As part of his interest in how hunting is perceived, regulated and how land access works in other countries, Matt invited Richard onto his show to talk about the UK. The pair discuss firearms licencing, the lengthy tradition of shooting in the UK, land ownership and accessibility for newcomers into hunting. They also talk in depth about how hunting and firearms are perceived in the UK by the general public and the influence that American hunting publicity has on the culture here.
Extreme Low Tide foraging is becoming popular and one of the increasingly common requests we get for a private coastal foraging course over here in North Wales. It’s easy to understand why – when all of the most interesting and edible parts of the beach are under the water for part of every day then there’s a lot more to see when the water has retreated to its lowest point.
The UK is home to one of the biggest tidal ranges in the world – the Severn Estuary can have a difference of as much as 15m (49ft). The tidal range of one particular spot can be dependent on several factors, ranging from the shape of the bay, inlet or estuary where the range is being measured to the underwater geology and topography, and even the direction it is facing relative to the prevailing winds.
The first thing we need to get out of the way here is that there is an element of risk involved in eating EVERYTHING. That's food from supermarkets, served to you in restaurants, grown in your own back garden or picked from the soil or plucked from a rock somewhere on the Snowdonia coastline. Improper handling, preparation and sometimes just bad luck all have a role to play and we can never guarantee that our food is 'safe'. There are a few very good reasons why wild shellfish, and particularly bivalves, have a reputation for potentially being 'dodgy'.
In the past weeks the news has featured several stories on UK knife crimes, knife law and the perception of knives as weapons as well as tools. This was followed by the announcement of a new Offensive Weapons Bill which will begin the process of changing of what is considered a legal knife, where they can be used/carried by the general public and how they can be acquired.
What knife can I carry? Well, the broadest answer is a folding blade, without a locking mechanism of no more than 3inches/7.62cm. That leaves you with something like the Victorinox Swiss Army Knife – however, even though it is not illegal necessarily to carry this as a knife, you could still be accused of carrying an offensive weapon.