Penny Calvert
The co-founder of Calvert Sporting describes her love for the great outdoors and how it has led to a passion for fieldsports
GROWING up on the north coast of Scotland, in Caithness, the great outdoors was the playground for myself and two elder sisters. It was here at Sandside that my love of the countryside was firmly cemented. The estate was a working mixed farm and we also let red deer stalking and grouse shooting. Foreign teams would return each year; the French groups enjoyed shooting walked-up grouse over pointers and the Italians would bring their falcons to fly on the hill.
Caithness was an idyllic upbringing and we were lucky to have ponies to ride around the farm and on the beach. Whilst there were no hunts that far north, we would create our own fun; bringing the heifers down off the hill led to a complete reconstruction of a western film with us jumping every stone wall in sight.
My father was a fine shot and he ran a successful pheasant syndicate at home, but I did not shoot much as a youngster, rather it was fishing that I enjoyed. Our family summer treat was to pack up the old Land Rover and head up to the hills and spend a very happy day at Loch Scye, enjoying a picnic and Dad rowing us out on the loch fishing for trout.
Each summer, my mum would pack up the horsebox and head south to the Inverness area with my sisters to do the ‘summer show’ circuit. I was deemed too young and therefore left at home under the watchful eye of my father — which led to my proper introduction to fly-fishing.
We would head off early afternoon to catch the evening salmon runs, and on only our second outing in August 1985, using my granny’s cane trout rod, I managed to hook and land my first salmon on the Upper Claybrae pool of the Baillie beat of the Forss, weighing in at 5¼lb — fresh with lice. This was an even more special moment as my father had caught his first salmon as a boy in that very pool on the same beat in September 1953, though he always loved to remind me that his was 7½lb. It was under his expert tutelage that I continued to develop my fishing.
We later moved south to Morayshire, where Dad worked at Gordon Castle. This enabled me to learn to fish on the mighty Spey — far preferable to schoolwork. I have so many fond memories of this time, the highlight of which was landing my first Spey salmon from the Brae Water.
On leaving school, I ventured south. After a period in Edinburgh, I started work at Charlie Egerton’s National Hunt yard near Lambourn. I was fortunate enough to ride and look after many top-class racehorses, including Mely Moss, who came a close second in the 2000 Grand National, one of my most memorable days.
A spell in London then led to a move to Gloucestershire, where I took a PA’S position. The role was varied and fun and allowed me to take up shooting and, after getting a wonderful cocker spaniel, beating and picking up. My first gun, a 20-bore Silver Pigeon, served me well at the local clay shoots and on early game days. Starting out as a novice more than 20 years ago was daunting, as the industry was still very male dominated, but I found nothing but enthusiasm and encouragement.
It was picking up on a friend’s shoot that I met my now husband, Adam Calvert. Through our joint passion for shooting and my flair for organising (or being bossy), we formed Calvert Sporting, providing shooting instruction and concierge services for individuals on their game days. We have recently opened a gun room. I feel incredibly fortunate to be able to pursue my hobbies as my daily work.
Over the past few years, I have been able to tick off some bucket-list items: shooting driven grouse — the pure adrenaline of the day with the biodiversity of the wildlife you can see up on the moor makes for the most amazing experience; and shooting partridges in Spain, which was everything and more that I had hoped it would be. Sadly, my father passed away before I could share any of these experiences with him.
Working within the shooting world – and with one of the country’s top instructors as a husband – people assume I must get out shooting a lot and be an A Grade shot – sadly not. I am more often found at my desk arranging other people’s shooting and trips, but this is something I am working hard to change.
The greatest gift my parents passed on to me was an appreciation for nature, a love of wildlife and the freedom to experience the natural environment. In today’s hectic and often superficial world, this is more important than ever.
It makes me exceptionally proud to see our daughter, Anna, taking such an interest in all aspects of the countryside. She absolutely loves shooting her .410 and is very capable of working our three cocker spaniels as well as wanting to learn how to fish. Long may it continue.