90 years young ‘ A Grasmere Lad’

This weekend we celebrate the 90th birthday of the ‘rat catcher’ as he was affectionately called as his job was pest control officer for south Lakeland, Ken Bunting , Grasmere born and bred, lived in the same house all his life. life member of the HTA and permanent fixture for the RAOB ( order of buffaloes) will this weekend reach a milestone – 90 years young and still looking after his allotment , scouting the fell for the Grasmere trails. He might be hard of hearing but with a shock of white hair looks years younger–the secret, who knows?
For years he promoted Grasmere sports and was the official timekeeper with a splendid stopwatch which only he could decipher.
His love of gardening culminates in bag of green beans on my doorstep each autumn.
His other passion is trailing . a life member, an executive member,35 years on the area Committee.
Hounds with the moniker ‘Birk’ ,owned by messrs Bunting and Brownrigg were common in the seventies and he has also had a long association with Pat and Jane Laidler, and Denis Peare.
Uncle Ken as Jane refers has been a postman, and was in the Royal Navy , the question was asked did his job have anything to do with the flags of the navy, why ? ‘Bunting”ouch’!
90 year old and still walking up the path towards the ‘pig snout’ to watch the hounds, mobile phone in pocket. We resorted to using a radio and it was a common sound on the Grasmere trail field to here ‘ come in Ken, are you receiving , no reply , why? he couldn’t hear it and it is no different with the phone . As Ken says this phone is useless , cant hear a ‘bloody thing’ as it rang deep down in his mac pocket.
In his younger days along with his schoolmates, the late Tommy Graves and Ike Dixon; he played football for Grasmere, the pitch being the Grasmere sports field.
His sister Joy keeps a watchful eye on Ken , making sure he doesn’t drink to much Guinness and has a regular meal.
He still gets about in his beloved car but would rather have a lift , the car being a regular on the 591 roadside as he hails a passing ‘taxi’ to either the trails or the meetings.
That is just a small summary of ‘Bunts’ life which will be celebrated at the ‘Buffs’ club Grasmere on Sunday Afternoon.
Happy Birthday Ken from all hound trailers , friends and family and – only ten more to the telegram.