My first time as a beater.

Fred Walters took me along to the shoot run by Les Coole and Michael Williams on the land at the far end of Frampton, adjoining Slimbridge between the motor-way and canal.

A beautiful day with the promise of wintery showers in the sky over the Forest of Dean.

The wood is young and dense with a complete mixture of all the indigenous British trees, creating perfect cover for the game. At times making painful for the beaters to penetrate and flush out the birds.

The dogs did their best but the birds had the better of us that day.

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