THIS chef, at Glasgow's Central Hotel, had no need to grouse in 1928 when he received the first game birds of that August's shooting season.

And spare a thought for the delivery man. He'd ridden all the way from the Ardoch, near Gleneagles, to bring the birds to Glasgow. That's over 50 miles. And this was before the M80 was built, meaning he had to ride his Royal Enfield through every village and town en-route.

It wasn't just Glasgow the birds were rushed to. Across Scotland, the birds were loaded on to fast trains to London, meaning the clubmen of the metropolis who hadn't headed north to the moors, could breakfast on grouse and claret to mark the opening of the season.

Me? I prefer chicken and chips, or I dial out for a pizza.