BERT GRIPTON

[Barrie 1,325]

There was to be a book on B.Gripton and he gave all his photo albums to this person who was to write it and never saw the photos again nor was there any book forthcoming . Or so the story goes if my memory is correct

I don't know of any other book BG wrote , if there was I'd like to be enlightened .

 

Selwyn your memory is spot on .

 

I was close friends with Bert from the early 70's up until his death and particularly during the time he was terrierman to the Border Counties Otterhounds (BCOH) under the Mastership of Mr R.P. Williams who also hunted the hounds.

 

Bert was terrierman to the BCOH up until 1977 when the otter was placed on the protected list. The BCOH retained all their original hounds, but then reformed as the Border Counties Minkhounds under the Mastership of their new Huntsman John Newton. Bert's hearing had started to fail by then, terrier locators were still a relatively new invention and shunned by most of the old school, so Brian Nuttall took over the role as terrierman for a couple of seasons and then I did it for the next 17. It goes without saying that they were both difficult acts to follow and most definitely impossible to match. But they were fun times and ones spent in the very best of company.

 

In those early days, Bert drove for James Baker Shoes. Myself, my girlfriend (now wife of 30+ years) and my cousin (who was my digging partner in those days) travelled the length and breadth of the country in the "big red van" with Bert. During the summer months we'd religiously hunt otters on Wednesdays/Saturdays and Bank Holidays, and on Sundays we'd either do a terrier show or Game Fair.... or the "other things" one always did on a Sunday.

 

Together the 4 of us.... along with the likes of the late Barry Jones and others, helped man the first ever stand which the Fell & Moorland had at a game fair. That was at the CLA Game Fair Glanusk Park in 1976, which was also the year of H.R.H. Prince Charles's investiture as The Prince of Wales.

 

On that occasion, whilst doing his tour of the Game Fair in an open topped Range Rover, on seeing 4 pens of "well worked terriers" H.R.H. asked the driver to make an unscheduled stop, got out of the vehicle and spent a very relaxed 15 minutes or so chatting about the relative merits of each dog and the work which they'd done. It was pretty clear that he had more than a "passing interest" .

 

I believe the book in question is most likely Phil Drabble's "Of Pedigree Unknown" as to the best of my knowledge Bert never did get around to publishing a book, even though he referred to it on many occasions. And I saw the hand written manuscript which Selwyn referrred to, but in all honesty it would have taken a very good "ghost writer" to have turned it into a fully fledged book. Nevertheless, I'd still give my left testicle to get my hands on it now.

 

For anyone fortunate enough to own a first edition copy of Pedigree Unknown (I've just put mine down) the picture of Bert which has been posted on this thread appears on the back cover and was taken in Lizard Lane where Bert lived in a tiny "one up and one down" cottage. Also on the front cover of the book is a picture of "Old Jack" a very close associate of my late father's "hand slipping" a "rag whippet".

 

I've clear recollections from my early teens of Drabble waiting on our doorstep for my father to return home from work when he was doing his research for "Of Pedigree Unknown" and many of the references to whippets, sporting poultry and the larger sporting breeds relate to men I was fortunate enough to have grown up with. Sadly (in some ways) only the first edition contains pictures of their dogs as they found out much earlier than Bert where Drabble's real interests lay and he was told never to use any pictures of them or their dogs again.... and you just didn't argue with those men !!!

 

There was indeed a documentary interview with Bert shown on BBC in the early 's, it was conducted by Phil Drabble and entitled "The Terrierman". He did something very similar with my father maybe a decade or so earlier on "rag whippets". I still have a copy of the Bert interview, but sadly not one of my father as VCRs hadn't been invented then.

 

When Bert died he was buried at Shifnal Church. As he was laid to rest David Jones, the then David Davies Huntsman, an equally well respected terrierman and someone for whom Bert had the greatest of affection often describing as "the best huntsman you'll ever see" blew "Gone to Ground" on an old hunting horn which still sits on my mantlepiece and which I'd taken along for the occasion.

 

Afterwards both myself and Tony Wright (the Exmoor Huntsman whose Hunting Act prosecution was overturned) who Bert had taken hunting since he was a lad, went back to the grave digger and asked for the loan of his shovel. We threw in a few spadefuls of earth with the words "The old bugger would rarely let us break through.... but he'd always let us back fill". It was our way of saying goodbye to someone who had opened many doors for a lot of people from all walks of life. He was a rogue in many ways but "good 'un" in every way, and well worthy of the respect which he still commands today even amongst those who never met him.

 

Yours in Sport and with the Fondest of Recollections - Barrie

Edited September 22, 2009 by Barrie

[antg 1,767]

well barrie thats a good read and thanks for taking the time to write it down. good on ya

[Phil Lloyd 10,738]

Good TRUE words from you there Barrie

 

You are not alone in wishing that a visual and text record had been made of Bert's most interesting life.

 

He was definitely 'old school' in his beliefs,..and he enjoyed his terrier sport at a time when it was possable to do so.... Sadly , the truth of the matter is ,...history will relate mostly to those that have cannily 'talked the talk',.but in truth have never really 'walked the walk',...

 

Such is life...

 

All the best,.CHALKWARREN..

[TOMO 26,067]

thanks for sharing those memories barrie, and what a fitting thing you did at his funerall. TOMO

[Johnny85 50]

My Dad knew him well. there is an interview with him or an article on him in the Working Terrier Year books sold by David Harcombe and a few pics of him.

[Waz 4,252]

Moving read 'Barrie'. Have you not thought about getting some of your own memoires in print?

