Z1205/068

Male. Sheep Farmer. b.12.04.1944 Side A (00 mins)Upbringing in London. Only child. Mother died when he was young. Father died when he was 16. Lived with other members of family for much of the time. Disliked school. Didn't learn much. (05 mins)Childhood games in suburbia. Influence of Saturday morning cinema. "Cowboy and Indians" games. Freedom to play out all day, providing you arrived home by set time. (10 mins)More on influence of children's films. Junior School corporal punishments. (15 mins)Boys got caned; girls didn't. Left school at 15. Became trainee in bonus and cost dept. for building firm. (20 mins)Employer / union conflict of the period. Job developed into cost surveying in 1970s. Job in Luton. Became self-employed. (25 mins)Moved to Lidlington. Renovated derelict house. Bought adjoining land. Both former property on Duke of Bedford's estate. Estate / community relations. (30 mins)Wartime evacuation to country developed his love of rural life. End of Side A Side B (00 mins)Childhood experience of mixed farming. While running painting firm in Beds., bought up land and began farming. Ended up specialising in sheep and veal production. (05 mins)Supermarket control of meat market. Took courses at Aylesbury Agricultural College. Son took over painting firm and enabled father to concentrate on farming. (10 mins)Agriculture used to be regarded as a national treasure. Government assistance to encourage farming. All now gone. Agricultural industry has gone through inevitable change. Probably the last of the old industries to have to come to terms with decline. With fewer workers on farms, less personal contact of rural population with agriculture. (15 mins)Farmers were once important section of rural community. Outline of changes in farming throughout twentieth century. Balance of bought and rented land. (20 mins)Current lamb production. Changes in village of Lidlington. (25 mins)Air pollution caused by brick chimneys. Nearest brickyards now gone. Effects of closure on village. Former brickworkers not interested in farm work. No future in farming in Marston Vale. (30 mins)Once there were 3000 sheep in Lidlington parish; now 300. Sees the future as being the community forest and leisure pursuits. Farming will be land management, rather than food production. End of interview Original interview 60 mins

16 November 2001

From: 1940 To: 2001

item

sheep dealer, farmer, schoolmaster, games, cinema, punishment, evacuees, World War Two, supermarkets, AGRICULTURE, painting, pollution, chimneys, Leisure, food production, forests, London, LUTON, LIDLINGTON, Aylesbury