Boxing Day 2000

The meet was in the village Square, as usual and while the number of mounted followers who appeared was down on previous years here was the usual ratio of supporters to protesters - about 6:1.

While waiting for hounds to arrive the pattern was set as in previous years - the protestors occupying just one side of the square. Interestingly they seeded a few banner carriers through the other three sides to make their presence seem greater than it was. Following incidents last year when baner waving protesters terrified horses and then started to rock the barriers a double row of the latter was installed.

At last hounds arrived and trotted in to a barrage of dog biscuits.

The Huntsman enters the Square

The biscuits are intended to fill the hounds up so that they will not hunt. It seems that the sabs believe that we starve hounds for days and days before hunting to increase their bloodlust. The Antis also believe in fairies at the bottom of their window boxes, their inalienable right to be a b****dy nuisance and all sorts of other tosh. Nonetheless there were sufficient biscuits this year to distract hounds from the arrival of the huntsman.

This picture shows the hooded brethren - so proud of what they do that they have to cover their faces - no loss to us one supposes.

The arrival of one of the Masters draws hounds into the square - actually the biscuit throwers had moved round.

There follow a number of general views of the square

The joy of Police Work

As this was taken from the Antis' side one can only presume that the hat is mock fur.

Collecting the traditional Cap - while numbers were not great this year it was the biggest collection on record.

Do they spend their summers looking at heir videos? This one had so enraged the police that they refused to speak to her so she videoed the policeman talking to her friend - actually he did not get much of a chance to talk - she took his share of the conversation as well.

And on to the hunting - oh dear the forces of darkness were there.