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BOTH SIDES OF THE FENCE The Autobiography of a Poacher Turned Gamekeeper Frank Cullum began life comfortably enough -father was in the army and the pay,with only Frank and his mother to feed was adequate.Come the twenties,howerver,things began to get more difficult.Life as an agricul- tural worker was precarious to say the least -and there was soon to be seven more mouths to feed!Somehow the family income had to be supplement- ed and Cullum senior soon became an expert poacher.So did Cullum junior.As he says,he knew the game laws before he mastered the alphabet! His activities may have been illegal,but they were also educational and the day came when a kindly local 'keeper took the young Frank under his wing. The desire to become a gamekeeper himself was born and eventually he went over to the other side of the fence... In this autobiography Frank Cullum leads us through rural life in the twen- ties and thirties,his wartime experience and on to a gamekeeper 's life dur- ing the fifties,sixties and seventies;half a century of experience during which time he held,amongst others,positions on such prestigious estates as Great Witchingham,Raynham and Somerleyton. Social history,domestic trivia,comic mishap and expert information are all included in a book through which runs a rich vein of country lore.It is a book not only for lovers of country sport but also the countryside. Frank now lives with his wife Pauline in semi-retirement near Norwich. |
