5 Things to do in the British countryside
The one reaction that all our clients share, no matter what they’re planning or how long they’re planning to come to the British countryside for, is absolute surprise at the huge choice of things to do when they’re here.
When I launched Humphreys, I was very proud to launch it with 12 experiences. Nine years down the line, we can now offer you in excess of 200 experiences across the British countryside. We have sourced amazing experiences that feed the passions and interests of everyone that has come to us for help.
You’ll be pleased to hear that I’m not going to talk through all 200. I will happily do that on the telephone with you or on a Zoom call. I just wanted to share five of our favourites. Some of them are new, some of them we’ve been doing right from the start.
We’re constantly adding to the portfolio of experiences to ensure that when you pick up the telephone and call Humphreys and you want to create a memorable day or week or so in the British countryside, we know we’ve got something that you will really love and really enjoy.
I’m just going to share with you five experiences. Some are new and some have been there from the very start.
Clay Shooting
One of our favourites (because it’s one of our clients’ favourites) is clay shooting. Clay shooting is available throughout the year, and one of the great things about clay shooting is you can make it as simple or as full an experience as you choose; from a simple hour-long lesson onsite at one of the clay shooting estates.
Alternatively, you can have exclusive use of one of our favourite private estates in the heart of the countryside with expert tuition, all of the amazing equipment and so on. By the end of your clay shooting experience, you’ll either have fine-tuned your skills or started your journey to becoming a fine marksman or woman. It’s so popular and it’s understandable why when you can achieve so much in a short time.
Sniper
Along the same lines, but slightly different, we have recently started working with the best sniper instructor in the country. Having spent time with him and learnt his incredible story, we know you’re in safe hands. He started in the military and is now British sniper champion – for the 4th time. So he really knows his stuff. Imagine Roger Federer teaching you to play tennis – you really are with the absolute best.
Now, the shooting experience is very different from clays. You will be aiming for targets as you progress throughout the day, which are over a mile away in distance. Again, if you are with a group of friends or a family group, there’s nothing like a good bit of healthy competition to enjoy along the way. Obviously in true Humphrey style, you will have your personal butler there throughout the day making sure that teas, coffees and food are in plentiful supplies. You’ll have a glorious day.
Gin Distillery
You may be aware of the growth of gin distilleries across the country. Some of these distilleries are incredibly creative in the way that they help us understand the history of gin, how it is made, how to create all of the different flavours.
It’s not just turning up and having a bit of a tour around the distillery. Some of our partners, namely the Henley Distillery, create a fantastic experience where you start with the base liquid and you choose from over a hundred botanicals to create your signature gin. You have your recipe card to take away and that gin recipe is yours for life. If you call the Henley Distillery amongst others, they will even make your gin for you, so you don’t have to just restrict yourself to the one bottle. It’s a wonderful experience working with a master distiller.
Frances Siegelman Sculptor
Somebody we’ve met in the last 18 months and we are really enjoying working with, is Frances Siegelman, who is the most extraordinarily talented and very well recognized sculptor.
Frances has worked with most of the members of the Royal Family. She originally met Prince Philip when they both were doing a lot of work for children’s charities. Prince Philip commissioned her and she did such an incredible job that Frances was soon commissioned by our dear late Queen Elizabeth II, King Charles, the Duke of Wessex, and many other members of the Royal Family and some well-known celebrities such as Tom Jones, et cetera.
Frances is a master of her art, and she’s a truly inspirational individual to meet. It’s fascinating to sit and listen to her stories, how she goes through the whole creation and moulding process, how she helps her subjects so she can bring out the best in them in the sculpture.
Spending time with Frances is a delight and she will even treat you to a sculpture masterclass, if that’s of interest. Alternatively, she will happily spend time with you talking through and showing you her various sculptures. Most of this will happen on the amazing location just down from Tower Bridge in London. It’s a stunning site and is something really very special.
Country Estates
Finally, if you enjoy spending time in the wonderful outdoors and really understanding what life is like on one of our beautiful countryside estates, we can do just that for you. You can choose off-roading, which the farmers and estate owners all do on a regular basis. It’s perhaps a bit more managed and controlled but is lots of fun. Obviously, the clay shooting and rifle shooting and falconry is a real favourite.
Alternatively, you can just explore the gardens and the grounds and a private tour of the stately home that you’re visiting. We can certainly offer you a fabulous choice of your favourites. But the key to enjoying it is that we will enable you to do the authentic experiences in the heart of the British countryside.
As I say, we’ve got over 200 experiences that we will happily talk to you about, and I hope you have enjoyed our short selection of five of our favourites.