Born and raised in a South Yorkshire mining village, it seemed all too likely that Richard Hines would follow in his father's footsteps and end up working in the pits, especially when he failed the eleven plus - unlike his older brother Barry, who seemed to be heading for great things. Crushed by this, and persecuted by the cruelty of his teachers, Richard spent his time in the fields and meadows just beyond the colliery slag heap. One morning he came across a nest of kestrels; instantly captivated, he eventually learned to train his own, Kes, using books from the local library. His experiences inspired Barry's classic novel, A KESTREL FOR A KNAVE. And when production began on the film KES, Richard found himself training the birds that would soar on screen and into cinematic history...