CLA Game Fair 2015: Dos and don’ts from Shooting Gazette

Whether this is your first or fifty-first CLA Game Fair, there’s always something new to see and do. So…

DO plan your day

The CLA Game Fair site is massive and so it’s worth working out what you want to see and knowing where it is before you set foot in Harewood House. Around 130,000 people attend the CLA Game Fair each year (that’s almost the population of Oxford) so the last thing you want is miss out on the best bits!

DON’T forget to set your alarm

The world and his wife will be driving to the CLA Game Fair and the roads and lanes near Harewood House will get clogged up quickly. Try to get into the immediate vicinity by 8am at the latest. There are plenty of places to grab breakfast when you get there, not least at the Totally Food Show.

DO watch the Estate Challenge on the Friday

Keepers and gundogs from shoots from around the country will be competing for a year’s use of a Mitsubishi L200 – who will keep their nerve in the clay shoot and dummy retrieval?

DON’T forget to come and see Shooting Gazette

We’ll be on Gunmakers Row with our usual show-only subscription offer for readers old and new.

DO dress to the conditions

You’ll already have an eye on the weather forecast so will pack accordingly, but whatever you do don’t turn up in heels!

DO head down to the lake

If you need to cool down there are plenty of chances to head out via one of Channel Kayak’s vessels for a break.

DON’T forget to put your fingers in your ears

The STIHL Timbersports® British Championship will make a hell of a racket! Rob Chatley cut it fine to be crowned champion back in 2014 and the nail biting finish sent the crowd wild!

DO be savvy when looking for a bargain

Whether going new or second hand for your next shotgun or rifle, there are always offers for those who know where to look.

DON’T forget to send us your doggy pictures

We’re now on Instagram and would love to share pictures of your four-legged friends enjoying the fair. Use the hashtag #shoogazdog

DO remember where you’ve parked your car

There will be fields full, and we mean full of vehicles at the CLA Game Fair. One Shooting Gazette staffer forgot where he’d parked his car in 2006 and hasn’t lived it down since!

DON’T feel bad about letting your other half off the lead
There’s so much to see and do at the CLA Game Fair and it could sometimes be better for marital harmony in the long run if you roamed alone. Then you’ll have something new to talk about when you see one another!

DO have a go at something new
Whether its busting clays, casting a fly, eating wild boar cobs or placing a silent bid in the Countryside Learning art auction on our stand, give something a go!

DON’T forget the most important thing…
The CLA Game Fair comes but once a year so have a good time!