Anglesey family of countryside enthusiasts supporting GWCT Welsh Game Fair

A family of countryside enthusiasts from Anglesey cannot wait for the first GWCT Welsh Game Fair to be held at the famous Vaynol Estate, near Bangor from September 9-11.

Bonny and Rupert Cunliffe, their 12-year-old son Charlie and 10-year-old daughter Lottie, from Menai Bridge, are all keen shooters and beaters. Rupert also runs two organised pheasant shoots at Pentraeth and Church Bay on the island.

“It’s fantastic news that the GWCT Welsh Game Fair is coming to Wales and it’s a huge boost for North Wales,” said Rupert. “We have so much to celebrate here in the Welsh countryside.

“It’s important that we educate a wider audience about the benefits of country pursuits and the associated land management, not least because so many livelihoods in the countryside depend on shooting and fishing.

“The Welsh countryside would look very different without the land management undertaken by farmers and gamekeepers. This work is vital to biodiversity in the region.”

Bonny added: “Looking at the experienced people who are behind the game fair, I’m sure it will be successful and Myfyr and Keith Jones from the Vaynol Estate are to be commended for their support.”

The GWCT Welsh Game Fair will be held from September 9-11, organised by Stable Events Ltd in partnership with The Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT).

Money raised at the event will support the GWCT’s charitable work and give a welcome boost to the region, with tourism and visitors contributing to the local economy.

Stable Events Ltd also organises The Game Fair at Ragley Hall, Warwickshire and The GWCT Scottish Game Fair at Scone Palace, Perthshire.

Fishing, clay shooting, gundogs, game cookery, falconry, horses and hounds, as well as rural crafts, food and drink will feature at the event, which is expected to attract people passionate about the countryside, country pursuits and conservation.

Leading Welsh celebrity chef and author Bryn Williams, who is originally from Denbigh, will be creating a bespoke menu for guests in a VIP Enclosure Restaurant, aptly named The White Park Restaurant after the famous Vaynol Cattle, and taking part in live, open-air cooking demonstrations throughout the weekend.

A keen shooter and novice fly fisherman, Bryn is chef patron of Odette’s in Primrose Hill and at Porth Eirias, a beach-front restaurant, café and bar at Colwyn Bay.

Visitors can look forward to a wide range of attractions, displays, live debates, shopping at hundreds of trade stands and family entertainment, all with a countryside theme.

A Clay Shooting Line and Gunmakers’ Row will feature alongside a wealth of Welsh produce. For more information and to buy tickets, visit https://www.welshgamefair.org/

The event is set to be a fantastic shop window for the Welsh countryside and will promote the unique culture and heritage of Wales. It will also bring together representatives from a range of conservation, farming, field sports and fishing bodies for debates on Welsh rural issues.

The aim is to foster greater communication and co-operation between sectors and promote the benefits of country pursuits and conservation to a wider audience. The event is set to be a great day out for all the family.

Picture caption:

Bonny Cunliffe with Vaynol Hall in the background.