MEMBERS PAGE

From Register Office .......... 18/6/2010

About Ian Dando - BTMR Molecatcher of the Year

To read the full article        Click Here

From Register Office .......... 18/6/2010

BBC National TV - Breakfast Programme

Item each hour from 6.00am - 9.00am  Tuesday 15th June 2010

From Register Office .......... 14/6/2010

To read the full article        Click Here

From Register Office .......... 14/6/2010

Telegraph - 13th June 2010

To read the full article          Click Here

From Register Office .......... 13/6/2010

Independent On Sunday quotes the BTMR - 13th June 2010.

To read the full article ....   Click Here

From Register Office .......... 6/6/2010

Click on the above to read the article
from the Daily Mail about Isaac

BTMR - 300th Member

From Register Office .......... 21/3/2010

The BTMR is pleased to welcome our 300th member  -  Mark Gilbert.

Mark lives in a village called Betchworth near Dorking in Surrey, he started mole catching about six years ago whilst working as a gardener, and it was more good luck than judgement in those days if he caught a mole.

But he persevered and got hooked on mole catching, and read just about everything he could on moles, and practiced at every opportunity given to him. 

After going on a Molecatching course he says he carried on learning as much as he could and then gradually it all started to fall into place, his success rate now is very high, catching most moles by the next day. He has now started a new business called “Surrey Mole Control”, catching moles professionally since December 2009 and his customers base is starting to grow and he is hoping to add lots more customers and contracts in the future.

Good luck to Mark and welcome.

Show Attendance

From Register Office .......... 20/3/2010

The BTMR is pleased to announce that the will be attending....

The Great Yorkshire Show     
Harrogate.
13th - 15th July
website ,,,  Click Here

The CLA Game Fair
Ragley Hall, Warwickshire
23rd 24th 25th July,
as guests of the UCSW.
website ,,,  Click Here

The BTMR will offer a very warm welcome to all members onto the stand which is there to represent them and their interests and give the oppertunity for all to meet up for a chat.

There will also  be BTMR displays at the following local shows.

South Yorkshire Charity Ploughing match
Lindholme, nr Doncaster
27th/28th March.

Crowle Show
27th June,

Auckley Show,
14th August,
www.auckleyshow.co.uk

Epworth Show
30th August,

Festival of the Plough
19th Sept.

From Register Office .......... 7/2/2010

Interesting unusual coverage for Molecatchers !!

Were any of our members involved? - we know if they had been it would have been good value for money and an efficient service even although the MP should not have put it on his expenses !!

Click here to see detail....

From Register Office .......... 8/12/09

Interesting article from BBC news

Click Here

BTMR Founder Brian Alderton
with the BTMR Molecatcher of the YearTrophy and Whiskey

Ian Dando and his dogs
BTMR Molecatcher of the Year
2009

 Message from BTMR Founder - Brian - about the BTMR Molecatcher of the Year Award

BTMR
Molecatcher
of the
Year
Trophy

Trophy and large bottle of whiskey presented to Ian
at the Training course lunch
in  Eastleach Torvilla in Gloucestershire
7th November 2009

Click to enlarge

To see full Press Release
on
BTMR
Molecatcher of the Year
Click Here

Country Landowners Association Game Fair

Belvoir Castle, Grantham, Leicestershire
Friday 24th - Sunday 26th July 2009

From Register Office .......... 6/6/09

Country Landowners Association Game Fair

Belvoir Castle, Grantham, Leicestershire
Friday 24th - Sunday 26th July 2009

The British Traditional Molecatchers Register is proud to be a trade member of the UCSW and support it at the 2009 CLA Game Fair by contributing to the display within the UCSW Marquee. 

The BTMR will be exhibiting an informative display including a collection of  molecatching  traps and associated items, old, new and some unusual!

The display will be staffed by professional molecatchers and members of the BTMR, who will be on hand to answer questions about any aspects of molecatching and mole related problems.

The staff  look forward to being able to promote the ancient craft of molecatching and help people who may have a problem with moles by putting them in touch with their local traditional molecatcher,  They also hope to to recruit new members, to publicise their training programme and to meet up with old and new members of the BTMR

. If you have any old or interesting molecatching equipment we would be delighted to see! Bring it with you please.

This is where members of the British Traditional Molecatchers Register and our Customers have the oppertunity to:-

Hear about our members and their stories.
Network with other Molecatchers.
Exchange views and opinions about current Molecatching life.
Enjoy exchanging experiences both serious and light-hearted.
Encourage and develop good practice

Please note the Telephone number for BTMR has recently changed.

If you are a member and would like the new number for your records or to get hold of us urgently please email and we will be delighted to let you have it.

email telno@britishmolecatchers.co.uk

For security reasons we decided not to publish it on the website.

