Mick Douglas Norfolk Lurchers

[Tratante 92]

Halcyon Days, eh...

Especially down your neck of the woods, can't say too much other than 'oh deer' sorry spelt wrong should obviously be 'dear'

[Dinosaurs 2,044]

Thanfully dogs cant spell ? Atb

[low plains drifter 10,475]

 

 

Really,thats very intresting.He told me about a guy called Dougie cooper,who ran his own pest control company in surrey CTF ? I THINK

he said in lurchers and long dogs pic of dougie dog being slipped in a race,etc.

i went over on marshes a few times to visit him.....

Thanks for info..

 

I was a friend of Dougie Cooper, and his pest control company was called

CTF Pest Control, in Sutton in Surrey.He had a field sport shop above the premises

called CTF FIELD SPORTS SUPPLYS

selling just about anything to do with fieldsports. There was loads of black and white

photographs, some of Mick Douglas the fenman,

i noticed he was not wearing shoes,, and loads of top

quality pictures of lamping, ratting, allsorts, his shop was a hunters paradise

and doug new Quite a few charachters.I worked a couple of the game fairs with Dougie

back in the early 80s, and Dougie use to speak of the fenman. Dougie if im right was in the

book Diary Of A Hunter, About his dog Dylan being able to take fox single handed,,

being it a very small beddlington whippet, oh yeah Dougie passed away God Bless him.

I hope this was of some use, Regards SWG DAVE..

Do you know John Pickton-Clark?

Does he have the Fly Fishing by J R Hartley book ?

[Tratante 92]

Yes, and a Beswick collection minus a small fox that I have!

[jeemes 4,484]

Thanfully dogs cant spell Atb

or read

[Tratante 92]

On 04/02/2014 at 06:03, Colin Smith said:

More memories of Mick.

As we had just moved on to a 3000 acre farm with no keeper, over run with foxes, rabbit and hares. My wife had a good lurcher but my jack was a ratter with queen Anne legs. I replied to an ad for Lakeland x Jack deal done. Off to collect after milking 400 cows! We found the AA phone box and crossed the rail line. Set off through wind and sleet, got totally lost! Then spotted lamp flashing a Morse signal to guide us in.

Met Mick at gate, took one look at Ali and said 'bloody hell woman'! She was 8 months pregnant. A mile walk to what was a marshmans cottage, across a dyke via liger [plank] and greeted by growling, howling hounds on chains, lying in the snow despite having good kennels.

On entering we was greeted by Rolly the Lakeland, the kitchen door was eaten away, thus passion took place. I'll let the mother in but don't move or touch her till she,s ready! She jumped straight on Ali. It was because the Babby in her. Then the banter started, tea for Ali and bottles of Micks special home brew!! Deal shook on pup and left at 2.30, back to start milking at 4.00am.

That was first meet of man seen on tv being sentenced over a right off way issue. Will ad more on yrs to come unless you tell me to stop, Lurchers to come..

The wife and I had a break in Norfolk the other week and I had to stop near Mick's place (I was still able to find it after 40+ years), I smiled at memories of when Doug Cooper and I used to spend many weekends up there. Mick came down to Surrey a few times and he had fun but his dogs hated the bloody flint fields here and Mick was always glad to get back home. They were grreat times and I still miss them, even after all these years. RIP Mick and Doug.

[low plains drifter 10,475]

On 14/10/2023 at 19:55, Tratante said:

The wife and I had a break in Norfolk the other week and I had to stop near Mick's place (I was still able to find it after 40+ years), I smiled at memories of when Doug Cooper and I used to spend many weekends up there. Mick came down to Surrey a few times and he had fun but his dogs hated the bloody flint fields here and Mick was always glad to get back home. They were grreat times and I still miss them, even after all these years. RIP Mick and Doug.

Is there anybody living at Micks place these days mate, and did you become afflicted by the odd malady of Norfolk fever during your stay?

[tatsblisters 9,677]

On 14/10/2023 at 19:55, Tratante said:

The wife and I had a break in Norfolk the other week and I had to stop near Mick's place (I was still able to find it after 40+ years), I smiled at memories of when Doug Cooper and I used to spend many weekends up there. Mick came down to Surrey a few times and he had fun but his dogs hated the bloody flint fields here and Mick was always glad to get back home. They were grreat times and I still miss them, even after all these years. RIP Mick and Doug.

