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hare toda y I t has to be one of the most iconic Suffolk sights to catch a hare or two tearing powerfully across a field. But the UK’s brown hare population has declined by 80% since the late 19th century, and their numbers continue to drop, warns the Hare Preservation Trust. Sue Alderman from the voluntary organisation tells Living In … the shooting of hares, even in their breeding season, leaves young hares, known as leverets, to starve and die in fields.
“This is an unacceptable affront to modern animal welfare standards,” she says.
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So are hare shoots causing the decline in their population? “By definition, shooting is designed to decrease the population, so yes, it is a significant factor,” says Sue. “Although hares face many challenges, including a recent large scale die-off from disease, East Anglia has a healthy, relatively stable population of them. But it is in decline.
“An estimated 300,000 brown hares are shot in the UK per annum. many of these in East Anglia where the population is high and it can be asserted that they damage crops (even though hares are not classed as a significant crop pest).
“The main figures are obtained from the National Gamebag Census (NGC) which is run by the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust. It obviously only includes the numbers of hares shot on land where the landowners are willing to participate in the census, so there must be a number of culls undertaken which aren’t represented in the Gamebag census.”
One Suffolk farming couple, who wish to remain anonymous, told Living In … the hare shoots they have witnessed were more of a “massacre” than a cull. “It was barbaric,” they stormed. Sue Alderman agrees: “I think it’s fair to say hare shoots are a messy affair. There have been photos and videos of hare shoots that would back this up, especially one infamous Suffolk cull a few years ago where witnesses saw many wounded hares being clumsily dispatched by people who weren’t good shots and who were clearly inexperienced, basically clubbing hares with the butt of their guns. It was shocking and clearly inappropriate; I can’t honestly say what is ‘typical’ but the current situation evidently allows the opportunity for such incidents to occur.”
Hare coursing is illegal but what is the actual law regarding the shooting of hares? And should it be changed? “There is a huge amount of emphasis on hare coursing – it suits landowners and legislators to draw focus to this wildlife crime and detract attention away from illegal hunting. There are over 70 registered UK harrier and beagle packs which traditionally hunted hares before the Hunting
Act 2004 and are still regularly witnessed
causing hare deaths.
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Sue says hares have very little protection in law.
“Legislation is archaic; they are classified as a game species under the Ground Game Act (1880), and the Hares Preservation Act (1892) prohibits the sale of hares and hare derivatives from March to July inclusive,” she explains. “The Hares Preservation Act is still current, and that means UK hares and hare meat cannot be sold from March to July, which is a travesty when most hare shoots take place in February, directly after the pheasant shooting season closes. So, UK hares shot in February are largely sold abroad where there is a greater appetite for it.”
Sue says the Trust, which campaigns for the welfare and preservation of hares, would like to see a functional closed season for brown hares from February to September in line with Scottish law. “There is currently no closed season in England and Wales that provides adequate and enforceable protection during the breeding season – it is left to ‘voluntary restraint’ which we don’t feel is satisfactory when we know that most shoots are conducted in February when hares are known to be breeding. Landowners, gamekeepers and sporting organisations earn money running shoots for people, so hare shoots can be lucrative at a time when other game species are protected and unavailable.
“To be clear on the law, there is a closed season for brown hares
which applies only to ‘moorland and unenclosed land’; hares can be shot between 11th December and 31st March, but this doesn’t include
arable land or ‘detached portions of land less than 25 acres which adjoin arable land’. So that’s
complicated, but essentially in East Anglia, which is mostly arable, this closed season is completely
non-functional.” Other UK and European countries which have introduced closed seasons for brown hare include Scotland, Northern Ireland, Belgium, France, Germany, Spain and Sweden. Sue adds: “Hare coursing is technically a form of poaching and is both a wildlife crime and rural crime priority.”
teen ’s whee lchair appea l
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AWoodbridge teenager who has been stuck in bed since Christmas has appealed for help in regaining his independence.
Miles Alder, 19, who suffers from a genetic muscle wasting condition called Duchenne muscular dystrophy, needs £20,000 to pay for a new electric chair and has launched a crowdfunding campaign after his wheelchair broke.
“I try to live my life to the fullest,” he says. “But without a chair, I can’t go and see friends, walk my dog or even pop to the shops – tiny things that other people take for granted. “
His mum, Catherine Jacobs, says: “Miles is a bright, charming teenager who needs to use an electric wheelchair to go everywhere. His wonderful old wheelchair broke down on Christmas Eve after giving him many years of comfortable independence … the last two months he has been mostly confined to his bed. “
Miles has temporary access to an NHS wheelchair but because of its design, it does not allow him to complete basic daily functions unaided – such as using the toilet independently and feeding himself. It also causes him extensive pain in his hips, pelvis and back, so he can only Local Miles Alder’s life has been hindered without his electric wheelchair, pictured
tolerate it for 15 minutes at a time.
Catherine says; “As you can imagine, it’s all very embarrassing and distressing for him because it’s the wheelchair restricting him right now rather than the muscle wasting condition. His previous chair gave him complete independence but the NHS one means he needs hoisting on to his bed, help undressing, washing and using the toilet – all things he could manage alone before Christmas.
