Alfriston Day Five

In spite of a dreary, wet day we decided to revisit the Booth Bird Museum on Dyke Road in the northern outskirts of Brighton. For Peter this was a sentimental journey some 31 years removed from the last time he visited, whereas the figure for Eric (the local resident!) was more like 51 years. The latter occasion was also notable for the fact that he skipped the freshman's welcome address by the Principal of the college he was joining in favour of a visit to the nesting site of some European Bee-eaters in a quarry in nearby Ditchling.

Huge display cabinets, piled to the ceiling still line the walls but some appear to be covered with later introductions of exhibits dealing with a range of other topics including geology, insects, fossils and so on. Housed in the museum are many bird specimens which one would conclude are implicated in the notorious "Hastings Rarities" scandal of the early 20th century.

Notwithstanding the scope of the collection the sheer numbers being collected at this period is illustrated by the restored 'punt-gun' on show. This weapon was discharged, at some risk to the gunner, and with a charge of over a pound of shot was capable of killing up to many dozens of waterfowl with stealth and luck - a chilling reminder of how things used to be a century ago.

Mr Booth's punt and guns