Shuttleworth College Association Newsletter

The Shuttleworth College Association Newsletter Summer 2013

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Chairman’s report Editor’s report Reunion 2014 Information Reunion Booking Form Reunion Accommodation Information Bedfordshire Steam & Country Fayre 2013 Draft AGM Minutes SCA Committee & Officers Prize Draw Advert & details College Director’s Report. June 2013 Tough Times, by Ian Pryce, Principal Extracts from “Park Life” News sheet Warden Pears Tractor Advert Joke: Guardian Advert Joke: Paddy McCoy Members Notes Ken Cox on Retirement Little bits from Furrow Press 1969 Mrs Shuttleworth. An appreciation… by Lieut. Colonel L.W.Diggle Coronation Day by an Elizabethan Pictures. Changes at the College Recent Pictures in the Mansion Joke: Here is old age at its best Will Forbes – Fenland Maize Power Phil Trolley- Memories of my first day Jonathan Pearce – Vegetables and jobs Hydroponics in the Caribbean – Phil Harper Jim Honey – Garden Design Joke: Frozen Cows Teddy Maufe and a Model Stirling… Aircraft, with Pictures Jane Marshall – Life on the Canals after… Old Warden SCA Merchandise The College Advertisement

Chairman’s report It looks as though 2013 is going to herald the beginning of a new era. Shuttleworth Old Students Association (SCA) is going digital! Many people will wonder why we are bothering and many will wonder why we didn’t do this years ago, but as you know it is impossible to please everyone all the time. We aim to try, of course, so we will be producing some hardcopy newsletters at Christmas for those who are not yet connected to the internet. None of this would be possible without the huge effort that Tim (helped by George) has put in and the expertise of Lee in the IT department of Bedford College. Many thanks to all.

The other herald of the new era is the departure of Dave Valentine from the committee after so many years – I cannot say exactly how many as no-one seems to know! As I am sure most of you know, the SCA owes a huge debt of gratitude to Dave for keeping the association going, even when the future of Shuttleworth as a college seemed in doubt. Our thanks go to him for all his efforts as Chairman, Newsletter editor and Secretary at various times. The SCA gave him a Dartington Glass Pint Tankard with the Shuttle Fist logo engraved on it as a thank you present. We wish him well in his retirement (!) though I think he has plenty to keep him occupied with his other pursuits.

Dave Valentine & Sarah Perrett As for the SCA in general, we keep trying to get our existence better recognized by the current students though this is difficult when they already have so many ways of keeping in touch through Facebook etc.

I hope our e newsletter is the first step to narrowing the gap between ‘them’ and ‘us’. To this end we aim to make this newsletter interactive so that people can comment on articles and use it as a forum for job adverts, queries and any other items that need a current format rather than the old annual basis of the printed newsletter.

Sarah Perrett (77/80) Chairman SCA

Editor’s report A new era starts today! An exciting new beginning. This newsletter is the first edition being produce for distribution electronically. Let’s hope it is the first of many.

Yes, it is our first attempt at getting it right. It will develop and change as we gain experience. That is as it should be and we do ask you all to become involved in this process. We really would like to receive your comments and suggestions. This new online system will allow you to send in your suggestions easily with the simple “clicking” of a mouse. That leaves you with no excuse to say it is difficult or time consuming!

