brian plummer- a fieldsport and terrier expert or a complete fantasist?

[saucydotters 95]

not many men can say they have invented a breed of terrier or any dog for that matter

[johnny 777 53]

Read a couple of his books and found he digressed a lot but still good reads. Here was a man who could speak 6-7 different languages a doctor, school teacher, author and hunter who brought up all the old wives tales as far as hunting was concerned and all these's so called hunters and proved all them wrong, yet was hated for it. I never met the man but from what I've heard from someone who was close to him he was wacky but f...... Brilliant. Forgot to mention the creator of these fantastic red and white terrier which are IMO second to none

[terryd 8,372]

His books were a big inspiration as a kid so I thank him for that and I don't think he did any body any harm so see no need to knock him

[redpat1 225]

I have read quite a few of his books and although believed to be laced with BS I still found them interesting and read them through to the finish as the info on the basics was a big help to a newbie who was looking to learn.

Good or Bad we are still debating the fella and his books all these years on, I expect the argument will still be going long after plenty of us are dust!

I think of them like a true story type movie, they usually have some sort of disclaimer that says some scenes may have been dramatised or imagined. take em for what they are, entertainment based loosely on the facts and a good read.

 

Pat

Edited December 18, 2012 by redpat1

[cragman 2,763]

Zzzzzzzzzzz! Who gives a feck. Topics been done to death, move on

[Waz 4,252]

cant comment on the man really met him once in 1987 had a brief chat with him. his books created intrest and inspired a lot of young lads in the game. so that in my book was a good thing.

 

Exchanged a few words, not enough to be called a chat. Told me all I needed to know about the man.

[Stabs 3]

Out of interest, what was he a doctor of?

 

Never met the bloke, though I did write to him on occasion about the Alaunts.

[the_stig 6,614]

doctor of lies ... and snitching ..

[Moorside 642]

I read his fell terrier book for the first time recently and enjoyed it. And whether entirely factual or not it was decent, to me making a few quid out of somthing you enjoy is no crime. And the way some on here talk about ratting as though its beneath them is laughable.

[bobby blackheart 1,209]

Enjoyed the fell terrier and most of his books-but i think that in the end anyman who writes about the great exploits of his dogs will twist the truth.imho-atb

[Moorside 642]

True

[bigdaz 688]

Did he write a good book?, yes, he was and still is to my mind the best field sports writer.

Did he tell porkies?, sure did, I knew Brian very well and caught him out on a few occasions, that said, I enjoyed his company, he was a wealth of knowledge regardless of what people (usually who didn't meet him) say and had more good points than bad.

He craved attention and some sort of lasting fame which I think he tried to achieve by creating his terrier and reading this thread whether you liked or disliked him he's managed it, most know who he is, can you remember the username of the thread starter?.

[foxfan 479]

I read his fell terrier book for the first time recently and enjoyed it. And whether entirely factual or not it was decent, to me making a few quid out of somthing you enjoy is no crime. And the way some on here talk about ratting as though its beneath them is laughable.

 

I dont think anyone looks at ratting as beneath them mate, everyone enjoys a go at the rats, it's a good crack when there's a few about.

What is laughable is how anyone could think one type of terrier is better than any other at it.

[Billy Warren 43]

I didn't know him but whot I have heard from a lot of ppl in the Plummer world sed he was a weird one and a bs with the story telling most of the storys are true but not dun by him that's why all the big terrier men of his time did't get on with him but how many authors only write about stuff that thay have dun and not pout abit of artistic talent in to there books

As for the terriers he bred for ratting and went on to do a lot moor in the write hands

[wirral countryman 2,110]

I can only speak as I found him,to me he was generous by giving me 2 bitches to run on but he was difficult to get on with if your opinion differed from his,he came across as a boffin type that enjoyed using big words to impress,I think his intentions were well intended by educating the average man about fieldsports and probably the main reason most ordinary folk got into it,I think he got himself bogged down by fools goading him into silly bets,breeding projects,etc.Writing a couple of books came easy to him but contractual obligations put a lot of pressure on him to have them done by set dates and thats when the content suffered,his early stuff was quite entertaining if taken with a pinch of salt and to the inexperienced seemed to be authentic,most of the stories were other peoples and there is no denying he was a clever man where genetics were concerned,for me his legacy is the little terrier he left us with and a few books to read on a quiet night,I don't think his experience of terrierwork went to far from ratting really but he was aware of the size and type required for larger quarry,a fantasist ?? not for me as he had a genuine love of all things country and tried to bring it alive in the books he wrote,my only wish would of been for him to of finished breeding his terrier type to the finished product,not something stolen by other peoples ideas of what they wanted,WM