High hopes in hill country

These days it is unusual to hear of a new shoot starting. All too often it is the reverse. I have lost count of how many long-established shoots around my area have packed up; gamekeepers made redundant, beaters and pickers-up looking for dwindling opportunities to spend a Saturday working their dogs, enjoying a few hours in the countryside with like-minded people.

So it was heartening to be invited by Norman and Sandra Onens to be part of a team to shoot the first day at their new venture, the Bitterly Lodge Shoot in Shropshire. I am not overly familiar with this part of the country,