More anti raptor bile from Linklater

I've not read him before.....seems I haven't missed much.

All becometh clear - he's a landowner.  Why doesn't that surprise me?

I just wanted to make clear I've got nothing against people who happen to own land - I just believe that anyone in this fortunate position has a duty of care to people, birds and animals dependent on it.

Well it doesn't come over as if you like landowners Clare.Almost all landowners are appalled just like bird lovers at this persons ranting and lots of us who do own land lets make clear it just did not happen as you put it we bought it just like others buy houses and seeing as we are on that land more or less 24/7 we care more about what happens on that land as far as wildlife etc more than the average general public.

Of course if you buy some you will find it is not as easy as you think and you will be annoyed when someone comes along who has a dislike of your owning land.

My apologies, Sooty - I worded that badly!!!  I certainly don't imagine that looking after your own land is easy, though as I'm someone who has always lived in a town I couldn't begin to imagine all of the ins and outs.  This was the first article I've read of Linklater's and, to say the least, he comes across as being very biased.

I'm assuming from your reaction that you've had many people take an instant dislike to you because of your land ownership?

I fail to understand why anyone should take a dislike to anyone who owns land. It's what the odd ones do with the land that is to be disliked, and thankfully, these odd ones are very much in the minority.

Nothing further from the truth Clare,most people accept that those of us fortunate enough to own land consider we are only looking after it for a very short spell in our lifetime and most landowners do quite a good job as you will see if you go to the nature of farming awards run by RSPB and look at finalists.

My point would be you should never lump all of a community together and make a sweeping judgement.

Landowners could otherwise lump all the general public together for those bad ones who leave gates open and have dogs sheep worrying.Personally would never do that as I see the other side when general public have told us of a animal in difficulty and we have been able to help the animal.

Of course like all sections of society there are bad land owners perhaps mainly on the Grouse Moors and think my dislike of those is at least as great as yours.  

My problem with Linklater (apart from his fulminations about protected native wildlife that has as much right to life as he does) is his presumption that he speaks for rural people generally. He doesn't, any more than I can claim to be the voice of Gloucestershire (or even my village). This foible he shares with the Countryside Areliars (I'm not sure that's actually how they spell it) the self-appointed campaign group that remains the undisputed winner of the world's most pompus strapline competition. "Listen to Us".

I really want to believe that Sooty is right in his assessment of the average landowner's attitude to Linklater's rants.

What exactly are plus four tweeds?  I'm familiar with tweed but not the plus four bit.