MARTIN LETTS was a very good friend of mine and was indeed a “great foxhunter” in every sense. He died only relatively recently - in February 2022, while still a master of the College Valley and North Northumberland Foxhounds, a role he had held for no fewer than 58 seasons.
He had the distinction of having hunted beagles, otterhounds and foxhounds. He was one of the most respected houndsmen in the land.
His early days, however, were spent in the orchards and hop fields of Kent; a far cry from the rugged Border country with which he was associated for most of his life. It was with the Bolebroke Beagles that he had his early hunting experiences.
The master, Philip Burrows, had been in office since 1934 and, being very deaf, first made use of young Letts as
