They will always meet at eleven - Jim Meads

Jim Meads is, as Prince Charles implies in his foreword, something of a phenomenon in the hunting field. Imagine running after hounds for 42 years with your camera and you'll still not get close to the depth of understanding this man has for the sport.This compilation of over 150 of his best recent pictures show hunting highlights over the last few years and declare more clearly than any words that in England, Scotland, Ireland, France, Canada, USA - and his beloved Wales - hunting is alive and well. Of course the pictures do much more than that. The contrasting packs, quarries, countries and climates; his mixture of thrusters and pony club, miners and establishment, the characters and chatterers; his wonderful shots of hounds in full cry, some frightening fence and ghastly falls . . . but above all the atmosphere and excitement of our oldest country sport - all are moments frozen through the lens of the running photographer and described by a man who has seen it all.And one does not see him snapping away at random - each photograph is though about for composition, background and action. "I consider myself self taught, " says Jim, "but I have always made a point of never making the same mistake twice!"Published with the additional attraction of John King's drawings, They Will Always Meet at Eleven makes you itch to leap into the saddle or remember times gone by.