Affiliation: Action Against Foxhunting
Location: Near Penzance, Cornwall
Failed petitioner
As the coordinator of the Cornish branch of the anti-hunt group Action Against Foxhunting, Deborah Hall set up a petition in 2021 calling for Cornwall Council to ban trail hunt meets on council owned and public land.
The petition came under a lot of criticism for being “anti-rural”. It was also noted that, despite being a local issue, many of the signatories were not from Cornwall, with some residing as far away as South Africa.
Within the council there was cross-party support for trail hunting to continue from Conservative, Independent and Mebyon Kernow councillors.
Hall’s petition was ultimately quashed, with the leader of the council Linda Taylor stating that it was up to “council farm tenants to decide whether or not to allow trail hunting on land within their agricultural holding” – a significant victory for rural people to make their own decisions as to what happens to the land where they live and work.
Offending road signs
This was not the last time Hall had a bone to pick with the local council. In September 2022 Hall led a campaign against a new street sign in Madron, Cornwall, which reads ‘Tally Ho’. It had been installed after complaints from residents of the lane that delivery drivers kept missing them due to lack of signage.
However, Hall and her acolytes took great offence at the sign. They claimed that as the phrase “tally ho” has historically been used as a cry by the huntsman to his hounds, the decision by the council to install the sign was “insensitive” and “heartless” to those who had been adversely affected by hunting.
Very unfortunately in the village in question, a cat was killed by hounds from a local hunt when they were out on a walk off-lead a year prior.
The hunt master was fined for being in charge of the pack when the cat was killed, but magistrates cleared him of the charge of criminal damage, concluding he did not act recklessly and could not foresee what ended up happening.
Hall (left) posing with the offending street sign.
Hall complained that the sign “glorified” and “honoured” hunts and made an official complaint to the council, demanding that the sign be removed and the road renamed – never mind the fact that the sign was a logistical necessity for the road’s residents.
According to Cornwall Live, the council responded that the lane has been known as Tally Ho since at least 2009. The council rightly pointed out, “If we were to change the name of every nameplate because it might offend someone, we would have to change a lot of road/place names all over Cornwall”.
Hates the King
Hunting isn’t the only British tradition Hall hates. She also has some very choice things to say about the monarchy.
According to Hall, the royal family is made up of “corrupt leeches” and “parasites”, while her fellow citizens who enjoy the benefits brought by the monarchy are “pathetic serfs” and “dopey sycophants”.
