Apley Hall
The Golden Years of a Sporting Estate
Norman Sharpe grew up on a sporting estate in the glorious county of Shropshire. His father had taken up the post of Head Gamekeeper on the Apley Estate in 1902 and Norman succeeded him in 1928.
In these powerful recollections, Norman recounts the richness of the wildlife, the diversity of the Estate’s shooting and fishing and the many colourful folk who lived and worked there during the first 70 years of the twentieth century.
At the start of the story, cartridges were still being loaded with black powder, the Ironbridge coracle men (doyens of the poaching fraternity) still plied their nocturnal trade, cart horses dominated the land, grey partridges were shot by walking up and hunting held pride of place on the sporting agenda.
Then came the Great War and in 1918 Norman was wounded in the trenches, and told he would never work manually again. But back home he forced his body back into order and by 1921 was able to throw aside his second stick and once again work under his father on the estate.
From 1924, following the death of the old squire, his son entertained many politicians, show business personalities and literary figures. Sport on the estate intensified: driven partridge shooting was introduced, Nobel smokeless replaced black powder and in the kennels Flats and Curlies surrendered pride of place to the Labrador Retriever. Most farm work was still done manually though, and for the first time in living memory there was fishing for salmon on the Estate.
After the Second World War, a very different scene prevailed as the Estate underwent great changes and, in the Sixties, there was the near-total demise of the grey partridge.
The recollections of 70 years are portrayed with clarity, humour and poignancy. This is a unique account of a glorious sporting estate over which Norman and his father before him served as custodians for 66 unforgettable years.
Author: Norman Sharpe
ISBN: 978 1 906122 16 4
Published: September 2009
Format: 216 x 138 mm
Binding: Hardback
No. of pages: 192
41 black & white photographs
Price: £12.00
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