James Purdey & Sons, the London gun and rifle maker, celebrated its annual Purdey Awards last night in its Mayfair home, Audley House. The Purdey Awards demonstrate the benefit shooting brings to the countryside and every year they honour the outstanding contributions from exceptional game and conservation projects throughout the United Kingdom.
The top prize went to the Bingley, Burley and Ilkley Moors Partnership and was accepted by Edward Bromet, its chairman. Mr. Bromet was presented with the 2015 Purdey Gold Award Shield and £5,000 for his leadership in the restoration of red grouse to Ilkley Moor and enabling a massive improvement in the moor’s overall biodiversity.
Richard Purdey, who has organized the Awards since 1999 said: ‘We were delighted by the rich variety of this year’s Awards entries, from which came an outstanding crop of winners. These may differ enormously in size and types of shoot, but all succeeded in demonstrating how their clear vision and exemplary conservation work brought about big improvements in the quality of their shoots and the biodiversity of their land, benefiting not just their game birds but many other species of plant, bird and wildlife.’
The celebration was attended by the likes of Richard Purdey, Nigel Beaumont, the Duke of Wellington, the Duchess of Devonshire, Vicomte Bernard de La Giraudière, members of the press, as well as past winners and presenters.
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