Jack Hargreaves - Pigeons

"This is the bird or rather it's a not entirely successful plastic Italian representation of the bird which has been known to put up the price of Brussels Sprouts in England in a week - the Wood Pigeon." An episode - or part episode - of Jack Hargreaves' series called 'Old Country' made for Channel 4 in the early 1980s. The cameraman is Steve Wagstaff. The starting title shows my stepfather leading his pony 'Ghost'. As usual much gratitude to the viewer who recorded it off-air at the time of broadcast and sent it to me on a CD.
'Old Country' ran for three years and was a successor to 'Out of Town' which ran for twenty one years on Southern Television. 'Old Country' was put together in the school house at Meonstoke in Hampshire by Lacewing Productions.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Hargreaves
At 0035 J points at the decoy with the stem of a smallish pipe that comes easily apart, used by a relative in the trenches during the first world war. It sits on a shelf in my house today.
As always I am so grateful to the viewer who recorded this broadcast long ago and managed to get me a copy.

These books may be of interest:

Jack Hargreaves, illustrated by Bernard Venables, 'Fishing for a year' MacGibbon & Kee 1951, republished Medlar Press 1998

Jack Hargreaves, 'Out of Town: A Life Relived on Television', Dovecote Press 1987

Jack Hargreaves, 'The Old Country', Dovecote Press 1988

Jack Hargreaves with Terry Heathcote, 'The New Forest: A Portrait in Colour', Dovecote Press 1992

Paul Peacock, 'Jack Hargreaves - A Portrait', Farming Books & Videos 2006

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• Wood Pigeons
• Jack Hargreaves
• decoys
• shooting

[Sibadd]

A pleasure to me too!

[Sibadd]

Yes. Jack made over a thousand films, He started with Gone Fishing in the late 50s, but his longest series was Out of Town for Southern Television (1960-1981) and Old Country for Channel 4 (1982-1983), as well as commercial videos, now DVDs, made in 1986. I am always on the lookout to recover old copies of his films so I can make them available again. So pleased you enjoy watching. My stepfather would have been delighted.

[Sibadd]

Jack for all his interest in how things used to be, was always friendly to inventions (and would show them off on tele') but "new style" involves such a lot of clever (and expensive) equipment - flappers, magnets etc - to weigh you down. Stay with pigeon shooting light!

[Sibadd]

...as soon as someone who recorded it sends it to me!

[Sibadd]

Thanks.

[bassmancliffy]

I grew up watching Jack Hargreaves from his Gone fishing and Out of Town etc. It was partly to do with Jack that I became an avid shooter/Fisherman from sea fishing to Wildfowling,Deer Stalking and all things countryside. Wonderful program's. Pity we don't see these types of prog's on our TV's today!

[atrevortaylor]

what a great upload thanx for the memories :)

[mcork54]

My last comment was not quite right, I started watching Jack in Out of Town (spring starts to spring, the cuckoos start to sing, mother nature wears her newest gown.....I could go on) Southern Tv then lost their contract along with Out of Town and the new company ? Came along with Country ways, I think this is right but I know I have watched him from a kid and I am 58 now, this man started my love of the country, fishing, shooting,picking up etc. Thanks for posting look forward to watching the

[mcork54]

Used to watch this every week with my dad can't remember missing many episodes from when I started watching what has happened to program's like this

[TheBuitenman]

brilliant stuff!! pigeon shooting old school!!