Gone with the wind

It was a Thursday evening and as I pottered around my pigeon shed oiling bits of kit, sorting out nets and testing a new flapper, I felt a sense of boyish excitement running through me. I was going camping. The freedom from lockdown. The independence from others. But most excitingly, I was going to be shooting pigeon on a new permission.

As the jackdaws floated back to roost over the shed and the local pigeon population cooed as they enjoyed that last bit of evening sunshine, I shoved the final bit of pigeon hide into the boot of the car and celebrated with a cold beer.

Now, with the rules and regulations around COVID-19 being relaxed slightly, I could turn my attention to farms further afield. However, in a normal year, I would usually stay with friends or in