Only the other day I had a telephone call from Julian Brotherton, one of the very early students at Shuttleworth in 1950, who was the first Editor and the driving force behind the first newsletter which he named “The Furrow Press”. He takes great pleasure in knowing how long the publication survived, certainly it was still printed in 1969 – can anyone tell me differently? I for one am sorry that the name is no longer used, but perhaps it is not so appropriate in these days when so many of the Shuttleworth students are not studying, what I think of as real “Farming”. As far as I can gather from the Editorial notes in the First Edition of the S.C.A. Newsletter or as they called it in 1969 the Journal, the change was forced by the Association believing the cost was too high to continue sending it to all past students. To quote they say “At the AGM in January 1969 a resolution was passed that the Furrow Press be issued free of charge only to those members of the association who had left the college in the previous two years and that a Newsletter (a cheaper thing to produce) be circulated to the remaining members, but the Furrow Press would be sent to these members on payment of 9/0d (45p) post free.” I can only think that the Furrow Press continued for a few more years until the cost of a small print run made it uneconomic to continue. In those days the College was heavily involved with both these publications, and I guess contributed to the costs of the Association. There were lecturers on the S.C.A Committee, the Bursar, Ed Bennett, was the Secretary and Tom Griffiths was the Treasurer. The President was W.T.Godber, who was Chairman of the Trust and the Vice President was the Principal. Lecturers Chris Smart and Bill Bedser also played their part for many years.

I hope you enjoy your read and react by sending me more material for our next edition which we plan to send out just before Christmas.

Once we have got our new publication and system operating and working satisfactorily, I am hoping to be able to hand over to a new Editor. I am now 76 and feel it is time I gave up this commitment. Please think about what you could do to help. Would you like to join the band of happy volunteers, who are your SCA Committee? We need new and younger people and new ideas. We have already held one Committee meeting using a “Telephone conference call system” and we are also considering using “Skype” to save those committee members who live far away having to travel to meetings. You don’t need to feel you are too far away any more. Please volunteer.

We are still concerned that we do not have all your up to date E-Mail addresses. Now that the Newsletter is Online, members will only be able to read it if we are able to send them the “link” by email. Some people are inevitably going to lose out and not get this edition of the Newsletter. We can do nothing about it until we hear from these members. It was very clearly spelt out in the last printed edition of our newsletter. We asked for e-mail addresses and if anyone was not connected online, we asked them to tell us, so that they could be included on the list of those people for whom we are going to print a special annual edition at Christmas time.

Please tell all your friends and Shuttleworth contacts that you have got this New Newsletter. Those who have not been able to get it need to contact us and hopefully letting them know it has been publish, will encourage them to do so. My e-mail address is tim.bryce@hotmail.co.uk & Telephone: 07734455472.

I really would like to thank all the contributors to this Newsletter. Many thanks. Without you and your efforts there would not be a newsletter. Now that we are online and publishing twice yearly (perhaps even quarterly soon), I need material coming in all the time. Dead-lines are going to become a thing of the past. If a contribution is too late for one edition it will simply be used for the next. Please keep up your good work.

I really would encourage you to use the “click” reply facility. I want your comments and would like to start a “Readers write” or “Letters to the Editor” column. If you are an employer and ever look for new staff, could I suggest that you send me an advert and I will include it on a special page or a “Sits Vac” column.

Tim Bryce (65/67) The Heritage Project We have assembled a quantity of excellent material for inclusion in our History Book, but as yet there is not enough to warrant publication. Could I please, once more, ask you to send us your stories? They can cover your time at Shuttleworth as well as telling us about what happened to you afterwards.

Everyone has an interesting story to tell.

We have been thinking of other ways of acquiring historical facts and would be very pleased to hear from anyone who has past copies of our Newsletters or The Furrow Press. We only wish to borrow them.

We could copy relevant pieces and will guarantee to return them.

You can talk about the subject or send your contributions to either:Eric Yates, 3 Lighthouse Lane, Hunstanton, Norfolk. PE36 6EN. E-mail: janetanderic@moggerhanger.orangehome.co.uk Tel: 01485 533101 Or myself, Tim Bryce, 37 People’s Place, Warwick Road, Banbury. OX16 0FJ. E-mail: tim.bryce@hotmail.co.uk Tel: 01295 271366 Mobile: 07734 455472.

The S.C.A. Reunion May 16th to 18th 2014 The organisation of this event is now well underway and despite seeming many months off, I would strongly recommend that you book your place as soon as possible. Numbers will be limited and if must be “first come first served”.

You can view the “Booking form”, which includes the programme for the event and the “Accommodation details and instructions”, from the pages of this newsletter. You will need to print off and return the completed order form.

