The Formation of the Club

The following documents record the founding of the Club; after some 60 years the documents are faded and not good enough to scan so they have been transcribed into Word.

First meeting of proposed Wildfowling Association on the Dee Estuary. The idea of a meeting was suggested to Mr P.D.White by Dr. H. James, Chairman of Frodsham and District Wildfowlers’ Club, following a letter to The Shooting Times written by Mr J. Brough.
Present on 8.7.52. Mr. P.D.White, Mr.J.Brough and Mr. C Brayfield.

1. To decide if we should attempt to form an association. Carried.
2. Temporary Officers, J Brough, Chairman       P.D.White, Secretary
3. Temporary Name Dee Wildfowling Association
4. Reason for forming club. To protect wildfowling interests in the area and to seek affiliation to W.A.G.B.I.
5. No subscription at this stage. All present subscribed £2 for immediate expenses.
6. Next meeting to be held at the Shrewsbury Arms Hotel, Neston on 7.8.52.
7. J.Brough to arrange for posters to be printed and distributed. Announcements to be inserted in local papers advertising proposed meeting 7.8.52.
8. P.D.White to arrange for an executive committee member of W.A.G.B.I. to be present and to address the meeting on 7.8.52.

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Mr A.W.Fletcher  was trying to form a wildfowling club at the same time. On 23rd July 1952, John Brough wrote the following letter to Willie Fletcher.

Dear Mr. Fletcher,
We are trying to form a Wild Fowlers Club to cover largely the Dee Estuary, and Mr. Arnold of the B.F.S.S. has told me you might be interested.
In the years gone past, this area was one of the best known and prolific wild fowling resorts in the country, but due to a number of causes this is very much a thing of the past. Overshooting, complete disregards of the close season, shooting of “Flappers”, lack of predatory control, are some of the reasons, and our main aim would be to try to eliminate these as much as possible. Much more to the point, there is a total ban on shooting in the Parishes of Wallasey, Hoylake, West Kirby, and Caldy, and it would appear that there is a movement afoot to extend this ban.
When the original Orders were made there was absolutely no opposition whatever to the Anti Blood Sports fraternity, and we are determined, that in future, they should not have all things their own way.
We intend therefore, forming a “Dee Wild Fowling Club”, which would be affiliated to the Wildfowling Association of Gt. Britain and Ireland, and of course the British Field Sports Society.
If you feel that you might be interested, we are holding an inaugural meeting at the Shrewsbury Arms, Chester High Road, Neston, on Tuesday August 5th, at 8.o’clock, and we would be delighted to see you. If you can manage to come, and bring along any one else whom you think would be interested, I would glad if you would contact me before hand, so that we can have some idea as to how many people to expect.
Yours faithfully,
J.B.Brough

Two days later on the 25th July 1952, Peter White, John Brough and Willie Fletcher met for lunch in Old Hall Street, Liverpool with a view to them pooling their ideas and forming one club instead of two.
The inaugural meeting of the Club then took place at the Shrewsbury Arms Hotel, Neston on 7th August 1952 and the following report appeared in the October 1952 edition of Cheshire Life.
Dee Wildfowlers’ Club
In August, nearly two hundred wildfowlers met at the Shrewsbury Arms Hotel, Neston where it was resolved that a club of Deeside wildfowlers be formed. Mr. J. Brough accepted the Chair, and after explaining the aims of a wildfowling club, introduced Dr. Storey and Mr. Hurst of the Wildfowlers’ Association of Great Britain and Ireland, and Dr. James and Mr. Bostock, committee members of the Frodsham and District Wildfowlers’ Club.
Dr. Storey gave a general outline of the work of W.A.G.B.I.
“To meet representatives of the bird protectionist associations, including the Wildfowl Inquiry Committee with a view to settling differences. To see that no adverse legislation is passed without due representation.
“To uphold rules for the protection of birds where these seem necessary but to oppose attempts to protect all wild birds.
“To keep the shooting season as now, from 12th August to the 20th February.”
Dr. James, Chairman of Frodsham and District Wildfowlers’ Club spoke of the many advantages of an organised club. The social activities, and the results which an organised club could obtain in comparison to the individual working alone. The intense opposition of some bird protectionists was mentioned.
A few who were present were informed at question time that on the formation of a club, its members would be pleased to meet and discuss any relevant and reasonable points, with representatives of the various bird protectionist organisations. The vast majority of wildfowlers present showed they were in favour of a club being formed.