Friday, May 28, 2004
JOB LOSSES 2002
Mr Bowyer and the other riders are worried - the occupation, and way of life they love so dearly, could be about to be snuffed out, along with years of tradition.
Mr Bowyer (37), the joint-master of the Fitzwilliam Hunt, is one of seven people who would lose their jobs if the hunt is banned.
His day consists of making sure the hunt is run properly every day, and that all the paperwork is in order.
Mr Bowyer goes out into the countryside and talks to farmers to find out where foxes are causing problems and where they want the hunt to search for them.
He said: "I´m very worried by the latest developments in Parliament, and so are all the people who depend on the hunt for their livelihoods.
"This is a way of life for us and we do not know what we would do if we were to lose it.
"All we can do is hope that MPs will look at the verdict of the House of Lords and realise that they have got it wrong.
"But there´s a considerable danger that hunting could be banned because backbenchers, who don´t listen to all the evidence, are determined to see it pushed through."
George Adams (50), a huntsman who helps look after the 60 dogs in the kennels, is equally worried.
His days consist of walking the hounds twice a day and feeding them.
He then goes out to farms across the Peterborough area and collects dead sheep and cows to stop them rotting in the fields.
Parts of the animals are incinerated to make sure none can spread any BSE, and the rest of the animals are fed to the dogs.
He said: "I would lose my job if there was a ban. We are all really worried about it.
"I have been doing this job since I left school and at my age it´s hard to get any other work."
But it is not just the jobs that may suffer - his hounds may have to be put down if there was a ban on hunting.
Mr Bowyer said: "The hounds would not make good pets, and would mainly have to be put down. They are not house trained, and are used to being in a pack. They would not like being on their own. They need a three or four mile walk a day and are fed on raw meat."
He also said that many horses would need to be put down.
The thought of losing the horses disgusts the stable hands as much as the prospect of losing their jobs.
Samantha Carter, a groom who lives above the stables at Milton Park, near Bretton, Peterborough, said: "If we lose our jobs, we also lose our lodgings as well so this is really worrying for us."
As well as those directly employed by the hunt, there are thought to be about 50 others - such as farriers, vets and feed merchants - who depend on the hunt for their livelihood who share their deep anxiety.
But whereas today could be a day of woe and gloom for the members of the Fitzwilliam Hunt, anti-hunt protesters see the announcement of the new legislation as an opportunity to finally see the end of fox hunting.
John Johnson, a former city councillor and member of the League Against Cruel Sports, is not a hunt saboteur, but he regularly follows hunts armed with a video camera to record their actions.
He said: "Hunting with hounds is extremely cruel and there´s no excuse for it in this day and age. We have ample evidence that the killing is by no means quick and it´s agonising."
"The fact that jobs will be lost by the hunt is not a valid excuse - that´s like saying we shouldn´t ban land-mines because then the people who manufacture them would be out of work.
"I would urge the Government to use the Parliament Act and force this through - it is the will of the people."
Mr Bowyer (37), the joint-master of the Fitzwilliam Hunt, is one of seven people who would lose their jobs if the hunt is banned.
His day consists of making sure the hunt is run properly every day, and that all the paperwork is in order.
Mr Bowyer goes out into the countryside and talks to farmers to find out where foxes are causing problems and where they want the hunt to search for them.
He said: "I´m very worried by the latest developments in Parliament, and so are all the people who depend on the hunt for their livelihoods.
"This is a way of life for us and we do not know what we would do if we were to lose it.
"All we can do is hope that MPs will look at the verdict of the House of Lords and realise that they have got it wrong.
"But there´s a considerable danger that hunting could be banned because backbenchers, who don´t listen to all the evidence, are determined to see it pushed through."
George Adams (50), a huntsman who helps look after the 60 dogs in the kennels, is equally worried.
His days consist of walking the hounds twice a day and feeding them.
He then goes out to farms across the Peterborough area and collects dead sheep and cows to stop them rotting in the fields.
Parts of the animals are incinerated to make sure none can spread any BSE, and the rest of the animals are fed to the dogs.
He said: "I would lose my job if there was a ban. We are all really worried about it.
"I have been doing this job since I left school and at my age it´s hard to get any other work."
But it is not just the jobs that may suffer - his hounds may have to be put down if there was a ban on hunting.
Mr Bowyer said: "The hounds would not make good pets, and would mainly have to be put down. They are not house trained, and are used to being in a pack. They would not like being on their own. They need a three or four mile walk a day and are fed on raw meat."
He also said that many horses would need to be put down.
The thought of losing the horses disgusts the stable hands as much as the prospect of losing their jobs.
Samantha Carter, a groom who lives above the stables at Milton Park, near Bretton, Peterborough, said: "If we lose our jobs, we also lose our lodgings as well so this is really worrying for us."
As well as those directly employed by the hunt, there are thought to be about 50 others - such as farriers, vets and feed merchants - who depend on the hunt for their livelihood who share their deep anxiety.
But whereas today could be a day of woe and gloom for the members of the Fitzwilliam Hunt, anti-hunt protesters see the announcement of the new legislation as an opportunity to finally see the end of fox hunting.
John Johnson, a former city councillor and member of the League Against Cruel Sports, is not a hunt saboteur, but he regularly follows hunts armed with a video camera to record their actions.
He said: "Hunting with hounds is extremely cruel and there´s no excuse for it in this day and age. We have ample evidence that the killing is by no means quick and it´s agonising."
"The fact that jobs will be lost by the hunt is not a valid excuse - that´s like saying we shouldn´t ban land-mines because then the people who manufacture them would be out of work.
"I would urge the Government to use the Parliament Act and force this through - it is the will of the people."
