The Shooting Times' Woodcock Club dinner 2008

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The Shooting Times Woodcock Club met for its annual dinner in the spectacular surroundings of the Founder's Dining Hall at Royal Holloway University.

By Alastair Balmain, Shooting Times

Friday, 02 May 2008

Raising funds for two worthy causes, Shooting Times' Woodcock Club dinner was a triumph.

Toasting the enigmatic woodcock, after what was for many a memorable season, was the order of the night last Saturday, when the Shooting Times Woodcock Club met for its annual dinner in the spectacular surroundings of the Founder's Dining Hall at Royal Holloway University in Egham, Surrey.

This year's dinner was generously sponsored by Glenfarclas whisky - Nick James, managing director of parent company Pol Roger, is himself a Woodcock Club member, and during the night, fellow members and guests raised more than £4,000 to fund Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust research into the woodcock after bidding on auction lots donated by various supporters.

Bidding was strong on fishing lots from Roxtons, woodcock shooting and stalking lots from The Gearach estate on Islay and sporting clothing from James Lock & Co, Barbour and Musto. One of the highest prices paid on the night was for an original painting of a woodcock in flight produced by artist Owen Williams especially for the evening.

In a departure from the normal format, guests also raised £1,000 for a second important cause, Help for Heroes. The charity, founded last year by sporting cartoonist Bryn Parry, has so far raised £4.5million in order to fund rehabilitation projects for soldiers wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan, including a dedicated swimming pool at the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre, Headley Court, just down the road from Royal Holloway.

In a moving after-dinner speech, Mr Parry told his audience of the story behind the remarkable success of the charity, as well as the support that has been notably forthcoming from ordinary members of the fieldsports community.

Membership of the Shooting Times Woodcock Club is open to any shooter who has successfully shot a right-and-left at woodcock with two independent witnesses.

If you would like more information, contact the club's secretary Ian Hughes on 020 3148 4315.

The Royal Holloway University

ST Woodcock Club chairman Ian Haddon

From Guernsey, Francis Quinn, Judith and Gary Cook, Sue Fish and Mick Le Pelley

Guest speaker Bryn Parry, cartoonist and founder of Help for Heroes

Raffle winner David Laidlaw with ST's Deputy Editor Alastair Balmain and Editor Camilla Clark