H&H’s hunting columnist reflects on lockdown, and looks to the season ahead
Huntsman Robert McCarthy When we finished trail-hunting last season as the first news and repercussions of the Covid-19 pandemic were starting to set in, I rather foolishly and selfishly thought, “Well, at least by the start of next season, we’ll all be back to normal…” How wrong was I?
It’s been a very strange summer in kennels. Like many hunts, we had to furlough our groom for three months. Our voluntary, unpaid kennelman also had to self-isolate since he’s not 21 any more.
We went from three-and-a-half staff to two in one swift move. All holidays that had been booked well in advance disappeared before our eyes, along with much of the rest of normality.
{"content":"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"}