“He has also needed help with eating simply because the chair does not allow his hands to reach his mouth without a table to rest his elbows on, and yet often it won’t fit under the table to facilitate this.”
l If you can help raise the vitally-needed funds for Miles’ new chair, please dig deep and go to www.justgiving.com – search for ‘Catherine Jacobs’.
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Coastal resident Susan Watson’s heartfelt appeal to parents on the school run … Drivin g m e mad !
Living near a school, you expect a certain amount of busy activity twice a day, during pick up and drop off –that’s part of the deal. But in the last year or so things seem to have got drastically worse and it’s not just me that thinks this. Drivers have become so selfish; it seems there’s no sense of community spirit or respect. It seems to have been replaced with this harsh new attitude of every man for himself when they’re behind a wheel.
I live near to a busy school in the coastal region and just lately we’ve had more incidences of parents blocking our cars in our drive and then refusing to move when we have politely asked them to do so. “I’ll just a be minute, for God’s sake,” yelled one angry dad recently, as we gesticulated that we needed to use our driveway. Actually, if he hadn’t been so busy yapping away on his mobile phone he would have seen the space which had become available just a few feet in front of him.
We’ve lived here for many years and, “
mostly, parents are polite and courteous and some have even apologised for continually parking in the same spot in our road throughout term time. Someone once even bought us a lovely plant by way of apology, which really meant a lot!
But sadly, the few often ruin it for the rest. For example, we have one particular lady who we call Angry Mini Mum, so you can guess what car she drives! She once lost her temper with us when we arrived home and wanted to turn into our drive. Her car was blocking it by a good couple of feet and we had to wait for her to turn her engine on and then move forward very, very slowly (inch by inch, it felt) in order to let us turn in to park – she was obviously making a point but all it did was cause a traffic snarl-up behind us. Once we parked and got out, she opened her window and hurled abuse at us. Eventually we threatened to report the incident to the school.
‘Go ahead!’ she shouted. ‘It won’t stop me parking here.’
She still glowers at us if she catches our eye, which makes me feel uncomfortable. Sadly, she’s not alone. Friends and neighbours have spoken of school run drivers actually pulling into their drive when they’re out and, when they get back, they have to wait to park. No apologies, nothing.
Last week, one parent pulled in, blocked a neighbour’s car into their drive, then got out, walked halfway down the road to sit with a fellow parent in their car for a nice cosy 20-minute natter! Other drivers just stop wherever they see their child walking – even if it’s the middle of the road – and cause instant traffic jams and misery for everyone. We have also seen car doors being swung open into the path of young cyclists who have to quickly swerve to avoid being knocked off. It’s not only selfish, it can be very dangerous too. Forget the children; the school run seems to bring out the very worst in parents!
So if you’re reading this and you are the parent who does the school run, please have a bit of consideration for those living in that area. If not, we might just lose what’s left of our patience and decide to unite and insist on residents’ parking in our roads or, easier still, start parking our own cars on the road rather than in our drives, and take up valuable school run spaces … and then everyone will lose out.”
l Do you have an issue that makes you hot under the collar? Write in and tell us all about it at info@livinginsuffolk.com
A spo kes person fro m East Suffo lk Co unci l sa ys: “Consideration for others should always be taken when parking a vehicle, regardless of how busy it is. Double parking and blocking private driveways will not only block the roads for residents, motorists and emergency services, it can also make it dangerous for children crossing the street.”
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Ins pired nteriors
An Inchbald trained interior designer, Pippa Murphy has 30+ years’ experience of delivering large residential interiors, both here in the UK and abroad.
Based in Woodbridge, Pippa has found a new niche for herself. She explains: “I’m not undertaking any local design projects out of respect for the group of talented, Suffolk-based interior designers that sought me out at the end of 2019, following my decision to leave Pippa Rolls last summer.
“But, collaborating with some of the county’s best designers and Pippa Murphy tells Living In … about her passion for achieving welldesigned rooms on realistic budgets
offering our in-house curtain making and fitting services ticks a huge box for me, especially as I love getting involved in all the nitty-gritty details that help ensure their projects are a success. I also really enjoy offering private clients a one-to-one consultation service that gives them the confidence to progress and manage their own interior projects.
“I believe that well-designed rooms that reflect the homeowner’s personality are available to everyone and are achievable well within normal budget restraints. My hobby is scouring magazines, knowing what to keep, what to upcycle, what high street pieces hack-up well, and what pattern, fabric and wall finish to use where.”
Running her business from home, Pippa uses video conferencing and design speci fic apps to connect with her clients, wherever in the world they may be. “I’m currently working on a client’s house in London and apart from our original site meeting we’ve been working closely, choosing curtain fabrics, rugs and lighting together using sampling services and WhatsApp.
“With everyone’s hectic schedules technology saves the day, making it
much easier to connect with people in the comfort of their own home.”
l www.pippamurphy.co.uk
Use this space to connect with Pippa and draw on her experience in the coming months. If you’d like to ask Pippa anything about your own home project, get in touch at pippa@pippamurphy.co.uk with your query and she will pick the best to answer on this page in the next edition of Living In … Above and left, pictures by Emma Kenny
Top: One of many design successes for Pippa Middle: Swatches Above: Inchbald trained Pippa
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