Open Season...

This Sunday marks the opening of Duck shooting season. Though I shall be on my knees for the weekend, planting 3000 buxus seedlings, I thought to mark the occasion I would write a suitable post; a follow up to my previous posts on correct country attire and shooting parties.

Here are some samples of what the spiffing country lad might wear this shooting season...

It's hard to believe that the poor creatures didn't see them coming...

One must remember to cover up One's Morris Dancing socks...

and practice loitering nonchalantly in doorways...

Country life is never complete without a dog...

Whether big or small, make sure his coat matches your leather goods...

Let us not forget the ladies...

and the undecided...

Let's not forget the all important part of shooting, the gun.
When I replace my gun, I would like my next one to be a Purdey...

While Purdey's are best known as makers of fine shotguns, they also continue to produce rifles, both double-barreled and bolt-action. Both because the Purdey name is arguably the most prestigious of any firearms manufacturer and because the guns are custom-made, largely by hand, they are extremely expensive. A new Purdey shotgun starts at around $100,000 US.

Purdey was established in London in 1814. just before the Battle of Waterloo. The founder, James Purdey, had previously worked as head stocker for Manton, the foremost gunmaker of his time. Purdey set up his gun making business in Princes St, but soon moved to Manton's former premises in Oxford St in 1826.

James Purdey (the younger) took over the running of the company from his father in 1858. Over his lifetime there was rapid change and development in the design of guns and rifles. James the younger was always at the forefront of advances in the design and building of his guns and rifles, and took out several patents for technical innovations over the years, many of which were adopted by other gunmakers.

In 1882 the company moved from Oxford Street to the new premises (below) on the corner of South Audley Street and Mount Street, where it remains to this day. James the younger designed this building to accommodate his showroom, the factory for making guns and cartridges, and later it provided living quarters for his family.

In 1900 Athol Purdey took over from his father and ran the business through the prosperous Edwardian years, when country life was in a revival, as well as supervising Purdey's manufacturing of gun parts and other items of ordnance for the War Department during the 1914-1918 war. His sons, James and Tom, both of whom had survived serious injuries whilst fighting in France, joined the firm in the 1920s, and took over from Athol Purdey on his retirement circa 1929.

No, not that sort of Purdey...

(though Joanna Lumley is credited with suggesting the character be named Purdey, after James Purdey and Sons)

Holland and Holland is the other gunsmith whose work I should be so lucky to own. It was founded by Harris Holland (1806–96) in the year 1835.

In 1883 Holland and Holland entered the trials organized by the magazine The Field and won all of the rifle categories. This set a new standard of excellence for the competition among English gunmakers, and since then it has become a coveted name in One's gunrack.


In the 1990s, Holland and Holland started on a major program of expansion. The company has stores ("gunrooms") in NYC and Moscow. The company's London flagship store on Burton Street has been completely renovated and expanded (below)...

Last year they really pushed out the boat for the luxury lifestylers and joined forced with Range Rover. For a mere $140,000 GBP One can purchase an Overfinch - an exclusive Range Rover designed by Overfinch and Holland and Holland. This is the elite country vehicle. Don your tweeds, grab your shooting stick, and jump in...

Hedge Funds...

In preparation for building the entrance to Willowbrook, We have had the old Shea oak (Casuarina) hedging removed along the frontage of the property, and the stumps ground in order to replant it with 300 metres of Cupressocyparis Ovensii hedging.

Ovensii are, for all intents and purposes, identical to their more ubiquitous cousins Cupressocyparis leylandii, however unlike leylandii, Ovensii are canker resistant. You can see the men cutting down the Shea Oaks in the photo above, and note on the far side of the road is a nice Cupressocyparis leylandii hedge. The hedge on the other side of the road runs for about 300 metres, so we have matched it all the way along the road on our side . We have already had neighbours stop by and say how good the road looks with the Shea oaks gone, and how great they think it will look once the two hedges match (which is very kind of them). It certainly will give the entrance real presence.

Below: Leylandii with patches of canker. Once it starts there is nothing you can do about it.

We must give a big thanks to Harry and Lloyd at Wairere Nursery, who sourced our new Cupressocyparis trees, they are already 5 feet tall, so we have a good start to the hedge. Wairere has their annual sale on at present, so pop by and check out the nursery along with the stunning display gardens.

Below: a before shot. Note the Casuarina (close up above) - no matter how tightly you trim them they always ends up looking manky. Maybe a fine tree for the outback, but not a tidy hedging choice.

Above and Below: The after shots.
Each tree is planted 3 feet apart. Hopefully they will establish their roots well over winter and be away in the spring.

Eventually they should provide a nice tidy hedge like the Leyland hedge below.

With the view opened up we can see the prized bulls at the stud across the road...

Congratulations to the Happy Couple...

We extend our most felicitous congratulations to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on the occasion of their wedding.

Blog Love...

Our first post...

At the time I posted this first blog, I was completely blogilliterate. As you can see, now I've even mastered the art of mobile blogging. Luckily blogger was fairly self explanatory, but I wasn't sure whether this was going to be a 5 minute craze for me, or something more sustainable.

As it turned out, almost 200 posts later, this has been something much more than a fad. I have made some fantastic friends, and have found a very easy way to collate all our ideas for Willowbrook. Not all of them have come to fruition, but most are well underway; and I have discovered that blogging provides a way to be creative with lots of support from others online, and an excellent forum to tweak our ideas or get other people's advice, A place to share our dreams, not just our realities.

For all of you who have been regular commentators on this blog, I thank you. Following Millie's sensible lead, if your blog is one of those on the right, whose presence is cherished enough to be on our blogroll, please share your own blog-love story with us.

Orta recens quam pura nites

Happy Easter!

Above: Corregio - Jesus appearing to Mary Magdalen

Above: Sinfonia from JS Bach's Easter Oratorio BWV 249

For some ideas on Easter decorating and celebration see our previous post. David.x

Surrexit Alleluia!