This week’s key trade player is John Bright, the CEO of shooting and clothing distributor Highland Outdoors. Having started in the gun trade in his native Australia and working with John and David Fuller, John Bright has risen through the industry to become one of the leading voices in shooting sports. He created Highland Outdoors in 2007 and the brand has since grown to incorporate an extensive global portfolio and continues to expand. John explained: “I moved here in 2007 and set up the company from nothing. I spent a lot of time setting it up, seeing customers, ...

Research investigating the influence of temperature and flood events on juvenile Atlantic salmon found that warmer winters and cooler springs could be driving a fall in their numbers. Experts from the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT) studied the River Frome in Dorset and found numbers of juveniles were lower following unseasonal temperatures, which could be associated with climate change. Their findings highlight the fragility of chalk streams and the salmon populations that inhabit them, to such changes. Atlantic salmon stocks have suffered declines in recent decades, leading researchers to try and understand the threats to both juvenile freshwater and adult marine habitats in order to manage these habitats better. This survey, one of only a few conducted in the ...

Following the establishment of the new Welsh Parliament, the British Association for Shooting and Conservation has written to all members of the Senedd, highlighting the importance of shooting to the Welsh economy, environment and culture. The elections, held a fortnight ago, saw Welsh Labour narrowly miss out on securing a majority, winning 30 of the 60 seats in the Senedd. The Conservatives gained 16 seats becoming the official opposition with Plaid Cymru obtaining 13 and the Liberal Democrats one. Lesley Griffiths, MS for Wrexham, has maintained the rural affairs portfolio, though her responsibilities have been expanded ...

The British Game Alliance is urging everyone to be early adopters of its voluntary 50p levy, which will be added to every bird shot this season so the not-for-profit organisation can build a much-needed self-regulatory shield around game shooting. CEO Liam Stokes explained: “Put simply, game shooting cannot continue without credible self-regulation and it cannot thrive without a market for the birds we shoot. To achieve both, we need widespread implementation of the BGA standards. “The BGA is almost entirely funded through registration fees of its shoots and game farms and through the efforts of guns, ...

English gunmaker Longthorne has just proofed its first set of Damascus barrels for steel shot at The London Proof House. The news will delight a customer who has waited for quite some time for these. As an added bonus, at the same time they had the honour of meeting the new London Proof Master David Miles, and the team. In addition, a number of UK dealers have now taken delivery of Longthorne demonstration models, with more to come in the following weeks. It means customers now can view and try the latest models at various shops and ...

As well as exhibiting, leading country clothing brand Joules will be hosting a just-for-fun dog agility course at The Game Fair this year, which is being held at Ragley Hall from 23 to 25 July. The agility course is designed to be a non-competitive and inclusive activity that will be open to furry friends of all shapes and sizes that may not have been eligible for other competitions. Dogs can whizz through a series of obstacles that are bound to leave tails wagging as they spring over fences, leap through hoops and slalom their way to ...

London antique dealer and vintage luggage specialist Bentleys London is back at The Game Fair for the first time in more than 20 years. Owner Tim Bent tells us what it means to return, the importance of the LAPADA pavilion and why this summer will be so exciting. TGF: With over 30 years’ experience, what have been your career highlights? Tim Bent: Opening my first shop on Walton Street in Chelsea in 1996 was a big moment. Taking a Bentleys pop-up shop to Tokyo and Shanghai promoting vintage luggage and British craftsmanship with Alfred Dunhill ...

A high-quality, well-thought-out design boasting a string of features for any dog trainer. The vest is made from a mesh and ripstop fabric and boasts a zipped two-way front opening plus hidden deep chest pockets, two inside pockets with zip closures, double front cartridge/utility pockets and a large rear waterproof game/carrying pocket with an adjuster. Each pocket, including the one at the rear, also includes eyelets for drainage. It also incorporates an elasticated back area so the vest will give and take with you, for example, if you decide to put a jumper or coat under ...

This week’s key industry figure is Marc Newton, the managing director of London gunmaker John Rigby & Co, which has a history stretching back to the 18th century. Since his appointment in 2013, Marc has guided Rigby’s evolution into a firm fit for the 21st century while keeping its history alive. As well as overseeing the production of finely crafted, fit-for-purpose firearms, Marc always has an eye to shoring up the future of the gun trade as a whole, supporting young gunmaking talent through apprenticeships and by creating a well-balanced team where the enthusiasm of youth ...

With all eyes on the summer, game specialist Wild and Game has launched an expanded BBQ offering with two variety packs and recipes. The company’s barbeque range includes garlic and herb pheasant breasts, chilli and lemon partridge breasts, venison or wild boar steaks, game burgers and sausages plus mallard breasts. The packs are the latest addition to the firm’s growing range of game-based food, which runs from pies and sausage rolls to ready meals, pates and read-to-cook meats. Other recent additions include game charcuterie and gin-based pâtés. Steven Frampton, the company’s co-founder, said: “Wild and ...