If however you need to speak to one of the committee members organising the event, please e-mail Tony Abbott on tonyabbott1@hotmail.co.uk or telephone him on 01794 523040 Or Dave Valentine on dvalethebench@btinternet.com or telephone him, 01427 880934.

It will be a wonderful enjoyable weekend – don’t miss out!

Shuttleworth College Reunion Friday 16th – Saturday 17th – Sunday 18th May 2014 BOOKING FORM PLEASE PRINT OFF THIS FORM AND RETURN WITH YOUR CHEQUE MEALS & BUFFET – Payable in advance Event Buffet

Reunion Dinner

Details

Numbers

Cost £

Friday 16th May 2014 in Mansion House 7.00pm for 7.30pm (Max 120 persons).

Cost £16 per head Saturday 17th May 2014 in Russell Hall The Tavern will be open from 5.00pm Seated in Hall at 7.00 for 7.30pm ( Max 200 persons) Cost £37 per head Total

Provisional Programme of other events, Friday 16th May – Tavern Bar Open 5.00-7.00pm Buffet in Mansion 7.00-9.00pm [See above] Tavern Open 8.30-11.30pm th

Saturday 17 May -

Sunday 18th May -

Morning free, to renew old friendships and look around.

Swiss Gardens [subject to completion of refurbishment] Birds of Prey – Collection will be open [Separate charges payable on the day] [Mansion Tours if these can be arranged] Lunch – do your own thing, H&H Old Warden, Crown Northill 2.00pm Farm / Estate / Campus tour 5.00pm Tavern Opens before Dinner at 7.00pm [see above] Hopefully a leisurely Breakfast, wherever you are staying!

10.30am Service at St Leonards Church, Old Warden led by Rev. David Creasey Noon, Lunch, H&H etc. Farewells and Disperse.

All times and details except Buffet and Dinner are still subject to adjustment and will be finalised and notified to members who have booked – nearer to the event.

Name …………………………………………………………………………………… ……………… Year ………………..

Provisional Numbers xxxxxx xxxxxx Swiss Collection Birds Mansion

etc.

Farm/E/C xxxxxx Service xxxxxx

Course

Address ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………., P/Code…………

Telephone Number ………………………………… email ……………………………………………………………………………..

Please enclose your cheque for Buffet and/or Reunion Dinner for £ ………………

Cheques payable to Shuttleworth College Association (SCA will do) Return your form to Dave Valentine, Badgers Bench, Top Street, North Wheatley, Retford, DN22 9DE As soon as possible, places will be limited.

Reunion Accommodation Weekend 16-18th May 2014 Your College Association is handling the payments for the Buffet [Friday] and Dinner [Saturday] but cannot get involved in reservations and payments for accommodation.

You will need to make your own booking and are responsible for your payments etc. direct with the College or Hotel you choose.

We also plan to organise a ‘coach’ from Sandy [which may also call in Biggleswade] on the Saturday for members staying off the college site so that you can better enjoy the evening without the worry of driving after the imbibing. Costs of places will be notified nearer the time but estimated @ £7 per head.

We have however negotiated rates with the Mansion House [Shuttleworth], Holiday Inn [Sandy Roundabout] and Stratton House [Biggleswade]. They are as follows:Mansion House [Shuttleworth] Tel. 01767 626200 All prices include Bed and Breakfast.

Chris Smart Rooms all en-suite [known in 64/66 as the New Block] Single Occupancy £56.00 - Double Occupancy £72.00 per night Mansion House Rooms – Believed to be the old ‘top floor’ THESE ARE NOT EN-SUITE Single Occupancy £32.00 - Double Occupancy £47.00 per night All rooms subject to availability – Book early as there is also a wedding booked for the Saturday. Make sure you tell the reception you are attending our Reunion to obtain these rates.

