A talk by Lionel Shaw

Wednesday 12th October 2016 saw  our monthly meeting host a most interesting talk by local farmer Lionel Shaw whose family have, as tenant farmers of the crown estate, farmed Bradgers Hill and surrounding land for 150 years.

To a packed audience of 34, Lionel talked us through his family history, anecdotes and the farmers year.

We heard how beer used to be kept in the farmhouse cellar to be given to the many farm hands during the working day and how that same cellar was used as an air raid shelter for one night only during the second world war before the family quickly decided to take their future chances in their own beds! We heard how the farm once grew potatoes with boys from the local grammar school helping to bring in the crop. There was a chuckle from the audience as it learned how Lionel now buys his potatoes from the local supermarket like everyone else, as the economics of farming have forced different crops to be grown.

From the difficulties of Flea Beetle affecting the oil seed rape crop and the use of human sewage on the land to the tale of the kitten in the well and the ghost in the farmhouse, Lionel kept his audience entertained.

The talk was due to last from 19:00 to 19:45 with the rest of the evening being used for committee business but such was the interest from group members and public alike, Lionel was encouraged to talk for the full hour and a half!

We’ll be putting some slides from Lionel’s talk on the website in due course.

We would like to thank Lionel Shaw for agreeing to come to our meeting and to talk to us and share his thoughts and recollections and we wish him every happiness in his upcoming marriage to Caroline.