Montague
30th December

The traditional after Xmas meet at Montague was as popular as ever with foot followers and riders alike. The surrounding hills were all covered with snow but Pevensey Marshes had miraculously no snow at all and the going was perfect on the fields, although the roads were very slippery.

Hounds set off from the back of the farm across the horses' field, down to the river bank where the quarry had turned right, running along the foot path towards Pevensey. Just before the hounds got to the footpath a walker came through from Pevensey and they swung left handed and soon accounted for the rather surprised individual. The hounds quickly returned, picking up Adrian and Robbie's line and hunted all the way along the river bank. Turning right handed by the motorway up towards Malcom Henderson's farm, they swung right handed across the clay pigeon shooting field, hunting really well. The hounds then climbed the hill back towards Montague enabling the field to jump all the hedges on the way. Of course prominent in the fields were our hosts John Glessing and his daughter Gundrada Hole.

The field gingerly walked down the road into Hankam and the hounds were laid on into a corn field next to the school playing fields. They hunted on down the hill onto the grassland taking the post and rails as they came up to Chris Wadman's farm. Skirting the farm, hounds hunted really well parallel with the road and then checked when they picked up the sound of some puppies in the hound van, but they soon picked up the line and hunted on to the finish, catching the quarry on top of the hill in grand style.

We were pleased to have our with us Kim Wadman, our host's wife.

The hounds were then walked down the road, reentering Montague opposite Horns Firgate. They swung away left handed towards Rickney, with the field taking the hedges in grand style and then swung right handed across the marshes twisting and turning round the dykes. Here one of the first season hounds, Benedict, had his first introduction to a Pevensey dyke when he tried to cut a corner and did not see the dyke until it was too late. He tried to stop but skidded 20 yards and went head first into the dyke, climbing out the other side, much to the amusement of the field. The hounds then took the line up the hill catching the quarry just below Montague, where our Quarry Robbie's mother, fearful that he r sonhad had a long cold day, came running down the hill with a hat, gloves and sweater for him, much to his embarrassment.

An excellent day and we were lucky to be hunting.