And
Discounts and Offers on Approved Products for Members
Click the button below

Please email any contributions for you may have for consideration for inclusion on this page to......

webmaster@britishmolecatchers.co.uk

Scroll down to see who's saying what and to whom !!!

Have you any pictures of Molehills in unexpected places - check out our fun "Well Well Well" Page
Click Here

The Albino Mole Phenomena
Click Here

Members Web Car Sticker Now Available
Click Here

From Register Office .......... 7/7/09

Proud News - BTMR gets Lantra accreditation for Training.

The BTMR is pleased to announce that its training courses have now been accredited by Lantra. The Sector Skills Council for environmental and landbased industries

BTMR courses success will now bestow recognised Lantra Trained Status upon individual attendees.

The courses will still follow the same format as all previous courses, but will also offer a Lantra certificate as well the  present BTMR certificate!  For all course attendees.

The Lantra certificate cost (£17.50) is included in our course fee

These courses will start in November, but any course attendee before that date can also acquire a Lantra certificate for a small extra fee. Those who also wish to have a Lantra ID Card also can acquire this at and additional cost of £40.00.

Congratulations to all at the BTMR who have worked so hard to bring this about!

From Register Office .......... 7/7/09

Trap collector Lee Newman has contacted the BTMR with the following request.

Old animal traps wanted, for historical research project and private collection. Please contact Lee at

oldtrapcollector@hotmail.com

DIRECTORY
OF
BRITISH TRADITIONAL MOLECATCHERS

For the first time ever the
public can now easily find a molecatcher in their area.
The BTMR is proud to have achieved a national directory in just over one year of existence.

If you know of a Traditional Molecatcher who is
not a member of the BTMR
please let them know
that they too can be in the directory by
joining the BTMR.

Click the button below and select
which country - England, Scotland or Wales.

Members
Forum
Click Button Below

From Register Office .......... 5/10/09

The September winner is again Ian from Gloucestershire.

MOLECATCHER OF THE MONTH

September 2009

Ian Dando
from Gloucestershire

From Register Office .......... 13/9/09

The August winner is Andy West from Somerset.

MOLECATCHER OF THE MONTH

August 2009

Andy West
from Somerset

From Register Office .......... 5/6/09, 5/7/09 & 5/8/09

The June and July winner is again Ian from Gloucestershire.

MOLECATCHER OF THE MONTH

May, June and July 2009

Ian Dando
from Gloucestershire

From Register Office .......... 8/5/09

The April winner is Andy West from Somerset.

MOLECATCHER OF THE MONTH

April 2009

Andy West
from Somerset

From Register Office .......... 6/4/09

The March winner is again Ian from Gloucestershire.

MOLECATCHER OF THE MONTH

March 2009

Ian Dando
from Gloucestershire

From Register Office .......... 10/3/09

Again this year, after a recent course Simon Bollons  (one of our Trainers) presented the BTMR with a magnificent 2nd Birthday cake baked especially for the occasion by his wife Janet.

Click the picture to enlarge and appreciate the wonderful detailed work that went into the cake - again a fabulous and delicious creation !! Thank you Janet.

In celebrating the completion of the BTMR's  second year Brian, our revered founder, noted that we now had more members than ever with recruitment increasing by the week - more record levels of customers, a very full and heavily subscribed training programme and now well over 3500 visits to our website per month from the public looking for a Traditional Molecatcher

Celebratory drinks

Here to our next busy year !!

Brian cut the Cake

From Register Office .......... 4/3/09

The February winner is Andy West from Somerset

I am 43 and was made redundant a couple of years ago, after being a Store Manager with the Somerfield Group for 18 years, By chance I took a Pest Control Franchise with Paul Wilkinson of PestForce in Lincolnshire (lincolnshiremolecatcher) I spent four months learning the ways of the mole catcher and was hooked from the first time I caught my first mole, reading all available books and available materials through the internet thus coming across the BTMR. My business has been going from strength to strength and since the first week of January, I have been working seven days a week, and have been using the services of Jim Wright from Dorset for some of my larger jobs and my two boys Daniel and Kurt have been helping a weekends. The best part of  job, is all the thank you letters I receive after a good job done.

A very pleased

Andy West (118)
 

MOLECATCHER OF THE MONTH

February 2009

Andy West
from Somerset

From Register Office .......... 19/2/09

This week has seen an upsurge in Media interest in our activities with our own Founder Brian being interviewed on Yorkshire Radio and contacted for information by National TV companies.

Mole Patrol - one of our members in Wetherby was on Look North  -  the regional TV show last evening and we are aware that other members too are rising to media requests for information.

