I hate to shop. My wife is an expert. I love fieldsports and gatherings of what the Americans call ‘likeminded individuals’. Each year, Number Two takes advantage of this and uses the CLA Game Fair to kit me out from top to toe for the coming season.
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We’ve got it down to a science…in fact, in lots of cases I don’t even have to waste valuable browsing time. Victoria at Almost Unwearoutable has my foot and lower leg measurements, so Number Two makes the colour choices to match my tweeds and the stockings appear in my drawer as if by magic. A quick visit to Kiwi Kate and I’ve got insoles from the ONLY PC fur, Kiwi possum (the naughty non-natives are eating their way through NZ), and merino skivvies to keep me warm in Croatia and Outer Mongolia.
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Purdeys is my favorite source of shooting shirts (bargains to be had at the Game Fair), and I’m on my third Arktis fleece (machine washable and drier friendly!). The Mole Hole tailor made me a pair of moleskin breeks for grouse and early season partridge, and they arrived in record time.
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So while Number Two exercises her expertise, I am free to explore the covetable. If Hector the Clumber turns out to be anything special, I’ll be commissioning a portrait of him…John Bye (Stand No. C0681) has already immortalised his dad Rufus, and I am coveting the limited edition woodcock print ‘Hidden Treasure’, too. Of course there’s always room in the gun cabinet for just one more, and the temptations of AYA, or the 243 I need to round out my collection. And when Number Two is ready to find me, she knows I can be found on the Boss stand drooling over the Robertson guns.
When I’m asked why Outside Days doesn’t take space at the Game Fair, I can only say I can’t bear the idea of being tied down to one spot and missing out on all the fun and games. So if you see me, glass in hand, do stop and have a chat. And Number Two always welcomes a helping hand with the packages.
