Today I received a bag of goodies from a friendly taxidermist.

Offcuts from his work included pieces of Fallow Deer, Red Deer, Sika Deer, English Badger, English Fox, and even Antelope, Impala, Kudu, Blesbok, and Red Hartebeest!! (You can't buy those in the shops!)

It cost me a very few pounds. A great bargain when tiny pieces of hide in the UK costs ?4 or ?5 pounds. My advice is to encourage such friendships.

My only wonder is how come he ends up with such offcuts?? His finished articles must end up much thinner than when they started!!