Sounding the right note

NDC Sir Max Hastings admits that he would sell his soul for a day at driven grouse. So would I – although I expect mine would fetch a lower bag than his. There is undoubtedly a spell cast by grouse that no other bird can aspire to; pace and grace that defy definition. Only the grouse has the power to open well-guarded chequebooks, cancel crucial meetings and transport its disciples into a heathery heaven. It has the X-factor in spades.

My addiction