Gamekeeping
Not in my day
Timeflies and, 50 years on,Jeremy Hobson reflects onwhat
keepering was like when he fi rst started and how it has changed
S
omechangesaresosubtleyou
don’tnoticethemhappening
untilyoufindyourselfuttering
thatawfulcliché:“Things
weren’tlikethatinmyday.”
Personally,thismomentous
statementoccurredrecentlywhen
a gamekeepingfriendandI were
discussinghowthingswerenow
comparedwithhowtheywerewhen
webothbeganourrespectivecareers.
Whilesomethingsneverreallychange
— as19thcenturyFrenchcriticJean-
BaptisteKarropined:“Plusçachange,
plusc’estlamêmechose” — otherthings
PA / S & G AND BARRATTS / GETTY / C. WARREN / D. IRELANDare very diff erent nowadays.
28 • SHOOTING TIMES & COUNTRY MAGAZINE
Nowadays,transporthas
become more luxurious