Windsor Castle at Risk from Professional Scrumpers

[cinrit]

It is among the very grandest of royal residences, with imposing turrets surrounded by breathtaking parks and farmland that is home to the Queen's pedigree cows, pigs and hens.

But now Windsor Castle, the monarch's preferred weekend home, is at risk from professional scrumpers thought to be stealing "industrial quantities" of fruit and vegetables from local allotments.

In the shadow of the castle, thieves have been breaking into private fruit patches and meticulously hand-picking thousands of gooseberries,strawberries, blackberries, redcurrants and runner beans.

Police have increased patrols of the area, lest the thieves target two working farms attached to the 16,000-acre royal estate next door.

As well as being a major tourist attraction, the Windsor estate - a royal residence since William Conqueror erected a castle in the 11th century - is home to the Queen's herds of 200 pedigree Jersey milking cows, her pedigree Sussex beef herd, 140 breeding sows and 1,500 Lohmann Brown hens, as well as 1,000 acres of arable land and 2,000 acres of grassland mainly used to feed the livestock.

More: Windsor Castle at risk from professional scrumpers - Telegraph

Cindy

[Macrobug]

Scrumpers?  So there is a name for those pests that steal my raspberries! 

Interesting article Cindy, thanks!

[cinrit]

You're welcome, MB.  This is the first time I've heard the word, too.  I hope they follow up on this story ... I'd love to know how the "scrumpers" are getting away with the theft of such large amounts of fruit.

Cindy

[SophieChloe]

Oh, scrumping - those were the days.   

[cinrit]

Okay, I googled the word.  According to the Urban Dictionary:

scrumping
Stealing fruit, especially apples, from someone else's trees. British. It's considered less bad than, say, shoplifting, but adults still disapprove.

Urban Dictionary: scrumping

When we were kids, my brother and my cousin scrumped some watermelons from a neighbor's field.  Is that the correct use of it?

Cindy