The rumours are untrue, folks. Dick Van Dyke is alive and well and masquerades under the assumed name of "Cohiba"... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> Nice smoke, BTW!
Seriously, if it were not so tragic, you are not so far from the truth. All you need do is read Hansard's minutes of the "Hunting with Hounds" bill to see bigotry and ignorance in concert. Whilst not a fox hunter, I see no reason for people to be barred from doing as they please on their own property. I don't particularly like golf, but if people enjoy it, that's fine by me. Sadly, in this country, every inch of ceded right and privilege is one yard closer to totalitarianism. Neither I, nor my grandfathers before me took the Queen's shilling to see this county's heritage simply frittered away.
I speak as an injured party, villified by press and politician alike for holding target pistols in the wake of the Dunblane massacre. In essence, 57,000 pistol shooters were disenfranchised and had their possessions seized with minimal financial compensation. In my case, a �4K race gun warranted �1500 and a 2nd Gen Colt '73 costing �1400, just �800 in return. I'll say this for you "Yanks", at least your Government respects its citizens, if not fears them. In my mind, that is no bad thing.
Have a good weekend.
Jacobite
