Leaderboard

I met Phil through Ditchshitter in the early 80s and had been in touch and met from time to time ever since . I only hunted with him once to my great regret . He used one of my photographs in one of his books which l considered a bit of an honour. A couple of years ago ,and completely out of the blue , he gifted literally hundreds of his traps to me and l did detect a change in him . I had the feeling that he clearly had other things to do while time was on his side. Phil was a ruthless hunter in his heyday . Mercenary too ; "lt's all about the pounds " was one of his sayings .

Been chatting about this sad news with my pal, very hard to know what to say and almost impossible to follow some of the wonderful tributes on this thread. So I’ll say this, he came across as a proper chap and a gentleman….the worlds a bit poorer when it’s looses people like that. Wherever he is, I hope it’s an autumn night and he hasn’t got permission to be there !

It has been a privilege to be Phil's friend, work colleague, and occasional hunting partner/photographer. We worked on "stuff" outside of the pest control/lurcher world together and had a good laugh along the way. I have lost a good friend. Rose has lost her best friend and husband. Till the next life mate...

Last nighs dinner...

Some minted lamb chops from the farm down the lane

Me with my brindle bitch bonnie...Phil in the middle and his mate paul on the right...bolting to the dogs up on the high ground

Curry goat,bbq pork ribs,fried chicken macaroni pie,Super sweet plaintain and homemade coleslaw,All made from scratch by my missus and her sisters.All leftovers from her her youngest sisters birthday yesterday apart from the rice and plaintain which she did fresh today.I love it when they have a celebration.Whether it's birthday,wedding,funeral they always have way too much and everyone brings tupperware.My bird always brings enough for me to live on for days.

Sad news to hear this about Phil. We met a few times for a walk out with the dogs and he has always been on the end of the phone whenever I needed advice. Chats with him always started on the subject of running dogs and then normally went on a tangent to welsh hill farms and rugs. Popped in to see him a couple of times when I was down his neck of the woods. Always made welcome and we would chat for hours. He would always ask if I’d been anywhere different with the dogs and no matter where I mentioned, he had pretty much been there and had the stories and photos to back it up! A very humble

I only know him from on here with his great knowledge and experience of hunting dogs and his gentleman like poetic writings. A great loss to his family, all dogmen and the whole world. I always looked up to him as a great ambassador and voice for serious hunters. I'm truly gutted with this sad news. R.I.P Phil.

Not me mC I am on red hot tacos and burritos mate,extra chillies,Stav has a touch of the velvet about him now with that dish,he will be eating quiche next.

cant beat the minted lamb chops mate

This might sound a bit poncy but in my defence I followed a recipe and it was delicious butter baked pollock with cavolo nero colcannon, griddled asparagus and a Prosecco cream sauce

Had family tip up from Portrush yesterday,so didn't make the Gower...fished ogmore deeps instead with the youngest,had him baiting up,casting and reeling his own fish in,was a cracking few hrs had a few Smuts,doggies and lost a cracking Big Huss

Breakfast....

Another long one today, bit of 4" to go at...

Wifey did roast chicken today. Her confidence is getting better and better, was very nice and tasty. Cheers Arry

Full moon fish last night for the lad

Bangers a terrier with right breeding will just go itself self enter you drop it when it's old enough its up to them.. I would give a terrier a blocked end as a last resort at getting it going your learning them nothing doing it actually you could just stop it wanting to travel altogether and just have it waiting to get it's blocked end ..you sir you baffle me

If it knows ,it knows , it don’t need showing ….. who showed the first one ffs …chicken egg ..

Hot one today

Bit of a wander this morning, if in doubt of were you are always head down hill anyhows after a fairly steep drop finally got to the river Severn wandered along a mile or two hoping to find a pub but heat got the better of us and we had to head back up

Had a mooch at 1st light and never even got a shot with catty. Ended getting a few pics of the local roe . Just nice to be out and didn’t see a sole.

Chatted to these mexican fishermen after Halibut on Santa Monica pier but the sea lions were swimming just over below them after free fish.

