Lovely post as ever, Ali. When I was researching my play about The Royal Border Bridge in Berwick's Archive, I was fascinated to see reports of the regular otter hunts were a weekly feature in the local paper (The Berwick Advertiser) - they detailed how many dogs and people attended, where the otter was sighted, chased and finally caught and killed (in the same way that I think fox hunts were reported as news items). It is extraordinary to realise this 'sporting' practice was mainstream until the 70s. I also find it fascinating to think about which animals we romanticise and which we don't... is it because some are seen as silly and cute (puffin, maybe)? Some are seen as having human attributes... a dolphin's smile, a penguin's Charlie Chaplin gait? Others have domestic pet attributes - seals, otters, But maybe there are other reasons???
Wow - fascinating about the otter hunt reporting! And really eye-opening to think about the fact that hunting animals used to be totally accepted, even as late as the 70s, I agree! I wonder if this (and the anthropomorphising of animals) is related to the growing disconnection of larger and larger portions of society from the realities of rural living/making a living from the land from the 1950s onwards? That sense of the countryside as something that should be neat and tidy and quiet and kept 'beautiful' - which is obviously a totally different mindset from someone who has to try to make a living from the land?
What a lovely post, and your illustration is beautiful! 🦦 How interesting to see the detail in the St Cuthbert’s window too.
Thanks David - yes, I had no idea it was there until I started researching images!
Lovely post as ever, Ali. When I was researching my play about The Royal Border Bridge in Berwick's Archive, I was fascinated to see reports of the regular otter hunts were a weekly feature in the local paper (The Berwick Advertiser) - they detailed how many dogs and people attended, where the otter was sighted, chased and finally caught and killed (in the same way that I think fox hunts were reported as news items). It is extraordinary to realise this 'sporting' practice was mainstream until the 70s. I also find it fascinating to think about which animals we romanticise and which we don't... is it because some are seen as silly and cute (puffin, maybe)? Some are seen as having human attributes... a dolphin's smile, a penguin's Charlie Chaplin gait? Others have domestic pet attributes - seals, otters, But maybe there are other reasons???
Wow - fascinating about the otter hunt reporting! And really eye-opening to think about the fact that hunting animals used to be totally accepted, even as late as the 70s, I agree! I wonder if this (and the anthropomorphising of animals) is related to the growing disconnection of larger and larger portions of society from the realities of rural living/making a living from the land from the 1950s onwards? That sense of the countryside as something that should be neat and tidy and quiet and kept 'beautiful' - which is obviously a totally different mindset from someone who has to try to make a living from the land?
All together a compelling topic 🙌