Dear Michael, In replying to your hostile "e"mail, I assume you must be a New wave "SOCIALIST" politician - to talk of a free country whilst simultaneously trying to repress our club's freedom of speech by attacking the club's right to advertise! The repressive legislation of the "New" Socialists is remarkably similar to that of their predecessors the "National" Socialists, Hitler banned hunting with dogs, was voted in "democratically" and then adjusted the political parameters so that even if the majority voted against him his party still "democratically" ruled. Sound familiar?

One objective of The Lurcher & Tumbler welfare and Breed Club is to inform and educate the general public about the true history and traditionally oral knowledge handed down about stealth poaching dogs, which is conspicuously absent from editorial articles (rendering them more amusing than informative). We advertise out of respect for the readership of magazines in order to inform and educate - not to sell specific litters of puppies. Part of informing is to advise about which litters are genuine and bred correctly (other than Jeff's) and differentiate them from the numerous imitations and fakes. If, you yourself found our website via our advertisement when you clearly were not looking to buy a lurcher puppy, but you have now read some of Jeff's knowledgeable articles that you otherwise might not have done - proves my point.

You may have successfully ridiculed some of these fakes (or liars as you call them) into obscurity, but intimidation is like water off a ducks back - because Jeff's back is well oiled with the truth. That is what makes him different, since you ask! He kept these strains before the lurcher popularity boom (in the 1970's) and inherited the oral traditional knowledge of them along with the unique blend of bloodlines. He is hardly likely to forsake, what his ancestors kept under threat of execution, eyes put out, amputation of limbs or transportation to Australia (not first class!) for mere possession of a lurcher.

Those who are not jealous respect that, and the club formed from people wishing to relieve the burden of perpetuating the bloodlines from one mans shoulders, especially as Jeff's children are dead before him leaving nobody to pass the knowledge on to in the traditional oral way. Jeff. is struggling to get it put down in a book for posterity and is sharing snippets with us in his articles meanwhile because his clinical depression means he can't always function properly. He suffered eleven major traumas within a couple of years including the separate deaths of both his sons, (one six years and one twenty-two) the death of his father and his mother has been seriously ill ever since, needing constant care. . Which explains why he can no longer suffer fools gladly!

However, it's his love of his dogs that keeps him going and through the club he is able to share that knowledge with a wider public. Advertising is just a part (as is the website - thanks to Josie) of that process. It is Jeff's self healing therapy! Take that away and he would have no reason to carry on.

"You only have power over people as long as you don't take everything away from them. But, when you've robbed a man of everything he's no longer in your power - he's free again." (ALEXANDER SOLZHENITSYN).

Jeff says he is glad that you are shocked by the realization that a missed placed vote could result in more ill-conceived legislation leading to the deaths of more children from Asthma and other causes. It was intended as a wake up call. He does not use that analogy lightly - having suffered his own sons' deaths in circumstances that could have been avoided in a better-administered society.

I can't see why you have such a problem with Jeff's point of view being expressed, especially if as you say you are an advocate of a free country with free speech? I suggest you compare Jeff's honest approach with some other so called lurcher forum websites, edited by people so dishonest that they all hide behind false names (like paedophiles do!). Malcolm Smith.