THE FUTURE LOOKS BRIGHT …

… even at night, as Mick Garvey explains

Some places I just cannot keep away from; certain woods that produce squirrels time after time, fields that are home to flocks of pigeons during the harvest, pheasant holding pens that attract foxes like bees to pollen and, of course, the Lake District. This area is where my future lies and as soon as I leave I’m ready to return. My latest journey to this dreamland has done nothing to alter this and the attraction has become stronger for many reasons, and I’m going to let them unfold in front of your very eyes.

As you might remember, I have a few friends up in Cumbria; Ben, the ‘grumpy old man’ being my main contact up there, and my shooting partner/ghillie. He can often be found carrying our rabbits whilst I do the shooting, and only moans about it when he can. Joking apart, he is a top bloke and great company.

Another good friend is Jerry Moss, ex-writer for Air Gunner magazine, and one of the red squirrel rangers who do a fantastic job keeping the grey squirrels under control. We called to see Jerry and Sarah and discussed how I could possibly help out with the promotion of the group, and even aid with the culling when up in the Penrith area. It’s a cause worthy of everyone’s attention. Link http://www. penrithredsquirrels.org.uk/ . Among other people who help me out with my time in the lakes are Jarod, the man to hire a boat from at St Patrick’s marina in Ullswater – he’s a keen shooter and great fun to be around – and Justin, another red squirrel ranger who I met for the first time at a sort of wild-camping evening, along with Jason who made the trip from Blackpool for the evening.

WILD-CAMPING