AN INVITATION

Boxing day was every bit as wonderful as Christmas day,we played games,ate lots of chocolate and drank a modest amount of Scotch!! The severe weather warnings for snow amounted to nothing more than a few flakes and a good deal of heavy rain,a little disappointing but one cannot have everything.

After dinner we sat together in the library,my son had placed a small sachet of crystals among the burning logs , and the resulting display of vivid blues and greens, purples reds and the most amazing shades of turquoise kept us enthralled for almost an hour. It was during this unusual display that we heard a knock at the door.

The caller was a neighbour who had brought with her an invitation for all of us to a small party at her home on the evening of the next day and although Pa and I seldom go out in the evenings these days we accepted with pleasure. I knew my son would refuse if we were unable to attend and I knew that he would really like to have an evening out,and besides,it might be fun.

My son is not writing at the moment and this gives us more time for fun,in the afternoon we divided our time between playing board games and preparing for our evening out, I even put on some make up, a thing I seldom do these days and by the time we were ready to leave I looked quite presentable! At five fifteen we all trudged up the dark lane, the rain had stopped and the sky was clear,quite a novelty these days, yet another puncture meant that my buggy was grounded but with the aid of my trusty walking stick and my sons arm we arrived at our destination without incident.

Out hosts live in a very pretty cottage at the top of the lane quite small but every bit as lovely inside as it is out. We were ushered in to a cosy room beautifully lit with fairy lights and filled with interesting old furniture. Since all the other guests were neighbours there was no awkwardness and everyone chatted away while our hosts very busy filling our glasses and handing round delicious plates of smoked salmon and small pastries.

All went well until the talk turned to the Boxing Day Hunt, and occasion where the “County Set” get together on horse back with a pack of hounds and chase an unfortunate fox until, dropping with exhaustion it is torn to pieces by the excited dogs. Although I was born and raised in the countryside I have never understood this barbarous practice, surely it is possible to exercise both dogs and horses without the need for such brutality?

I agree that it is a picturesque sight, the beautiful horses with their red jacketed riders streaming across the open farmland in the clear frosty air but for me that does not justify the end result. Supporters of this ghastly business tell you that it is sport, but believe me there is nothing sporting about blocking up all the fox earth,s for mile around to ensure that the poor creature has no refuge and this is common practice.

Some years ago a law was passes to prevent the killing of foxes in this way, this law is universally ignored by the hunters who excuse their law breaking by claiming that it is vital to the economy of the countryside,this is absolute tosh!  They will also claim that it is only town people who fail to understand the importance of being able to take part in this rural farce, yet many farmers dislike the hunt which can cause considerable damage to their fields hedges and livestock.

The problem for them is that many are tenant farmers, dependant on the goodwill of the land owners, most of who can be found following the hounds themselves, it would not do to complain and so they comply with the hunters,it is often their task to locate the fox earth,s and block the entrances. This compliance while understandable is ,none the less despicable and cruel.

Back to the party, where I was asked if I  approved of fox hunting and  if I been to watch the hunt assemble at a nearby public house for the “Stirrup Cup” and I am afraid that I gave my opinion in my usual forthright fashion and it went down like a lead balloon! None of those present actually ride to hounds although one of the ladies arrived wearing jodhpurs , booted and sporting a tweed waistcoat(naff!) and none of them belong to the “County Set”, and it was the overt toadyism which made my blood boil, such people associate themselves with “The Hunt” so as to feel they belong to this fraternity of upper class landowners and increasingly these days the newly wealthy aspirational middle class, professionals.

These types consider the lower orders of society,who keep dogs for the purpose of such activities as dog fighting and hare coursing to be far beneath them when in fact there is no difference between them what-so-ever. They are all engaged in the torture of defenceless creatures purely for their own sick pleasure and their behaviour is every bit as disgraceful.

My family once owned great tracts of land in this part of the world, my own father was a land owner in his own right and he fought against this barbaric sport all his life, as have I...they asked my opinion,and I gave it,that is all. Obviously I refrained, for the sake of politeness from placing them in the “toady” bracket, and they would not have recognised themselves as such even had I done so!

In spite of this disagreement it was a pleasant party,and my son enjoyed himself so it was worth the effort in the end.

At any rate my forthright comments did not seem to offend our hosts , were invited to dinner, and they accepted my sons invitation to our own party to be held early in the New Year.

Unused to evening engagements Pa and I were very tired by the time we returned to our home so I made a quick supper and we all prepared for bed.

I do not regret my remarks,it is well to be honest about ones opinions, otherwise it is easy to get sucked in to the “County Mafia” as I know to my cost. I am certain that my shocking comments will have done the rounds of the village by nightfall tomorrow and although I may now be persona non grata in some quarters it is much better to be notorious than it is to be dull, and frankly as you see from today's pictures I would prefer to spend my time with the fox!!