Two farming stalwarts who between them notched up a total of 122 years working for two farming families have been honoured for their exceptional service.
Clive Watling, of Naunton Hall Farms, and Ron Backhouse, of RH & R Paul, were awarded their Class 3 Long Service Awards at the Suffolk Show for completing more than 60 years of service with the same business.
After an extraordinary farm career lasting 62 years, Clive Watling finally hung up his toolbag in 2021.
With the return of the Suffolk Show, the 79-year-old from Eyke, near Woodbridge, has now been honoured for his remarkable effort.
Clive, of Naunton Hall Farms, Rendlesham, was among a large crop of long-servers to be awarded a Long Service certificate by this year’s show president, David Barker. Many awards were delayed as a result of the two show cancellations in 2020 and 2021, but a total of 44 individuals – most of whom were there in person – were lauded for their loyalty, steadfastness and hard work. The ceremony was compered by Suffolk Agricultural Association’s Chris Clarke.
Clive worked on a 2,000-acre farm near Woodbridge since the 1960s on land owned by Sir Charles, then Sir William and finally Sir Michael Bunbury. Since the mid-1990s, following a reorganisation, he worked for the Bunburys’ contract farming neighbour, Philip Westrope, a vegetable grower specialising in crops such as potatoes, onions and carrots.
Sir Michael described Clive as a “through and through Suffolk local boy”. “He’s a real stalwart and if something went wrong in the middle of the night you could contact him and he would be there,” he said. “On the farm, he would turn himself to anything.”
A skilled tractor and combine driver, he went on to become a foreman and manager at the farm. Over the years, he performed many practical tasks on the farm, he said, and his only son,
Alistair, has continued in the family tradition and also works on the farm.
Now a great-grandfather, Clive joined at the age of 16 and later got hitched to Carolyn. He carried on working until he was 78.
“I always enjoyed my work. I never really developed any serious hobbies. I think my work was my hobby,” he explained.
“My father worked on another farm in the village and he had a long service award a long, long time ago – as did my brother.”
At one time, Clive hankered after a career in the army, but he stayed on the farm. “That would have given me a different perspective on life completely,” he said. But vegetable growing involved meeting a lot of people, he added, and that was interesting.
He enjoyed receiving the accolade at the show, he said. “It’s nice to know you are appreciated in certain areas, isn’t it? They talk about the loyalty from employees but it’s a two-way thing.
Your employer is usually loyal as well. The two things go together.”
He had been lucky in having “excellent” employers, he said. “You could always talk to them and communicate with them,” he said.
Ron Backhouse followed his father and grandfather, joining the Paul family on the Broxtead Estate at Sutton, near Woodbridge, in 1959 at the age of 15. He started out with livestock with shepherding and sheep shearing but later moved to the arable side of the business. He married Freda, and was also a keen cricketer, playing for the local Sutton and Bawdsey team.
He was delighted at his award and described the day as “brilliant”.
“The atmosphere and all the people here – it’s a lovely day to go with it,” he said.
He greatly enjoyed his working life on the farm, he added. “I love it,” he said. “I would do it all again.”
He enjoyed the company and also being outdoors, he said. He had been blessed with “a good family, good managers and good company”, he said. “I suppose I was just lucky to land on a farm that’s kept going,” he added.
One of his sons, Stuart, joined him on the farm, and has worked there since 1988.
Freda said: “He’s still going strong. He had two years off because he had a bad hip but he’s had his hip done and after the six weeks you have got to have (recuperating) there was no stopping him.”
“He’s meant to have retired,” said AJ Paul. “He’s still working.”
President David Barker said the awards this year had been “absolutely wonderful”. “It’s amazing how many people keep coming forward. The encouraging thing is we continue to get these large numbers of people who have worked on the one farm for 30 or more years. It says a lot about the people and the farms they work on.”
Long Service Class 2 awards for farm workers who have completed 50 years of service for the same business were awarded to five individuals over the two days of the show.
On the first day, tractor driver and agricultural worker Terry Allen, of Upton Suffolk Farms, farm maintenance worker and builder Stephen Avory of Frederick Hiam and farm foreman George Lord of Cooper Bros (Great Oakley) received their award.
Tom Pask, farm manager at Frederick Hiam praised Stephen Avory, who has worked across all areas of the business including the farms, factory and the residential properties. “Stephen has passed a huge amount of his knowledge, skill and experience down to the many who have worked alongside him over the years,” he said.
Mark Cooper, of Cooper Bros, described George Lord as “a key man on the farm, able to turn his hand to any job that needed doing and embracing all the changes in farming that the last half-century has seen”.
On day two, it was the turn of fruit grower Doreen Knock, of Stoke Farm Orchards, and tractor driver and farm worker James Pryke, of R Partridge & Son, who has served 52 years.
David Upson, of Stoke Farm Orchards, said Doreen Knock was a linchpin, as well as “a source of inspiration and fun, especially at harvest time when she was in her element”. “
Her role over the years has changed from being a wonderful lady who worked within the orchard to a trusted member of the family,” he said.
Three special awards for outstanding services to agriculture were handed out over the two days.
They went to Jon Gardner, a former manager at Manns of Saxham, Dennis Dewsbury, former chairman of Nidera, and Harlow Agriculture grain buyer Phil Marsh.
Chris Chilvers, of Claas, described Jon Gardner as “one of those unique agricultural characters who will be difficult to replace”.
Class 1 Long Service Awards for farm workers who have completed more than 30 years of service were awarded to the following:
Day 1: Julian Hagger of David Black & Son (30 years), Oliver Johnson of Naunton Hall Farms (30), Jason Webb of David Black & Son (30), Richard Brunning of Elveden Farms (32), Rosemary Potter of David Black & Sons (32), Neil Roberts of PG Walker & Sons (32), Duncan Welham of David Black & Son (32), Andrew Last of David Black & Son (33), Andrew Beard of Juddmonte Farms (34), Robert Edginton of WA Church (Bures) (34), Michael Fincham of Elveden Farms (34), Nigel Grimes of Elveden Farms (34), Michael Wiseman of Elveden Farms (34), Anthony Branton of AW Fane Farms, (35), Ian Savage of MJ & JA Easey (40), Steven Scott of Frederick Hiam (40) and John Leggett of EJ Barker & Sons (44).
Day 2: Paul Griggs of Thurlow Estate Farms (32 years), Alan Banham of R & P Baker (33), Stephen Proctor of R & P Baker (33), Tony Chiddington of R & P Baker (34), John Mudd of RJ Nunn & Sons (37), Arnold Davey of GD Jewers & Son (38), Gerald Seeley of R & P Baker (38), Malcolm Ager of Thurlow Estate Farms (39), Mark Bamford of Thurlow Estate Farms (40), Paul Jolland of PE & EE Bayman (40), Lionel Hammond of Redham Farms (41), Trevor Clack of Home Farm (Nacton) (43), Tony Finlay of R & P Baker (44), John Page of Thurlow Estate Farms (46), Terry Alexander of Messrs E Hudson Baker (47) and Paul Atherton of Thurlow Estate Farms (48).
A handful of recipients named couldn’t be at the presentation.
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