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A great thread..
I can definitely recommend Haruki Murakami, I’ve read three of his, "A wild Sheep Chase", "Dance Dance Dance" which follows on from it and also "Wind up Bird Chronicle"
All rather surreal which is not generally my thing but thoroughly thought-provoking and a very good read.
Life of Pi is another of my favourites, as is Geisha (possibly one for the girls) and another recent favourite is Shadow of the Wind. I read it before it appeared on the Richard and Judy Good Book List which I try to boycott.
The banning of hunting will have a minimal effect on racing, and in fact I believe that many of those who currently hunt will become NH racehorse owners as the ban comes into force, using the spare cash they would have used on keeping hunters, hunt subscriptions etc.
However this does not excuse the fact that this government will have brought in a ban purely through social prejudice and misinformation (the Burns report did not recommend a ban and has been conveniently forgotten) which outlaws an activity enjoyed by thousands of law-abiding citizens.
Who is to guarantee that in ten years time, once shooting and fishing are safely out of the way, that racing won’t be next in line. Remember, it’s a sport enjoyed by the rich during which a poor horse sometimes gets killed. Sounds barbaric to me…
seanboyce,
When I said I hardly ever saw a fox being killed, I meant to contradict the argument that people go hunting for the pleasure of seeing the "living fox being torn limb from limb"
The field usually are at least a field behind the hounds and see very little.
I am sorry to see that so many racing fans are as far away from the reality of hunting as the rest of Blair’s urban government.
I have been hunting regularly for over 20 years and can probably count on one hand the times I have actually seen the fox being killed. Nobody takes pleasure in seeing the fox being torn apart but it provides satisfaction in that it rewards the hounds who have been running all day and it provides a service to the farmers who kindly allow the hunt over their land inorder to control the fox population.
For the latter reason drag hunting cannot be considered as a viable alternative to fox hunting. Landowners and farmers cannot be expected to allow around 50 riders or more to gallop across their land is the fox control element is eliminated.
I live in a rural community and have been closely involved in the organisation of hunting. In our area around 95% of farmers are pro-hunting and allow us access across their fields.
Hunting is the kindest and most efficient way to control foxes, the young can easily outrun the hounds so on ly the old are caught – these are also the ones who stray onto farms for easy pickings in chicken runs, new born lambs etc.
As for the argument that hunting is just for stuck up snobs, I have found it to be the most levelling of experiences. Lords, ladies, sirs, rich landowners mix on an equal level with the unemployed, farm workers etc etc, asking their advice and opinions as they would their "social peers". Once on teh hunting field everyone is equal.
Racing fans who cannot see that a ban on hunting is the beginning of a slippery slope are very short sighted.
Once the grand National is gone, jump racing in general can follow, two year old racing and the list goes on.