Starts me reminiscing when I read posts like this of a bygone age and time in the lurcher world. I never met Mick and the nearest I got was having a pup out of a bitch a lad from Sheffield had been down and got a straw coloured bitch pup of him and said MD was some character. 

[grompz 703]

5 hours ago, tatsblisters said:

Starts me reminiscing when I read posts like this of a bygone age and time in the lurcher world. I never met Mick and the nearest I got was having a pup out of a bitch a lad from Sheffield had been down and got a straw coloured bitch pup of him and said MD was some character. 

how did the pup go for you tats,whatdid you work her on and was she game on most stuff, the reason i ask was looking back on the dogs mick bred,most of them looked very bedlington type and height,think mick only used as daytime hunters, correct me if im wrong

[tatsblisters 9,677]

15 minutes ago, grompz said:

how did the pup go for you tats,whatdid you work her on and was she game on most stuff, the reason i ask was looking back on the dogs mick bred,most of them looked very bedlington type and height,think mick only used as daytime hunters, correct me if im wrong

It was a lad i knew who had the bitch direct off MD i ended up with a dog pup out of her when he bred it to a 3quarter grey/saluki he turned into an half decent dog though he would yip now and then though that could have been in part my fault has i did get him out a bit as a pup and he was probably the type that needed to mature . I only used him on hares and rabbits.

[Systema 85]

Back to chat about a Really good Lurcher Breeder ,Mick Douglas from Acle in norfolk,

This great guy had amazing  norfolk type lurchers he breed, living on Halvergate Marshes.A real open wind swept location .

I walked over to his house ,to meet him and it was small cottage ,using a generator for power

his wife Maureen ,greeted me ,and had a herd of goats too.

Then i saw his lurchers ,long coated running machines ,chains to barrels with straw as bedding .

its a windy day and sun s out and i was a young lad ,after speaking to mick about getting a puppy from exchange and mart

He was tall and build built ,wearing dungarees ,bare footed with long hippy type hare.

WE sat indoors and the conversation was amazing ,he put me up in a caravan in his grounds ,The story he told me ,all was true .

He knew so much about hunting ,lurchers and shooting it was so exciting to listen too.

Never heard him brag ,but he done alot and alot knew of his lurchers and how good they were at coursing hares and hunting

So i think i was around about 14 at the time ,and my hunting for the pot started ,i picked a lurcher puppy off Mick ,a lamping strain he had breed about 21 inch high, went back over the marshes with mick in his long wheeled white landcover and caught thee train back to ipswich?

I carried my pup from ipswich to my home which was about 8 miles and was so so pleased 

mick gave me lots of sensible tips about trainer  her ,and as this was my first lurcher i needed them.common sense and no rush to enter her to work too soon

We walked over a few marshes to give his lurchers a course on hares ,and like he told me you walk pass more on the seat than what gets up.

His bitch put a hare up ,mick gave it fair law ,and slipped her .The hare was jinking and twisting the whole time, its was my first hare course/

but his lurcher turned it and it went on for a long distance, whistle and back she came.Mick was a great hunting man ,and his knowledge was second to none

More to follow 

 

[Systema 85]

They did a big article in Mag called Shooting News on Mick douglas !!!!  many years ago 

Which i saved two copies ,nice clear black /white photos of his norfolk line breed lurchers

and a standing up pic of Mick deer stalkers hat holding one of his lurcher by the collar 

He mentioned in Plummers BOOK Dairy of a hunter too...

 

[Systema 85]

He Talked about lurcher judging at Lamborn Show ,and give his expert advice to people showing there dogs ,

He spoke about Plummer ,Dougie from CTF field sports and alot of good lurcher men he knew 

Showing me a double leather slip lead for coursing events for lurchers

Mick could breed some great lurchers ,using local dogs which was winning matches on the hare coursing scene,

His lines and telling me to breed all good points to improve  his lurchers ,even knowing how many pups they have and what would come out?

He had terriers too ,and hunted them on foxes ,shooting but i can always remember his accent lol

The travellers visited him ,and where after his lurchers too

[Systema 85]

[Systema 85]

Just now, Systema said:

Here is Mick And one of his last norfolk lurchers he had, he came down for a few days to ipswich in his van to see me, pic at shotely