Holiday Inn [Sandy] Tel. 01767 684707 Single Room rate Room Only £50.00 Bed and Breakfast £60.00 Double or Twin Rooms Room Only £55.00 Bed and Breakfast £65.00 [£32.50 per person] All En-suite 15 rooms have been pre-booked by us and will be held for a time please Quote SCU when booking to get the rates above [all subject to the number of rooms already booked when you call] Stratton House [Biggleswade] Tel. 01767 312442 Currently we have reserved you the whole hotel, this includes 30 rooms, 9 of which are single rooms at the current rate of £54.00, one family room which sleeps up to 4 persons at the current rate of £110.00 and the rest are doubles and twins and the current rate of £75.00. All prices are inclusive of VAT and include full English breakfast. As discussed the rate may increase slightly for 2014 but this should only be a minimal rise and we will inform you of this as soon as it is confirmed. We will hold the rooms up until November 2013, however if we have enquiries in the meantime, we will ensure to contact you first.

To ensure you obtain the accommodation of your choice from the suggestions you are recommended to make firm reservations direct with the ‘Hotel’ as soon as possible. There may of course be other similar accommodation in the area – these are purely suggestions not recommendations and we are not responsible in any way for the ‘hotels’ or their services.

The Bedfordshire Steam and Country Fayre To be held on the 13th-14th and 15th of September 2013 is an annual event that should be visited if at all possible. It is a wonderful event that covers all of the Park in front of the Mansion with a plethora of traction engines, old tractors and farm machinery, vintage cars, lorries and motorbikes, art and crafts exhibitions, trade and food stalls. The best way to enjoy the show is to wander round, work up a thirst, retire to the shade of an oak tree with a pint and a pasty and then sit and watch the traction engines on their way to the show ring. Sheer bliss!

Full details can be found at www.bseps.org.uk, the website of Bedfordshire Steam Engine Preservation Society. Try and get there – it is worth every penny. Graeme Brown (77/80)

Draft for approval at 2014 AGM – date yet to be set.

Shuttleworth College Association Minutes of Annual General Meeting held on Saturday 27th April 2013 Present: Sarah Perrett 1977-80 SCA Committee Vice Chairman Tim Bryce 1965-67 SCA Committee Dave Valentine 1964-66 SCA Committee & Editor Eric Yates College Staff, Vice President & SCA Committee Mike Williams 1965-67 Treasurer Patrick Godwin 1977-80 SCA Committee Nick Drury 1981-84 SCA Committee Tony Abbott 1965-67 SCA Committee Charlotte Scott 1990-92 SCA Committee Deborah Richardson & Abby Morris Current Students Sarah Perrett opened proceedings at 11.20hrs following a short college update from Mike Johnston [notes of which appear at the end of these minutes] and welcomed all those present especially the student representatives.

Apologies: George Nell Samantha Donald Jon Mitchell Richard Brampton Derek Orchard Colin Rayner Graeme Brown

1969-71 SCA Committee 1993-95 SCA Committee 1992-95 SCA Committee past College Director NDA 52/54 Ray Jenkins 1966-68 1976-79 Charles Hammond [USA] 1984-85 1977-80

Minutes of the 2012 AGM The Draft Minutes were circulated in the Annual Newsletter, and were also available at the Meeting.

Nick Drury proposed their acceptance, seconded by Tim Bryce. They were accepted unanimously by those at this meeting who had attended last year as a true record.

Matters arising from previous AGM There were no matters arising from the minutes that would not be dealt with by the new committee who were meeting immediately after the AGM. Amendment to SCA Constitution.

A motion “That the number required to be present at future AGMs to form the Quorum be reduced from TWELVE to SIX” – Had been proposed by Paddy Godwin and Seconded by Dave Valentine.

The proposal had been highlighted in the 2013 Newsletter circulated to almost 500 members some months ago. No representations had been made to either the Secretary or Chairman and on that basis – no objections had been raised and the motion effectively carried. Those present at today’s meeting then passed the motion unanimously.

The Secretary [DV] would amend the Constitution and circulate copies to the new Officers and Committee.