[donnyc 1,203]

Moving read 'Barrie'. Have you not thought about getting some of your own memoires in print?

 

 

lol.. Ill second that ..Although Barrie is a very busy man.Like to hear a few tales Barrie from the old times mate

[just jack 998]

class barrie

[gonetoearth 5,144]

There was to be a book on B.Gripton and he gave all his photo albums to this person who was to write it and never saw the photos again nor was there any book forthcoming . Or so the story goes if my memory is correct

I don't know of any other book BG wrote , if there was I'd like to be enlightened .

 

Selwyn your memory is spot on .

 

I was close friends with Bert from the early 70's up until his death and particularly during the time he was terrierman to the Border Counties Otterhounds (BCOH) under the Mastership of Mr R.P. Williams who also hunted the hounds.

 

Bert was terrierman to the BCOH up until 1977 when the otter was placed on the protected list. The BCOH retained all their original hounds, but then reformed as the Border Counties Minkhounds under the Mastership of their new Huntsman John Newton. Bert's hearing had started to fail by then, terrier locators were still a relatively new invention and shunned by most of the old school, so Brian Nuttall took over the role as terrierman for a couple of seasons and then I did it for the next 17. It goes without saying that they were both difficult acts to follow and most definitely impossible to match. But they were fun times and ones spent in the very best of company.

 

In those early days, Bert drove for James Baker Shoes. Myself, my girlfriend (now wife of 30+ years) and my cousin (who was my digging partner in those days) travelled the length and breadth of the country in the "big red van" with Bert. During the summer months we'd religiously hunt otters on Wednesdays/Saturdays and Bank Holidays, and on Sundays we'd either do a terrier show or Game Fair.... or the "other things" one always did on a Sunday.

 

Together the 4 of us.... along with the likes of the late Barry Jones and others, helped man the first ever stand which the Fell & Moorland had at a game fair. That was at the CLA Game Fair Glanusk Park in 1976, which was also the year of H.R.H. Prince Charles's investiture as The Prince of Wales.

 

On that occasion, whilst doing his tour of the Game Fair in an open topped Range Rover, on seeing 4 pens of "well worked terriers" H.R.H. asked the driver to make an unscheduled stop, got out of the vehicle and spent a very relaxed 15 minutes or so chatting about the relative merits of each dog and the work which they'd done. It was pretty clear that he had more than a "passing interest" .

 

I believe the book in question is most likely Phil Drabble's "Of Pedigree Unknown" as to the best of my knowledge Bert never did get around to publishing a book, even though he referred to it on many occasions. And I saw the hand written manuscript which Selwyn referrred to, but in all honesty it would have taken a very good "ghost writer" to have turned it into a fully fledged book. Nevertheless, I'd still give my left testicle to get my hands on it now.

 

For anyone fortunate enough to own a first edition copy of Pedigree Unknown (I've just put mine down) the picture of Bert which has been posted on this thread appears on the back cover and was taken in Lizard Lane where Bert lived in a tiny "one up and one down" cottage. Also on the front cover of the book is a picture of "Old Jack" a very close associate of my late father's "hand slipping" a "rag whippet".

 

I've clear recollections from my early teens of Drabble waiting on our doorstep for my father to return home from work when he was doing his research for "Of Pedigree Unknown" and many of the references to whippets, sporting poultry and the larger sporting breeds relate to men I was fortunate enough to have grown up with. Sadly (in some ways) only the first edition contains pictures of their dogs as they found out much earlier than Bert where Drabble's real interests lay and he was told never to use any pictures of them or their dogs again.... and you just didn't argue with those men !!!

 

There was indeed a documentary interview with Bert shown on BBC in the early 's, it was conducted by Phil Drabble and entitled "The Terrierman". He did something very similar with my father maybe a decade or so earlier on "rag whippets". I still have a copy of the Bert interview, but sadly not one of my father as VCRs hadn't been invented then.

 

When Bert died he was buried at Shifnal Church. As he was laid to rest David Jones, the then David Davies Huntsman, an equally well respected terrierman and someone for whom Bert had the greatest of affection often describing as "the best huntsman you'll ever see" blew "Gone to Ground" on an old hunting horn which still sits on my mantlepiece and which I'd taken along for the occasion.

 

Afterwards both myself and Tony Wright (the Exmoor Huntsman whose Hunting Act prosecution was overturned) who Bert had taken hunting since he was a lad, went back to the grave digger and asked for the loan of his shovel. We threw in a few spadefuls of earth with the words "The old bugger would rarely let us break through.... but he'd always let us back fill". It was our way of saying goodbye to someone who had opened many doors for a lot of people from all walks of life. He was a rogue in many ways but "good 'un" in every way, and well worthy of the respect which he still commands today even amongst those who never met him.

 

Yours in Sport and with the Fondest of Recollections - Barrie

great read barrie i stoped at shifnal on the way home from the midland on sunday , did you ever meet joe shaw,gte

[J Darcy 5,871]

A great read.......Thanks for sharing.

[rob.i 26]

Very good read like the pic of the man and his pack.Doesnt seem to be any Parsons there

Edited September 22, 2009 by rob.i

[Guest eastmids]

great read barrie, thanks for sharing it

[jimmys shop 182]

Great reading Barrie,thanks for sharing,its posts like that one which make these sites worthwhile.

[Guest lady]

great topic met a fellow one time at midlands gamefair by the name of twiny he told me he kept burt griptons russell lots contact with twiny dose anyone know him he around derby i think met him throught joe hefferan

[Guest pikey]

TOM CLASS POST BARRIE, ENJOYED READING THAT, BET YOU COULD TELL A STORY OR TWO,