Meet this Sunday at 3 pm, Duke of Kendal, Connaught Street, W2

[Connaught Square Squirrel Hunt Ball]

PLEASE FORWARD TO ANYONE WHO MAY BE INTERESTED

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NOTICES:

LAST CHANCE FOR BALL TICKETS: Thursday, 8th September at Banqueting
House. Application forms in www.csshhq.org.uk or call Sarah Dinwiddy
on 020 7318 0313 (office hours only).

ALL PRIZES FOR AUCTION OR RAFFLE GREATFULLY ACCEPTED. We already have
quite a few good ones (auction: safari, scooter, polo lesson weekend;
raffle: whisky, champagne, restaurants) but want to raise as much as
possible for our good causes. If you have any ideas or wish to help,
please e-mail: csshu...@gmail.com.

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INVITATION:

The Joint Masters take great pleasure in inviting you to join them at
the 3rd meet of The Connaught Square Squirrel Hunt on Sunday 21st
August 2005 at 3.00pm at the Duke of Kendal, Connaught Street, London
W2.

This will be the last meet before the Ball at Banqueting House on 8th
September and we hope for a full and energetic turnout from
supporters. We have had fields of between 70 & 100 so far this year
and expect more this Sunday, what with the lack of grouse and such.
Idle legs do the devil's work; you know it makes sense!

As is now usual, we look forward to an afternoon of sunshine, good
company and absurd hunting. Our inaugural meet attracted a positive
press attention from no less than: the BBC, the Mail, the Mirror, the
Field, Horse & Hound and Shooting Times. With your help, we can
attract similar publicity this time. Our purpose, as ever, is to have
good fun and highlight the absurdity of the Hunting Act by complying
with it when taking a dog for a walk in the park.

DRAG SQUIRREL HUNTING

Apologies if you have read this before. If you haven't, it will make
your hair stand on end.

For those unaware of the purpose and practice of drag squirrel
hunting, we invite you to peruse our website at www.CSSHHQ.org.uk. In
brief, the Hunting Act 2004 has prevented the Joint Masters from
encouraging Dillon/Dylan, the Squirrel Hound (he can't spell), to
enjoy his traditional passtime of chasing squirrels up trees while on
a walk in Hyde Park. Yes, you did read it correctly: it is illegal to
encourage even 1 dog to chase a squirrel; possibly illegal even to
enjoy a dog chasing a squirrel.

Should a policeman suspect you of planning (yes, planning) to do so,
he may arrest you and/or confiscate your phone and camera and/or
search your house without warrant. In contrast, he would need a
warrant to search your house if he thought you may be a burglar or
even a murderer. When convicted of such darstardly plans, magistrates
may fine you up to £5,000 and order your dog to be put down. For
chasing a squirrel. We have taken Counsel's opinion on the law (i.e.
me); you couldn't make it up.

The public deserve to know that their habits are illegal. Also,
Dillon/Dylon needs his excercise and excitement without the threat of
judicial execution. As a result, the Joint Masters established a drag
squirrel hunt on April 3rd. Following extensive scientific
experimentation, we chose a bone in an old sports sock as the perfect
drag squirrel. It is led by a length of fishing line attached to an
energetic soul travelling at speed and followed by, in order:
Dillon/Dylan; the Huntsman; the Joint Masters; and the field. See
www.CSSHHQ.org.uk for some excellent photographs of the 1st & 2nd
meets.

WHAT WILL HAPPEN THIS SUNDAY?

On 21st August, we shall follow our successful and now traditional agenda:

3.00 pm - Meet at the Duke of Kendal pub, Kendal Street, London W2.
Sausage-rolls and Drag-hunting Port will be provided by Sean, the
kindly publican (be nice to him, he is the licencee for the ball).

IF YOU ARE LATE, LOOK FOR US IN HYDE PARK OR JUST STAY AT THE PUB.

3.30 pm - Move off after a rousing speech. Passing through
Connaught Square, the spriritual heart of the hunt, and specifically
by No. 29, the London home of our great leader, Tony Blair. Please
feel free to gesture your respects in any manner you feel appropriate.

As all hunts, we cover different ground after each meet. After our
2nd meet, we covered ground rich in squirrels for the purposes of
authenticity. Unfortunately, Dillon/Dylan was distracted by a real
squirrel during one drag, much the the enjoyment of the field. Being
law-abiding citizens, some 40 of us reported ourselves to the Royal
Parks Police for breach of the Hunting Act. There have not been any
arrests so far but the police may be continuing with their enquiries,
if they have nothing better to do in London at the moment.

There will be an opportunity for a strictly limited number of visiting
Squirrel Hound packs to follow the scent of the drag squirrel. Each
pack will consist of 1 (one) Squirrel Hound; any huntsman wishing to
avail themselves of this opportunity should make him/herself known to
the Joint Masters at the meet. Otherwise, all visiting packs should
be on leads to avoid one almighty dog-fight.

Once exhausted, the field usually return to the pub for a liquid Hunt Tea.

To help with numbers, PLEASE E-MAIL css...@gmail.com WITH YES (and
the number coming) OR NO (if you would like to be on our mailing
list). OR JUST TURN UP.

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THE HUNT BALL


The Hunt Ball will take place on Thursday, 8th September 2005 at The
Banqueting House, Whitehall. Dress: hunt colours, white tie or banned
quarry. £120 per head, including pre-dinner cocktails, fine dinner
with wine; swing band upstairs, top DJ downstairs till late, great
auction & raffle, and squirrel hunt memorabilia. Guest appearance by
Felix the Fox. Proceeds will go to the Legal Challenge Appeal and the
Hunt Servants Benefit Society.


Yours,

Ed Seyfried
Duncan Macpherson

Joint Masters

www.csshhq.org.uk <http://www.csshhq.org.uk/>