When Purdey CEO and Chairman Dan Jago sat down with the editorial team to plan the second edition of The Purdey Post, there was an overriding mood that seemed fitting for the start of a new year – celebration. With that in mind, this year’s newspaper is all about celebrating the innovation, craftsmanship and people that have shaped the Purdey story.
With 210 years of history to draw from, we could have written a novel. In fact, when we asked our in-house historian Dr. Nicholas Harlow to share stories from The Long Room through the ages, he very nearly did. We rewind to the early days of Purdey for a roll-call of the inventions that make our guns exceptional, before speaking to technical whizz Alan Graichen-Cunningham about the advances that are taking us forward at speed. And, staying in the factory, we trace gunmaking through the generations, with the father-and-son duos that have taken apprenticeship through to mastery.
Stretching the legs of our guns is where the fun really begins though. Keen shot Patrick Galbraith heads to Purdey at the Royal Berkshire for a session refining his technique with one of the best instructors in the game, Steve Turner. Purdey Award winner George Ponsonby shows us the thriving habitat he’s created in Gloucestershire to support not only grey partridges, but myriad other wildlife. Head of shooting at Goodwood, Edward Arkell, shares his love for their epic 12,000 acre grounds; while head of the Purdey Sporting Agency, Gordon Robinson tempts with trips further afield, for world-class shooting in Spain, Argentina and South Africa.
Tips on shooting attire come direct from The Rake’s style savvy Tom Chamberlin; and our very own Annika Purdey gives her do’s and don’ts on weekend-away etiquette, whether you’re the gracious host or lucky guest. We also speak to the design team about the considered details woven into every collection by skilled makers, from classic cable-knitters to the clever creators of our rainproof technical tweed.
The result is a publication of beautiful quality and equally good content, continuing another great Purdey tradition in print. That said, we are always keen to combine the old with the new, hence the digital version of The Purdey Post is available for you to download at the link below.
And, please do return here to our digital outpost, where we will continue to share new stories every month.
Click here to download the complete PDF of The Purdey Post, Issue 2