Crisp, cold morning and I was keen to get outside and get some fresh air. It was a toss-up between an hour’s walk to the Dumb Post (pub) or drive to nearby Lacock for the traditional Boxing Day meet of horse and hounds. The fact that it would take us another hour to walk home from the pub probably influenced the decision to drive to the meet.
Lacock is a place lost in time, a beautifully preserved English village with quaint stone cottages and half timbered buildings. The Avon Vale Hunt was due to meet outside the Red Lion at 11.00 a.m. I thought it would be nice to amble amongst the horses and hounds, sipping our mulled wine. I hadn’t realised that half the world would be there (the other half were out shopping at the Boxing Day sales). We managed to get our mulled wine but the crowds meant it was very difficult to even get close to the horses.
Still, it was all very convivial, even with the crowds. No protestors present but then they haven’t got much to protest about these days as the hunt is forbidden to chase foxes. I hope somebody told the dogs that.
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| Whipper-In (chap in charge of the hounds) |
Quite a spectacle - there are always police in attendance when the hunt meets round here - there has been trouble in the past.
ReplyDeleteI was very surprised at the sheer numbers, all very well behaved though. Very hard to get a decent photo.
DeleteA classy woman taking a selfie there. We had the Boxing Day hunt today and hundreds in the town square to see them ride off. One of my stockbroker friends ended up great friends with a hunt saboteur and the saboteur girl changed sides and learned to ride and started riding with the hunt.
ReplyDeleteI don't like the idea of any animal being hunted or killed but I feel some of the angst is more an attack on the posh and privileged. There was an awful lot of posh there yesterday.
DeleteI've only hunted once in my life, and that was with The Old Surrey and Burstow. As I couldn't jump, and my horse had alternative ideas, it also became the last time. Like you, now I just watch.
ReplyDeleteDid you take a tumble? You need to possess a dose of crazy as well as a good horse to hunt.
DeleteI would have loved to see that, especially in that particular setting. I like the picture of the lace-curtained window. -Jenn
ReplyDeleteLacock is the perfect setting for anything quintessentially English. They filmed some of the Harry Potter scenes in this village. Just a shame about the crowds.
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