Hammy, how long does it take to set a 100 bird sporting course with 24 traps over 12 stands, allowing for 150/200 entries plus allowing for a few spare traps in certain placesincase needed ??... plus charging batteries, putting remote/cables out & all the other behind the scenes efforts that go into staging a reg event, in your professional opinion !!
Dunno, how long does it take for a restaurant owner to prep for lunch time cover, how long for dinner bookings ? How long does it take for a car dealership to prep the whole capoodle to receive customers who want to buy, service, repair or do MOT's ? How long does it take for a dentist to open shop from inception ? The answer is years. I'm not sure why or whether you're asking for special commendation for those in the clay industry ? ! You work hard and you get rewarded both materially and enjoyment wise.
I have not insinuated that being a ground owner is easy work, I have in the past admitted I wouldn't in fact want to do it unless I had the money to buy a multi million pound spread which had 5-6 days planning and enough other sideline projects to make it viable to pay all due taxes and VAT and make good returns for several people, even then there are easier ways of turning real profit. The reason I'd still want to do it is because like you I am kinda addicted to the game.
I make a point of dealing in facts only, my statement was :
Most of us work 5 days, there are at least a dozen I know of who make a decent living (not jealous and good luck to them) by doing 5-8 days a month.
and I stand by that fully.
This is about whether holding on to peoples winnings for a mere 3 months is cricket, most would agree it is not and I have (as always using logic) blown away the pathetic myth that doing so for 6 months or a year is aard work. I'm sure you work very hard at putting on shoots, many I know from personal contact certainly do (and I have praised them here).
I know Wylye used to run a very successful place which was sadly much too far for me to ever attend, but be assured if you come at me with facts I will put my hand up and apologise if and when I state something false, otherwise a lifetime of speaking against cliches and plain wrong is going to be a hard habit to break.