The cold light of day
RICHARD NEGUS IS A PROFESSIONAL HEDGE LAYER AND WRITER. HE IS A KEEN WILDFOWLER AND HAS A PASSION FOR GREY PARTRIDGES
For some time, my son Charlie has been applying gentle pressure for me to let him join me on the foreshore. I feared he would find it all cold, static and, sadly all too often, blank. It is my own fault; I have waxed lyrically and too convincingly about the positives — the dramatic dawns witnessed in blissful isolation, of the thrill of towering geese and lightning teal landing on secret splashes. I had made it all sound so enticing that, despite him having wholeheartedly enjoyed beating, trapping, stalking, pigeon decoying and numerous angling jaunts, he
