One of the highlights of the gamekeeping calendar will mark its 40th anniversary next year.
The 40th Gamekeepers’ Fair will be held at Catton Hall, Walton upon Trent, South Derbyshire on 16 and 17 April 2016.
Steve Bloomfield, BASC’s England director and a former gamekeeper, said; “For this very special 40th anniversary celebration, I would like to see the biggest gathering of gamekeepers anywhere in the UK, as a demonstration of everything that is good about gamekeeping and its contribution to conservation and the economy.”
Ian Grindy, chairman of BASC’s game and game shooting committee, said; “The Gamekeepers’ Fair is a traditional game fair and we are going back to our roots in 2016. The event started as a gathering of gamekeepers at Packington Park in the 1970s and this is exactly what we will be returning to in a key section of the show.”
There will be a gamekeepers’ hospitality area and a number of attractions and exhibits at next year’s fair. BASC will be working with other organisations including the National Gamekeepers Organisation (NGO) and the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT).
Mike Dickinson, the National Gamekeepers’ Organisation Regional Chairman for Derbyshire, said; “This will certainly be a celebration of gamekeeping to remember and a wonderful get-together of the family of keepers. We all know keepering nurtures the countryside and the 40th anniversary Gamekeepers’ Fair is a perfect showcase to put all this good work on public display. Please ink the date in your 2016 diary. See you there.”
Further information will be released in due course but please contact the BASC Central England office in the meantime on 01283 810910 for trade, sponsorship or general enquiries.