Officer’s Reports Chairman – Sarah Perrett First Sarah thanked all members of the committee for their continued work over the past year, which had been a relatively quiet one in terms of Association activities. The main function had been to produce the 2013 Newsletter, and to examine methods of producing an electronic version in the future. To do this Tim [assisted by George] had built a relationship with the College IT department and good progress had been made.

Treasurer – Mike Williams He had presented the accounts to the meeting. With comments as follows:Congratulations to Tim Bryce on keeping printing and distributing cost below the previous year.

Magazine subscriptions are unfortunately down year on year by nearly £300 but this does vary from year to year dependent on the number paying several years in advance.

We have also sold very little memorabilia, dropping from £162 last year to £85 this year. This is due to lack of sales opportunities such as College open days.

Gross interest on our capital continues to follow the national trend of poor returns from low interest rates. Our main savings of £20,000 is also due for reinvestment. The annual accounts are also slightly confused by the holding of advance payments and the final settlement of costs for last year’s reunion but overall receipts and expenses were only negative by £20.00.

The final result for 2012/13 was a very creditable excess of £1075.38 Eric Yates proposed the adoption of the accounts, seconded by Charlotte Scott and the vote was unanimous. The meeting thanked Mike for his continued work as Treasurer.

Secretary – Dave Valentine Dave had little to report as he had generally seen a quiet year as he passed over more of his responsibilities to others, following his decision to stand down from both his role as Secretary and from the Committee after being involved in various roles for well in excess of 20 years.

Sarah thanked Dave for all his work over those years and presented him with a handsome glass tankard which had been engraved with the Shuttleworth crest.

I.T. Manager – Paddy Godwin & Sarah Perrett As we put more detail on distribution of the Newsletter by email we need to consider the lack of current email addresses we have for subscribers [this seems to be about 50% only] We also need serious thoughts into how we maintain an up to date list of emails as people change them frequently and do not advise many people of those changes.

DV had sent Paddy the best analysis possible of successful, failed and unread responses to his distribution of the AGM notice to ‘all email addresses last month.

Paddy suggested that after further work on the list, that the committee should each take a batch of names to follow up and get a new / current email address – we do seem to have a good cover of telephone numbers to enable this to be done [or looked up via BT] - in his experience with chasing up subscribers they were pleased to hear from the SCA and have a chat [more copy for Tim!] EY asked if it was possible to split this task geographically – Paddy to look at this when preparing list for contacting.

Website – No activity over the last 12 months and we are still in need of a website manager. The use of the social media – Facebook, and the college IT assistance may in part negate the need for a website, or it may just be a case of having a link / part / with College.

Editor – Tim Bryce Tim reported the successful distribution of the last Newsletter and as planned was well on track to distribute the first ‘e’ version of the Newsletter by summer. There was some discussion around how to control distribution and how to maintain the subscription – a review of the membership categories in the Constitution may be necessary if we rename ‘subscription’ but it was believed that this is covered in the categories anyway.

Copy for the new ‘e’ letter is coming in steadily with several promises of stories / articles yet to materialise. He hoped to set a target of 2 issues per year with the first in June – a mock-up of the first issue should be emailed to the committee within ‘hours’.

Tim requested comments by return from the committee once received.

It was yet to become clear how the final version would be accessed by subscribers as it was likely to be held – ‘On the Cloud’. Tim will need to clarify and get links distributed to all subscribers. It was thought access would be by a random code method. This would have to be changed for each issue to avoid distribution to ‘non subscribers’.

Paddy felt that there may be a need for quite a few hard copies despite the current lack of take up for this option offered in the Newsletter.

Re-Election of Officers Alan Curtis and Guy Kiddy had tendered their resignations from the committee.

Dave Valentine had tendered his resignation from the post of Secretary and from the committee. There were no additional nominations for any posts so no election was needed.