Not just rabbits. Some of his "better" stories weren't really suitable for print l liked the one he told me about desperately trying to unblock the drains in his street before the council got there and discovered certain incriminating body parts

So you can tell a dog's well worked by looking at it ok I have seen dogs bashed up on there first encounter jack and refused to re enter but the same place has been dug by a dog not looking like a butcher's block looks mean nothing bangers

My 3 pups that I kept back out of Boots x Rose..Gus back left,Tino back right & little Maggie at the front..they were 7 months old on May 6th..the two dog's will be well over 26tts & the bitch about 24tts..I weighed them the day they were 7 months old,Gus was 28.70kg,Tino 29.55kg & the little bitch was 24.50kg..they are all doing really well,so far so good with them..not a bother kind with sheep/lambs,will jump absolutely anything,very very keen pups but so they should be with being 5/8 Greyhound..from birth I've always favoured the black dog Tino & that's still the case,I real

Devastated to hear of the passing of Phil,spoke to him over the phone many times over the year's. He gave me advice when I asked for it & was an inspiration to me when I was just a young lad. A very knowledgeable man & more importantly a humble & honest fella too. I can recall his Lurcher Journal's some 40 plus year's ago now long before his recent publications,they were inspiring to say the least..Deepest condolences to his nearest & dearest.. sleep easy Phil From a fellow moucher..

And a sunset

I think this day we got around 90 ish...Phil is in the middle...me and vin either side....and it's on Phils field

If anyone encompassed the uk lurcher scene , it was him wasnt it . from the bad old days to Lambourne , the ushering in of videos , the ban and the refining of your dog sports into legal and as a business , he will have seen all that . a massive loss to the lurcher world , such a shame.

I wouldn’t know how to eat that tomo looks superb but lacking a plate to get stuck in Mean while in sunny wales it’s fish lol I wouldn’t get to excited but it’s healthy

I know there is a fishing section but thought this might have a general appeal. On jollies in France at a friend's pond after carp. Got here and they are all bloody spawning - for those that aren't into fishing when they are shagging for the week they aren't interested in eating at all. Then this thing took my bait. Ugly slimy thing but an absolute beast. 45minutes battle on 15lb line. Scales bottomed out at 67lb. Estimated at 100lb. Unreal and saved my holiday!!!

Sorry to hear of Phil's death, sympathy to his family and friends. His consistency in writing and filming about lurchers over a long period really impressed. And obvious willingness to travel. In current language I guess we would say he was probably the major influencer in the last 45 years

That’s very sad to hear. RIP. Fond memories of reading his, and others’ articles in SN as a young lad and consequently looking forward to every weekend being out from dawn until dusk with my first terrier and scruffy collie lurcher.

I was defending him like a goodun earlier " nah not Delboy ".....but having thought about it the rest of the day its right how would we know.....he's been a national treasure and it feels like it would break my heart if he was....but then as the ol woman said " you are aware he is acting aren't you "

Another great title defence from Belfasts cacace who stopped leigh wood in the ninth

Sad news this...Been out with him a good few times when he used to come up the dales with me and vin... And of course growing up ..used to read all his stuff in the shooting news ...he walked the walk did Phil.....Vin even named one of the fields on our permission Phils field...reason being we would get on the tops...spread out a bit bolting to our own dogs...but as Phil was a guest we would give him the best spot...and the name stuck between us ... I think also Phil might have been the one that originally got Moochers hunting site going... RIP peace Phil....Chalkwarren...

Will there ever be another like him?, not a chance and hope he knew how much he was respected.Gutting to read the news and wish i had met the man as spoke to him a lot over the years about the cattle dog x's in pm's.. May your spirit be at peace Phil and RIP to a real legend...

Pick up a butchered Lamb from a farmer friend half for me and half for my mate. Did some chops for wifey and I on the BBQ. They were bloody handsome. Cheers Arry

If theres no strength in it ( which im sure theres not ) then what a disgusting sign of the times when a national icon like that who has brought so much joy into several generations of lives could be totally despised and deminished in such a way......social media could do with banning in my opinion.

Had to be one the best writers or dogs a fieldwork a nature there’s been? Between him an doxhope I can’t think of anybody better with a pen

Spent some more time in the Mountains looking for warrior bass again. I bought me a life straw so I could filter water to lighten my load so I could travel faster.Water tasted great. Endangered vermillion darter in the last pic.roughly 2 inches long.took a while to sneak up close enough for a picture.

Half rack of ribs ....brisket burnt ends...and pulled pork...the ribs £15...the burnt ends..and pulled pork...£5.50 each...glass of water free

Cheers Arry

Went to the tar pits,there's oil oozing out of the area,they put road cones over the lawn when oil bubbles up,the area stinks of tar/oil.Loads of Dire wolf,mammoth,American lion etc skeletons pulled out of the pits,the guy told me even today coyotes and raccoons get stuck.

Because regular joe shouldn't own a bulldog and game terriers and game bulls are completely different animals I'm sure theres plenty boys have working bulls but the game bulls are better staying on the chains with boys that know what there doing with them there's men dedicate there life to it and would you give one to some empty head down the street to run about with better keeping them away from kids and Joe public and people using them like a weapon