Brian Plummer.

[Leo Sayer 2,646]

Plummer and his books drew me to 2 things, the first was collie greyhounds and the second was Scotland.  From the moment I'd read all the books I dreamed of a blue mere half cross. But back then I couldn't afford Hancocks prices and was far to eager to wait for a litter to be bred. So I scanned shooting news and found a litter of 3/4 breds out of a Richard Jones sired half cross put to a greyhound. Sadly there was no show stopping blue merles or any merle in fact just one small runt of the litter left a little back and white bitch. Now she wasn't my first lurcher but she was my first real lurcher. I had read all the books and had her trained to perfection.  Sit stay lie jump heel blind stay retrieve the lot. A very steady little dog . I want on to take rabbit hare fox and deer with her. We was inseparable and out all the time. At the the time we lived in a 2up 2 down house with mi mam and sister in front bedroom and me in back.  My little gem lived outside I garden in a kennel. But eventually she was such I nice natured steady bitch that she ended up inside on the sofa or upstairs on the bed. I had just passed my driving test and can remember just me and her in my old banger travelling 2 hrs to the trough of bowland to run daytime Sika, god knows how I didn't end up in trouble .  But did have a few episodes with farmers n keepers ect lol. That little black and white runt taught me about real lurcher work. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited September 14, 2023 by Leo Sayer

[Blackmag 6,095]

5 minutes ago, Leo Sayer said:

Plummer and his books drew me to 2 things, the first was collie greyhounds and the second was Scotland.  From the moment I'd read all the books I dreamed of a blue mere half cross. But back then I couldn't afford Hancocks prices and was far to eager to wait for a litter to be bred. So I scanned shooting news and found a litter of 3/4 breds out of a Richard Jones sired half cross put to a greyhound. Sadly there was no show stopping blue merles or any merle in fact just one small runt of the litter left a little back and white bitch. Now she wasn't my first lurcher but she was my first real lurcher. I had read all the books and had her trained to perfection.  Sit stay lie jump heel blind stay retrieve the lot. A very steady little dog . I want on to take rabbit hare fox and deer with her. We was inseparable and out all the time. At the the time we lived in a 2up 2 down house with mi mam and sister in front bedroom and me in back.  My little gem lived outside I garden in a kennel. But eventually she was such I nice natured steady bitch that she ended up inside on the sofa or upstairs on the bed. I had just passed my driving test and can remember just me and her in my old banger travelling 2 hrs to the trough of bowland to run daytime Sika, god knows how I didn't end up in trouble .  But did have a few episodes with farmers n keepers ect lol. That little black and white runt taught me about real lurcher work. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Looks a big hare that all round the trough has always been hot looks like she did you proud Leo a handy allrounder by the looks of her 

[Leo Sayer 2,646]

The second thing that the books had me hooked on was Scotland. It sounded like a hunters paradise,  the land of milk and honey and rabbits and deer ! I first got took up by one of the older mentors in the game. First night up there my bitch had 23 rabbits from 27 runs ! Nothing by today's standards,  but when your ferreting waste land and tips and red letter day was 3 rabbits back then, them 23 was big numbers to me back then. So obviously no internet or Google or mobile phones back then. So I wrote to the Scottish tourist board and got sent back a list of cottages for hire. I literally picked the cheapest one in an area I'd never even heard ov. So off we set in a old banger with my mates. First day there my had 19 rabbits and a roe. I was chuffed is the under statement lol. We had a belting week and it sett the benchmark for a hunting week up there every season. I just fell in love with the place. 

 

[Leo Sayer 2,646]

Sadly I haven't been up for a good few years now. The last time I went we went island hopping off Orkneys. I took my old collie grey who I still have today but is 17 years old and on his last legs. I have given up the running dogs now. My only hunting is mooching with a catty for a few woodys or longtails or what ever. But that poaching blood never leaves you, that naughtness,  that adrenaline is still there I always think. Some pics of my last trip when my dog was still able do a bit. 

 

 

 

Edited September 14, 2023 by Leo Sayer

[Gilbey 1,435]

28 minutes ago, Chaff said:

Arrr thanks for the correction Gilbey.

So what did Colonel Hancock do to help Dave, I always thought he ment the lurcher farmer when speaking to him lol.

I don't know, only read/heard them talking about each other, a lad on here won platts race, the colonel Hancock memorial trophy or something 

[mackem 26,628]

23 minutes ago, Leo Sayer said:

The second thing that the books had me hooked on was Scotland. It sounded like a hunters paradise, 

I think Tommy McPhee triggered the rush,his pics in a letter in Shooting News of a pile of rabbits and hares and his bitch ruby,everyone wanted a bit of that.I think Tom Burns a SN columnist even moved up there.

[Leo Sayer 2,646]

Couple more old Scottish pics , all thanks to reading plummets books 

 

[Leo Sayer 2,646]

1 minute ago, mackem said:

I think Tommy McPhee triggered the rush,his pics in a letter in Shooting News of a pile of rabbits and hares and his bitch ruby,everyone wanted a bit of that.I think Tom Burns a SN columnist even moved up there.

I met Tommy,  but had sheep dogs then , nice fella 

[Leo Sayer 2,646]

[mackem 26,628]

1 minute ago, Leo Sayer said:

I met Tommy,  but had sheep dogs then , nice fella 

We went out lamping with him,very hospitable bloke.

[Chaff 3,621]

18 minutes ago, Gilbey said:

I don't know, only read/heard them talking about each other, a lad on here won platts race, the colonel Hancock memorial trophy or something 

Stunning dogs he produces, a mates dog has some black raven in him.

By all counts a very handy dog in his day.

[mackem 26,628]

I don’t think Plummer could ever envisage blokes chatting about him on a small handheld device in real-time separated by thousands of miles decades after his death,would have blown his mind.

[Councilestatekid 1,904]

9 minutes ago, Leo Sayer said:

Ben laws was on the estate I used to live on nice area

[Leo Sayer 2,646]

My favourite book was rogues and running dogs ! Now am sure we have all met a Billy Robbins or suchlike in our travels in the dog world. I've met all sorts of unsavoury characters good and bad over the years. But a few would of been deffo straight out of a Plummer book lol. One was a old retired wrestler who kept deerhound crosses. But made his money on tv from wrestling in the big daddy era. Now when I met him he was a old fella. Lived in an old  delapadeted railway cottage with a bit of land and belive it or not it had a proper swimming pool in the garden but now empty and broke and from a time when he was flush off telly and the wrestling game  ! He was as hard as nails was he was still hitting the punch bag like a power house well into old age had two cauliflower ears and hands like shovels lol 

 ! We was scared to death of him. The first time I met him he made me a brew and the kitchen was manky and the kitchen exterior door was just hanging off it's hinges, he took a swig of a brew spat it back in the cup and pasted it me saying that's yours no sugar ! I was scared so drunk it lol. I later heard he had been busted of Rodger Cook of the Cook Report for dealing in stolen JCB,s and diggers lol. He was a one off and would not of been out of place in rogues and running dogs. Rip Clive 

 

[mackem 26,628]

12 minutes ago, Leo Sayer said:

. I later heard he had been busted of Rodger Cook of the Cook Report for dealing in stolen JCB,s and diggers lol. 

Is this him with the guns?