Never quite sure why Geordie stopped whipping in to Weir at the Ullswater, too long ago now to be of any importance anyway, but he reappeared as the huntsman of the Kendal and District Otter Hounds based at Milenthorpe on the Dalem Tower estate. He had always been lucky, being turned down for National Service because apparently he had of all things flat feet! Can you imagine a fell huntsman doing possibly thousands of miles of walking on some steep sided terrain with flat feet.

Anyway the move caused much entertainment to my father, who couldn't see sense in wading up to your waist in cold Lakeland becks. Geordie waded on!

One day we were playing football on the local park as part of the school's PE class. The teacher later commented to my father, 'I gave a penalty but the goal keeper was up the path after the hounds!' Geordie was in the beck!!!

On another occasion I biked up to the New Dungeon Ghyll hotel to watch a meet in the Great Langdale beck. A screaming hunt ensued but I'm happy to say the otter escaped.

In almost 50 years of following hounds I only once attended a mounted meet. A wasted Boxing Day with the Bedale, in the early 70s. A large crowd assembled at the meet, with a wide range of mounts and riders! Vast quantities of 'jumping juice' (Jorrocks') were taken and it seemed a very social occasion. The Huntsman had some nice hounds, though a bit heavy for me, but the country was different. You could always tell a good huntsman, it comes from the way he treats the hounds in kennels. The really good ones could control a pack with just a gentle word, some resorted to abuse and others ...................

A lakeland huntsman in the main chatted to almost anyone but this fella didn't. Anyway, the field left the meet and several rode to the boxes and went home! The fieldmaster seemed to control the rest of them quite tightly. I seriously doubt if many saw much at all of the hounds.

I came away with the distinct impression that for many it was the opportunity to ride (and jump) over sombody else's land that was the attraction rather than the actual working of the hounds - an opinion I still hold. It seemed a long way (in more ways than one) from the Boxing Day hunt from Ambleside Market Cross for Loughrigg by the Coniston and to be honest I wished I was there. I never saw another 'mounted hunt', never really wanted to.