This is perhaps as a result of the snow now melting and many people noticing Mole activity.  Please do let the media in your area have information if they request it and be sure to tell them that wherever the moles appear the BTMR website can direct customers to one of our members who will help solve their problem.  Give out the web address at every oppertunity and keep your fellow Molecatchers - all over the country - busy !!

www.britishmolecatchers.co.uk  

From Member No. 100 Jerry Hall .......... 5/2/09

Dear all

I spent all day last Friday with a reporter and camera man from ITV Meridian television. They wanted a piece on "a day in the life of a traditional Molecatcher". The weather was very cold (just before snow) but we had a good day out and they told me they got some great film.

They met two of my customers who told of their battles with Mole and my success in catching them. We even filmed a Mole at work, heaving dirt, and caught one in a Talpex trap. My Jack Russell "Ozzey" was the star of the show!

I hope they will show it next week 6pm-6-30pm ITV Meridian.

Jerry Hal

From Register Office .......... 4/2/09

The January winner is again Ian from Gloucestershire.

MOLECATCHER OF THE MONTH

January 2009

Ian Dando
from Gloucestershire

From Register Office .......... 13/1/08

SO HOW DO I PRICE THIS JOB ???????

"I thought these 'hills might look good on our website?

Business is picking up nicely, thanks to your training course I now have a source of income.

Kind regards and all the best for the coming year"

Richard Towers - Severn Valley Mole Control

From Register Office .......... 9/12/08

The December winner is again Ian from Gloucestershire.

December 2008

Ian Dando
from Gloucestershire

From Register Office .......... 18/11/08

"I learned to catch moles from my granddad 40+ years ago, he was a head keeper on a large Derbyshire estate. After joining our family accountancy practice I decided several years' later when my dad died that I wanted to continue traditional rural skills and do what I wanted to do. As you know I now lay hedges and molecatching. I retain a no. of accounts clients who were with our family business. My mole work covers golf clubs, cricket and football grounds, schools, churches, farms, estates and private gardens, a real cross section which is what keeps the work interesting. It is all about people!"     Ian

OCTOBER 2008

Ian Dando
from Gloucestershire

From Register Office .......... 12/5/08

Our fame is spreading

From Register Office .......... 1/4/08

At one of our recent Training Courses (Click Here for Training Page) Simon Bollons  (one of our Trainers) presented the BTMR with a magnificent 1st Birthday cake baked especially for the occasion by his wife Janet.
Click the picture to enlarge and appreciate the Mole details - the cake was delicious !! Thank you Janet.

Shortly after the course Brian Alderton our founder could not resist the temptation to cut into it and with others thoroughly enjoyed the celebration.

From Webmaster .......... 27/2/08

We have our first lady Molecatcher Member
(is she the only full time professional Lady Traditional Molecatcher in the country??)

Message from Ann ..........

"The first professional  fulltime LADY mole catcher to be accredited on the BTMR.

I knew I would make history one day, just wasn’t sure how !

I was introduced by the BTMR to a farm near Lancaster and my results after 24 hours of laying traps are shown in the pictures on the left.

I caught my first mole 20 years ago on our farm and it accelerated from there, now with fantastic results. I use QUALITY scissor traps, supplied to me by John Dee Humane Traps from Exeter.

I am happy to take anyone out for the day moleing wanting to watch or to learn be a customer or moler. Im in Clitheroe, Lancashire. I am willing to travel to any moleing job and enjoy the challenge of new pastures.

I survived the teenage years with my 3 daughters and intend to spend their inheritance on mole traps but they aren’t impressed and nor are the moles, now I am laughing all the way to the next hill !"

It's our Birthday
Yes - one year old on 1st March
Click Here for our Birthday Draw

From Register Office .......... 21/2/08

Union of Country Sports Workers

The BTMR has joined as a Trade Member and would encourage members to join this organisation.

The UCSW recognise Molecatching as a Profession.

See their website click here

From Register Office Post.......... 20/2/08

Support from Thatched Owners Group,

"Good  Afternoon

We have never spoken before but for some time now we have been giving your details out to our members who have been experiencing problems with moles.

On our website we have an articles/library section that has a whole host of interesting and informative information. Would you have any articles about yourself and the association that we could feature within that section.

Our website is www.thatched-group.com its a bit old fashioned but I hope you find it of interest.

Kind regards

Tim New

Thatched Owners Group

01406 - 330007"

From Simon Bollons.... Feb 2008

So you think You've got a BIG Mole problem !!!!

January
2008
New Year Message
from our founder

FREE TRAP FROM FLAT PACK...... 28/12/07

All members of the BTMR can receive a free sample of The Flat Pack's British made tunnel mole traps by contacting them at sales@theflatpack.co.uk or telephoning 01756 770273, quoting your membership number. 

Samples are limited to one trap per member and the offer is until 28th February 2008. 

For further information about our products visit www.theflatpack.co.uk

See also details of Flat Pack on Approved Products Page

New Year Message from our Founder........26/12/07

CLICK HERE

From Webmaster .......... 20/12/07

Would you like to give your opinions and be paid for it.

