Overview

A pair of kestrels flying around an old church tower in the dappled evening sunshine mesmerised the young Gary Cope. The sights and sounds of those magical birds of prey sowed a seed that became a dream: to become a professional falconer. Determination, luck, enthusiasm, dedication. love of birds all played their part in his journey to achieve his goal. One could say that he achieved that goal when he became the resident falconer at Sudeley Castle in Gloucestershire, once home to King Henry VIII's sixth wife, Catherine Parr. Under the patronage of Lord Ashcombe, Sudeley's more recent owner, Gary's skills and experience took flight. Of course there were the thrilling flying displays (that sometimes went awry), the partridge hawking over the fields around Sudeley and flying falcons at grouse on the wild Yorkshire moors (complete with al fresco find dining). Then there was the business of breeding birds of prey which was totally new territory but attracted interest from a member of the Saudi royal family. And so, at the flip of an errant wing, Gary Cope found himself in the employ of HRH Prince Khalid ibn Abdullah al Saud as Royal Professional Falconer. Indeed, from flying a kestrel as a knave, he flew falcons for a Prince. But that wasn't quite the end.Time to Fly maybe the memoirs of Gary Cope, Professional Falconer but his story reads more like a novel than a dry account. This is the tale of his journey to achieve his dream but it's far more than that. It's also about the peaks and troughs of life, about people and relationships, failure and success, dark dramas and comic events. Herein lie a multitude of cameos, strung together like pearls on a necklace. Or should that be - like the feathers of a falcon's wing, each with its individual style and form, contributing to a thing of beauty and power? Perhaps.

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9781500890056

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