Simon Clode welcomes me into his office at the Westley Richards & Company factory in Birmingham, England, the heartland of British manufacturing. We have spoken over the phone, but haven’t met. Simon, the company’s managing director, wears his sleeves rolled up and his collar open. I imagine this classic, yet practical, appearance is a reflection of his personality. As a former commercial diver for the oil industry, now heading up this gunmaking firm, Simon has experienced many varied professional challenges.

We start our conversation, and I begin to appreciate Simon’s philosophy on sporting arms, hunting, and life—“the best or not at all.” From the guns to the shop and staff to the apparel, each element of Westley Richards & Co. is founded on field experience. Significantly, Simon’s beliefs dovetail precisely with the firm’s original founder William Westley Richards’s mantra: “To be the maker of as good a gun as can be made.” Simon tells me he encourages his staff to leave the shop and hunt, often. “Otherwise, they can’t possibly appreciate what is required by our clients,” he says. Westley Richards makes some of the most ornate guns in the world, yet the firm develops each gun for field use rather than the display cabinet.

Bird Camp is an eagerly anticipated annual pilgrimage, now in its ninth year. The players have remained the same, except for Brian Fay (the Counselor), who dropped out after the fourth year. New invitees are carefully scrutinized and sworn to secrecy before being brought into the Secret Spot Bird Camp (SSBC) fold. Only two others from the original core group have been inducted and the idea of ritualistic ceremony likened to fraternity pledging is under consideration. I’m known as Sparky and received the moniker Walking Dale the second year of Bird Camp, as I tend to cover large expanses of ground. (I’ve slowed down somewhat in the last 5 years.) The main characters are the dogs, of which there are seven—a combo of setters and pointers and a black Lab.

All SSBC crewmembers are serious dawg men and wild-bird hunters (not in the sense of being wild, although all were in their youth). Each is an adequate shot (except yours truly) and only shoots pointed birds or birds obviously worked by flushing dogs. All birds are religiously cleaned and packaged or consumed in camp. We adhere to limits and game laws and support conservation efforts like Pheasants Forever, Ruffed Grouse Society, and Quail Forever. We enjoy post-hunt beers and a dram or two of whiskey once the guns are cased and stowed. We prefer red wines over whites, except when fish, quail, or chukar is served. We enjoy pranks and good, politically incorrect, gut-busting (occasionally raunchy) jokes. All SSBC attendees assume camp duties, roll up their sleeves, and willingly dive into chores like washing dishes, fetching water, cleaning, gathering firewood, and dressing birds. Cooking is the Reverend’s domain, and one would be wise to tread lightly when he’s working in the kitchen.

Founded by John Barbour in 1894, the renowned British apparel manufacturer Barbour originally supplied oilskins and other garments to protect the growing community of sailors, fishermen, and dockworkers in northeast England. The founder understood the needs of country folk who loved hunting and those of farmers, shepherds, and fishermen, too.

At that time, commercial fishermen in particular were burdened with poorly constructed and ill-fitting jackets, typically coated in tar and fish oils to repel the elements. Barbour offered a softer and more comfortable alternative that provided similar utility, but with added longevity.

In 1912, John’s sons, Malcolm and Jack, joined the business as managing directors, changing the company’s name to J Barbour & Sons Ltd., and producing the company’s first mail-order catalog. By 1917, Barbour was sending this catalog around the world, resulting in sales as far afield as South America, Asia, and Africa. Within 10 years of its introduction, the catalog was responsible for 75 percent of Barbour’s revenues.