Forensic scientist Martin Parker has been appointed as the new head of firearms at the British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC). Martin, whose most recent post was as chief scientist at the National Ballistics Intelligence Service is a biochemist by training and has been involved in forensic science as a practitioner, instructor and senior manager. Part of his career has been devoted to forensic firearms examination at every level. BASC’s director of firearms, Bill Harriman, said Martin was well-known and respected within law enforcement and government agencies and highly regarded by those shooting organisations he ...

Global auctioneer and Game Fair regular Bonhams announces has been entrusted with the sale of one of the most important and well-documented collection of firearms belonging to Western lawmen and outlaw legends. Among the highlights of The Early West: The Collection of Jim and Theresa Earle, is arguably the most iconic treasure of early western history – the gun Pat Garrett used to kill Billy The Kid (estimate: $2-3 million). Jim Earle, a beloved engineering professor at Texas A&M, and his wife Theresa assembled this incredible collection over the course of more than 40 ...

The Government has signalled the next step in its roadmap out of lockdown, with further restrictions being eased from Monday and more venues opening up for us to enjoy. It’s one step closer to the return of normality as we head towards a fantastic summer, culminating in The Game Fair’s celebration of the great British countryside. The event, which has already been given “Good To Go” industry standard backing from VisitBritain to reassure visitors this July, ticks all the boxes for a safe and fun gathering for all countryside lovers. Announcing the “considerable step on ...

Premium egg producer Clarence Court has been revealed as the Main Arena sponsor of The Game Fair 2021, which is set to take place Friday 23 to Sunday 25 July at Ragley Hall in Warwickshire. Known for producing ‘fabulous eggs by fabulous birds’, the Clarence Court family extends all the way from the familiar golden yolks of the Burford Browns to the light and buttery Ostrich egg.  Stocked by leading supermarkets and stamped with a blue crown emblem, the Clarence Court range includes the familiar Burford Browns and Old Cotswold Legbar eggs, as well as ...

The British Association for Shooting and Conservation’s B head of game and gundogs, Glynn Evans, has stepped down as chair of the England and Wales Poaching Priority Delivery Group (PPDG) after 10 years at the helm. The PPDG works with the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU) to build a greater level of public awareness of poaching, enhancing relationships between law enforcement and local communities and increasing prevention and enforcement. Glynn said: “Thanks to the efforts of members of the PPDG and wider partners over the past 10 years, we have seen a number of significant ...

Some of the industry’s best-loved brands have got behind this year’s Gundog Area at The Game Fair as it continues to grow. With a range of experts on hand to offer all manner of advice, a long list of breeds on show in the Sporting Dog Pavilion plus competitions and demonstrations in the Working Dog Ring, it is always an exciting place to be. This year gundogs at The Game Fair a further boost from three major brands – 4x4 expert Isuzu is sponsoring the area, Gundog Journal has become the official media partner while ...

The Gun Trade Association has reminded shooting retailers that firearms licensing departments will be issuing new-style certificates from May 7th, with additional requirements. The main change is that the certificates now require the ‘unique identifying mark’ to be recorded, rather than just the serial number. At the same time, where one of the relevant component parts has a non-matching mark, that too should be recorded. For example, where a bolt has been replaced on a rifle, the unique identifying mark of that bolt should also be listed on the certificate. In the case of modular rifles ...

Our series highlighting key players in the trade continues with Rob Fenwick, the managing director of top shooting ground E J Churchill, which is once again running the Shoot Line this year at The Game Fair. Rob Fenwick celebrates 20 years at EJ Churchill this year, having started out at the bottom as an events organiser before working his way through the ranks to become managing director. He said: “I love my job and this industry, mainly because of the people and the sport. It is ‘full on’ here and there isn’t much time for hobbies ...

Buried in the BBC and British Film Institute archives is a little known film John Macnab, a dramatisation of John Buchan’s masterpiece which follows three men who set themselves a challenges “devilish difficult, devilish unpleasant, and calculated to make a man long for a dull life”.  Set in our open air cinema on Saturday night, expect relaxed seating, whisky and wine. Bringing the whole thing to life, we meet Buchan’s granddaughter Ursula who well tell us about John’s extraordinary life which lead to her own novel – Beyond The Thirty-Nine Steps.  Seats are very limited ...

Organisers have already signed up more than 700 exhibitors including household names in the land and estate sections such as John Deere, Mitsubishi Tractors, Kubota and Suzuki. Forestry Journal will also be hosting the Forestry Journal Pavilion which will provide a turnkey showcase for exhibitors looking for a simple exhibiting solution this year.   Companies looking to test the event for the first time or those that want a simple solution can opt to exhibit in the Pavilion whilst those looking for larger stands will be offered location near by. Former exhibitors of APF may find ...