Chairman - Sarah Perrett – proposed Charlotte Scott, seconded Dave Valentine Vice Chairman Jonathan Mitchell. – proposed Paddy Godwin, seconded Nick Drury Secretary - Charlotte Scott - proposed Sarah Perrett, seconded Dave Valentine Treasurer - Mike Williams – proposed Eric Yates, seconded Tony Abbott I.T. Manager and assistant – Paddy Godwin & Sarah Perrett – proposed Dave Valentine, seconded Tim Bryce Website Vacant Editor – Tim Bryce – proposed Tony Abbott, seconded Paddy Godwin Committee - Sam Donald, George Nell, Nick Drury, Eric Yates, Daniel Silson, Tony Abbott, Richard Infield, + Deborah Richardson & Abby Morris - re-elected enbloc.

Any Other Business Paddy Godwin had suggested that it might be possible to hold the AGM at one site, but to link other ‘attendees’ in via a Skype type link – Charlotte and Mike had business experience of different systems and it was agreed that prior to the next AGM the committee would further investigate opportunities for members to join in from their home bases without the need to travel.

Annual Prize Draw - was made and the following names won this year’s prizes.

1st Prize 2nd Prize 3rd Prize

No.5 C E Martin £250 No.50 Derek Orchard No. 2 Eric Yates £50

£150

Mike Williams thanked all members who supported this draw, and reminded those present and readers of the minutes that they too could be in with a chance of winning. He hoped that even more members would sign up before next year’s draw.

Sarah thanked everyone for their contributions to the meeting There being no further business the meeting was closed at 12.15pm.

Committee & Officers S.C.A. 2013 - 14 Chairman.

Sarah Perrett

Vice Chairman

HND 77/80

Jonathan Mitchell

HND 92/95

Secretary.

Charlotte Scott

HND 90/95

Treasurer.

Mike Williams

NDA 65/67

Database Manager.

College Contact

Secretary

Hertfordshire

jonmitchell.9@btinternet.com

Bedfordshire Peterborough

charlotte_scott@hotmail.com michael.williams19@sky.com

HND 77/80

(see below for details)

Vacant

NDA 65/67 HND 77/80 HNDBF 93/95 NDA 69/71 HND 81/84 Retired Staff 2001/3 NDA 65/67 ND 90/93 Student Student

Oxon tim.bryce@hotmail.co.uk Somerset patrick.godwin@btinternet.com Clwyd samdonald@tiscali.co.uk Oxon lesleynell@yahoo.co.uk Cambs nickhan.drury@ntlworld.com janetanderic@moggerhanger.orangehome.co.uk Norfolk Beds dasilson@ic24.net Hants tonyabbott1@hotmail.co.uk Beds richardjinfield@btconnect.com Shuttleworth debs_richardson@hotmail.co.uk Shuttleworth

Margaret Curry

Student Representative on College staff President.

Vice Presidents.

perrett_sarah@hotmail.com

Patrick Godwin & Sarah Perrett

Assistant I.T. / Website Committee.

Tim Bryce Patrick Godwin Sam Donald George Nell Nick Drury Eric Yates Daniel Silson Tony Abbott Richard Infield Deborah Richardson Abby Morris

Somerset

Tel: 01767 626222

Jo Norman

mcurry@bedford.ac.uk

jnorman@bedford.ac.uk

Charlotte Friefrau John Von Twickle.

Tom Griffiths, J.E. Scott, S.C. Whitbread, Bill Bedser, Eric Yates, Professor Mike Alder.

Charlotte Scott, 5 Peartree Piece, Old Warden, Biggleswade, Beds. SG18 9FD. charlotte_scott@hotmail.com Tel: 01234 291024

Newsletter Editor

Tim Bryce, 37 People’s Place, Warwick Road, Banbury, Oxfordshire. OX16 0FJ. tim.bryce@hotmail.co.uk Tel: 01295 271366 Mobile: 07734455472

(In the event of an email failing to respond please contact another committee member and request your message is forwarded to your intended recipient.)

(The editor is looking for material for the next Newsletter as soon as this one goes to press, so please don’t delay, get writing, look for stories and send them to him as soon as possible) *New Officers and Committee will be elected at the 2014 AGM But even after that date please use the addresses above.

