Bruce,
In my experience, the folks in the UK are much more familiar with game on the table than we folks here in the US. You can still buy wild game at the butcher shop on that side of the water. We took a batch of widgeon into Aberdeen (Scotland) once and sold them to an actual wild game dealer. We'd shot them the last evening we were there and just didn't have the opportunity to get them into better hands.
Peter,
I was particularly interested in decoying the plover when I went over the first time. I went so far as to have a dozen decoys carved to take along and a friend from Malta sent both my English friend and I some calls they use down there. After a bit of practice I had the plover working right in to the whistle and made a couple of nice bags.
Here's a pic of my gear after my best afternoon:
What sort of decoys do you use? My English friend has some SportPlast Brand ones from Italy that look pretty good though they aren't vintage style by any means. If I was going again I'd get another dozen whittled up. I tried just my dozen at first and did have shooting but when I put both rigs out together I really got them coming in.
Regards,
Destry