair built in the tradition of great game fairs attracts an annual audience of over 86,000. The English Game Fair has negotiated amazing ...

The Country Girls UK brings together women from around the country with interests in shooting and country pursuits. Established in 2018, the group was started by Tania Coxon, a full-time arable farmer who started to share her farming and shooting journey through her Instagram page – @countrygirl_andlabradors – where she began to receive daily messages from women wanting to know more and wanting to get involved in the sports. With a passion for spreading awareness and educating others on why she does what she does, she started The Country Girls UK WhatsApp group, which rapidly grew ...

Top UK retailer M&S has said it will be the first major name to stock game that is both lead-free and British Game Assurance-certified. The news follows the recent annual Agents’ Symposium, which was attended by a senior member of M&S’ agriculture team. M&S has stated its intention to lead the way in the sale of sustainable game, which is why the retailer has scrutinised and adopted the BGA’s standards. At the Agents’ Symposium at Royal Berkshire Shooting, it was made clear that all meats have in-country, independently certified standards and, from now on, M&S would ...

Rodenticide effectiveness could be “hit or miss” in large swathes of the UK due to the unknown resistance status of rat and mouse populations, which is why gamekeepers, pest controllers and farmers are being invited to join a special project to investigate. Campaign for Responsible Rodenticide Use chairman Dr Alan Buckle explained: “Unknown resistance status covers much of Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and central England. “Elsewhere, we know that an area from Bristol to Dover west-east, and Oxford to Southampton north-south, has multiple locations where genes for resistance have been identified. “Less clustered pockets have been ...