Website:- www.shuttleworth-sca.co.uk

The S.C.A. Annual Prize Draw

Your chance of winning a BIG Prize Every year at the AGM we draw 3 Prizes 1st £250.00, 2nd £150.00, 3rd £50.00

Cost is just £10 per year and you can buy as many tickets as you wish!

Details and entries from Mike Williams: E-mail michael.williams19@sky.com

Shuttleworth Executive Director’s Report to Shuttleworth Directors 24 June 2013 We have just come to the end of the academic year. I am consistently amazed by the achievements of our student body. Whilst I know there are some outstanding individuals, articulating their successes is inspirational. This year’s cohort has been the largest that the College has ever had and is from the most diverse backgrounds. We have students from inner city, high deprivation areas and from rural communities. We have a group of students from sub-Saharan Africa and have recently entertained students from Hungary. One of our principles is to be inclusive.

Recruitment for September 2013 start, is looking very strong once again and on current applications is likely to lead to a further 15% growth of full-time students in Land & Environment and Sports subjects next year and 10% across the College. We are very pleased with the progress that we have made with apprentices, particularly in Horticulture where we have over 30 Level 2 and Level 3 trainees. The next job is to ensure that these translate into successful enrolments. The funding methodology for next year will have a significant impact on the way that we deliver our courses and will be particularly challenging for programmes which have high practical skills development component. We know that we will have to improve efficiencies across our courses.

We are very disappointed in the enrolment of School student numbers and, although we had expected the decline, it is always hard to see your expectations realised. We are only attracting students from three local schools which is bound to have an effect on overall 16+ recruitment in the future. I believe that this is very much a feature of the current government policy where a large proportion of the schools have become academies and there is no regional co-ordination and funding of 14-16 activity.

The Foundation Degree in Animal Management is secure although we are disappointed that there has been no progression to the third year top-up which was to be delivered at the University of Bedfordshire. We are now in discussion with the faculty to review the programme and to develop additional Level 4 and 5 units that will lead to qualifications in land & environmental topics. The political turmoil of the current HE territory has made it difficult for us to negotiate a clear direction.

The students’ performance has been very strong this year and retention figure for long courses for those students leaving in June is 93% which is outstanding and whilst this is an early indicator of success rates, we have to ensure that these retained students lead to success. Last year I was concerned about some pockets of variable performance and the teams have worked hard to improve on variability and it appears that success is going to be consistently high. There are a number of courses where retention has been 100% which is tremendous. College processes are robust and identify where good performance is being achieved and also where improvements are required.

We are really pleased to be hosting the third Agriculture course in partnership with the Marshal Papworth Trust for eight agricultural technicians from African countries. We have added to the successful content from last year with a discrete qualification entitled ‘An Introduction to Trainer Skills’. We believe that this will enhance the benefit of the programme to the graduates when they return to their homes. There will be much more emphasis on the development of business management skills which are more relevant to their current roles and career aspirations and have delivered this in a more ‘distance learning’ approach in anticipation of further developments.

Our relationship with CASE International Harvester is developing a much stronger foundation. We are again pleased to be hosting their farmers’ training courses as it gives our own students access to a wide range of up-to-date advanced technology and raises the profile of agriculture and agricultural machinery within the farming community. CASE IH are interested in developing a more formal partnership arrangement with us where they will have the facility for a couple of machines, training rooms and office space to develop a national training centre based at Shuttleworth. If we are successful in securing this partnership, Shuttleworth will once again have the opportunity to be a national player in the agricultural education sector.

Our work with the RSPB is very exciting for us. We have secured an additional course for Level 3 Countryside units and have developed a Level 4 qualification in Ecology and Countryside Tourism which is attracting professional students from across the UK. In addition we have been asked to deliver animal welfare courses to Reserve volunteers which is a fabulous opportunity.

