Joe Holland
When Mrs Beeton wrote her cookery book she said "First catch your hare."This was Grandfather's method and was done in daylight. Grandfather and I were walking across a field when he suddenly stopped and grabbed my arm forcing me to stop. Quietly he said "Stand still, boy". Then he stuck his walking stick in the ground and hung his jacket on it. I was told to sit down quietly and not to move. I sat down and Grandfather walked quietly away from me, not in the direction we had been heading but in a roundabout way. Watching him I saw that he walked a half-circle and then started to walk towards me. Suddenly he dropped to his knees and shouted "Come to me and bring my stick and coat".
I ran towards Grandfather and saw that he was kneeling on a hare. He told me that he had spotted the hare sitting in a clump of grass and knew that the hare would be mesmerised and would lie and watch Grandfather's coat hanging from his walking stick.
We didn't bother to say grace when we ate the hare. Aa divvent think the Duke wud hev minded us hevin a hare.
This is an anecdote of my father's which appears in, Northumbrian, Geordie,Posh & other languages, published in 1986 by the members of the Accent on Tyneside Course at the Adult Education Dept of Newcastle University. The co-ordinator was Jean Crocker.
I have no knowledge or experience of catching hares but I'm certainly fascinated by their curious ways.
Here is a drawing I made of a brown hare.
All material is copyright. Not to be used without permission-which will likely be readily given.
When Mrs Beeton wrote her cookery book she said "First catch your hare."This was Grandfather's method and was done in daylight. Grandfather and I were walking across a field when he suddenly stopped and grabbed my arm forcing me to stop. Quietly he said "Stand still, boy". Then he stuck his walking stick in the ground and hung his jacket on it. I was told to sit down quietly and not to move. I sat down and Grandfather walked quietly away from me, not in the direction we had been heading but in a roundabout way. Watching him I saw that he walked a half-circle and then started to walk towards me. Suddenly he dropped to his knees and shouted "Come to me and bring my stick and coat".
I ran towards Grandfather and saw that he was kneeling on a hare. He told me that he had spotted the hare sitting in a clump of grass and knew that the hare would be mesmerised and would lie and watch Grandfather's coat hanging from his walking stick.
We didn't bother to say grace when we ate the hare. Aa divvent think the Duke wud hev minded us hevin a hare.
This is an anecdote of my father's which appears in, Northumbrian, Geordie,Posh & other languages, published in 1986 by the members of the Accent on Tyneside Course at the Adult Education Dept of Newcastle University. The co-ordinator was Jean Crocker.
I have no knowledge or experience of catching hares but I'm certainly fascinated by their curious ways.
Here is a drawing I made of a brown hare.
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| Brown Hare-James Holland |
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