When the Country Came to Town

In July 1997 a vast number of people gathered in Hyde Park to protest against the threat to country sports and traditions posed by a Labour MP's anti-hunting bill. This is the story of the countryside marches, organized locally, which preceded the rally, and of the rally itself, which was organized by the British Field Sports Society. Columns of walkers from Scotland, Cornwall, Wales and the Cumbrian fells, where John Peel once hunted the Blencathra hounds, made their way across country to London, raising public interest and sympathy. The culmination was the rally in Hyde Park, addressed by speakers such as Baroness Mallalieu, Michael Heseltine, Willy Poole, David Bellamy and Robin Page. The book describes the organization and success of these events, with first-hand accounts of time on the road, and many interviews with marchers.