Carmen

This book tells the life story of Carmen, a genuine hard working lurcher who spent her full and varied life with the author. It starts in Devon in 1984 with the acquisition of a twelve-week-old pup and concludes on a north Cumbrian hillside some fifteen years later.

They start their partnership as a rabbit catchers before, three years, the author becomes a full time gamekeeper. Their journey takes them via spells in Scotland and the Midlands and brings many changes to which they both must adapt. Together they take up these challenges during which Carmen displays a versatility which exceeds all reasonable expectations.

This book documents many of the escapades they share and offers an intimate insight into this often hidden, misunderstood and maligned way of life.

Although surrounded by so much change the one thing that remains constant throughout is the unbreakable bond of trust and respect between them. The story is told by the author whose passion for the countryside, its wild inhabitants and the life they led constantly shines through. Carmen is a story of an exceptional dog living a legitimate lifestyle that in the wake of the 2004 Hunting Dog Act has now, depending on your personal views, sadly been lost forever. Good or bad whatever your personal opinions may be, Carmen's is a fascinating and enlightening story that has now been rendered to the archives; as such, this life story could now never be legally repeated.