Not just about Moles but about a wide range of topics.

BTMR Members and visitors to our website are invited to sign up for surveys from YouGov (a survey company which rewards you for your views)

See link opposite

  Click here to register with
YouGov UK

From Webmaster .......... 6/9/07

The following interesting email has been received by the BTMR and may interest Members.........

Dear British Molecatchers,

I would be very grateful if you could please forward the following piece of family history to a suitable 'history of molecatching' contact which you might know in the Woodhouse Eaves/Charnwood Forest area of Leicestershire, or provide me with their e-mail/telephone details.I am trying to trace the farm where my father stayed while working as a mole catcher in the area after the First World War

My father, Herbert Hampson, was born in 1901 and for one season, I believe some time between 1919 and 1922, worked as a professional molecatcher in Charnwood Forest. He went for a job at the local labour exchange at Belper, Derbyshire, and was offered one of two posts: butler/groom at a local big house, or molecatcher in Charnwood Forest. Being a countryman, he chose the latter.

He told me that he was employed by a man whose son was working as a mole catcher at Peak Forest, North Derbyshire. At that time, mole skin trousers and waist coats were very much in fashion, and a single pelt could fetch the premium price of 2s-6d (12.5p).

My father's employer arranged for him to be billeted at a farmhouse somewhere near Woodhouse Eaves. (Having read some molecatching history details, it could be that his accommodation was free of charge, indicating the importance that farmers placed on the role of the mole catcher).

As I recollect, he had a photograph of himself (or could it have been the farmer's son?) stood outside the farmhouse front door with a double-barrelled shotgun under his arm, and wearing britches and leggings. Sadly this picture has disappeared. But I do remember the door was overshadowed by ivy growing densely across the wall.

My father approached local farmers and offered his services to clear their land of moles. From what he said, there appeared to be heavy infestations in the area. As well as keeping all the moles caught for the valuable pelts, he charged the farmers 2d per mole killed.                

He was still using his old traps nearly 40 years later to catch moles in our garden. They were the traditional semi-circular wooden barrel design with curved wire spring triggered by a small forked peg. I remember he had the professional's disdain for placing the trap in the mole hill, insisting that it must be placed some distance away in the "run."

While in Charnwood Forest he came across an abandoned quarry from which very hard stone for the making of wet stones for sharpening knives, chisels etc had been produced. I think this was called Mount Sorrel stone, after the location in the Forest.

He only worked one season (presumably summer time?) as a mole catcher. He then became apprenticed as a motor mechanic. I suspect that one reason he did not continue to trap moles was that the price for the pelts declined as natural mole skin clothes went out of fashion.

I would be very grateful if you could suggest any way that I might be able to identify the farmhouse at Woodhouse Eaves, and trace descendants of the farmers my father may have worked for or locals he may have met.

yours sincerely

Peter Hampson

Anyone wishing to contact Peter can do so through the BTMR Webmaster

webmaster@britishmolecatchers.co.uk

From Register Office .......... 21/6/07

Our revered founder "Brian" is now back from his holiday and we are all back to attention standing by our beds ready for inspection !!

Emails to Brian will now be dealt with by him personally again and it's good to have him back.

Watch this space for more development action with BTMR

Keep sending in the Mole skins - see below.

..
From Register Office .......... 7/6/07

MOLE SKINS
Wanted for CASH 

Members of the British Traditional Molecatchers Register have been offered the oppertunity to sell Air Dried Mole Skins for cash.

Click on the link below to see the details for turning Mole Skins into Cash

Click here for the full details

From Register Office .......... 7/6/07

Our revered founder "Brian" will be on holiday until 20th June.  As he gets numerous emails for him personally from members each week he would like members to know there will be a delay in him replying personally. 

Emails from members of the public and those of a general nature for the Register will of course be read and deal with by others at the Register Office.

From Register Office .......... 18/5/07

IMPORTANT ADMINISTRATION MESSAGE

Will all members receiving jobs via e-mails please confirm that they can do the work…Also could members who are going on holiday please inform the register so we can tell your potential customers.
email - holidays@britishmolecatchers.co.uk

From Webmaster .......... 1/5/07

The BTMR are very pleased to announce a tie up with the NFU for public liability insurance - this is been provided at very competitive rates  for our members.

Members can obviously make large savings with this offer and it is yet another benefit which BTMR Members can exclusively enjoy.

Click on the NFU Logo opposite to see further detail

Click on the Logo

From Andy Walbridge .......... 10/3/07

"Labour of Moles"

Great - satisfying picture of a successful days activity !!!

From Webmaster .......... 21/2/07

STRYCHNINE

Article in Telegraph -  - click on link right.

To read the article

 Click here

Have you any pictures of Molehills in unexpected places - check out our fun "Well Well Well" Page
Click Here