Practical activities at Kingshill Farm have demonstrated the importance of continuous improvement of resources as students have been inspired by the increased access to practical animal handling, and the planning, cultivating and planting, along with monitoring the development of a range of agricultural crops. This year has been particularly tough as the weather has been very difficult to work around and to manage successful establishment.

Our winter rape crop has been disastrous as it was attacked by slugs and pigeons and has failed to establish. Fortunately, the land is to be spread with the silt from the reservoir which is due to be removed in July and provides for a satisfactory alternative use.

We have focused our staff development activities on improving the standards of ‘Teaching, Learning and Assessment’ and have been delighted with the success of the Advanced Practitioners working together with the College Managers. 89% of observed lessons have been Grade 2 or better which is a tremendous improvement over last year’s performance.

We have been thrilled that one of our staff (Clare Baker) was selected as the runner up of the National Teacher of the Year Award by Pearson Group which is a fantastic achievement.

This award is made for inspirational teachers and we have been told that there were 24,000 nominations for the eight categories so it’s puts this outstanding achievement into context.

The Animal Centre has scooped prestigious Blue Cross awards in three categories, after competing nationally against 37 colleges from across the country.   

Best overall animal unit for welfare Best bird welfare management Best amphibian and reptile management

These awards are testament to the dedication of our staff and students. We educate our students in Zoological Management, with a practical emphasis on designing and constructed enclosures for a wide range of species. The emphasis is firmly on meeting industry standards so that our students are well prepared for careers, and are the top choice with employers.

In addition to this, we have been identified as a regional Centre of Excellence in the use of technology in our teaching. LSIS (Learning Skills Improvement Services) and OfSTED have observed several lessons and these have been videoed to be posted on the Excellence Gateway. This project has involved the use of QR codes and layar technology to enhance and extend teaching and learning.

Resource Planning We have engaged the services of Q2 Architects to carry out a master planning process on the College Estate with a view to identifying areas and zones for specialist activity. The initial proposals are very exciting and, when realised, will hugely enhance the students’ teaching and learning and will raise the profile of the college. Students do need to be taught in appropriate accommodation with up-to-date facilities if they are to complete in the employment market.

We are particularly keen to focus developments on: 1. Kingshill Farm Estate to provide an improved teaching and learning space for landbased studies and activities which includes a livestock housing and handling area to provide a safe and contemporary place for students from Agriculture and Animal Care to work with a range of farm animals, along with machinery workshop space to provide a modern and safe space in which to carry out machinery operations and maintenance work to release the Machinery Workshop No 2 which will be used for hard landscape activities.

2. Animal Care facilities to enable a more contemporary and improved learning experience for this significant and growing area of our activities which will include a visitor attraction feature to enhance the curriculum with a more customer and business oriented offer reflecting the employment opportunities.

Shuttleworth College Director. Mike Johnston.

Tough times, but big opportunities A message from Ian Pryce, Principal & Chief Executive, Bedford College.

As a largely taxpayer-funded organisation, Bedford College accepts the need to ensure that public money is used effectively and efficiently. There have been big cuts to the funding of many of our older students, and in some cases courses no longer receive any public subsidy. These changes are unlikely to be reversed in the future.

Despite this Bedford College has continued to show an increase in its income in the last few years. We have exploited the new opportunities to expand courses for apprentices, young people and those who wish to go on to higher education, and we have continued to invest in our staff, our facilities and our technology and equipment. It is very important to the College that we don’t just chase government funds, but we do what is right for our community and then look for ways that work can be funded. It is very important to us that we invest as much in the tough times as we do in the good times.

At Shuttleworth, with the strong support from the Shuttleworth Trust, we have significantly improved the residential accommodation for students, and will invest about £5m in new facilities in the next few years.

Despite tough times the opportunities to do more continue. Most exciting is the government’s decision before Christmas to allow Colleges like ours the opportunity to recruit students directly from age 14. You can view more information on our recent achievements by downloading our Annual Review at www.bedford.ac.uk/annualreview Editor: What do you think about trying to establish a fund to help these older students with their course costs? What I am thinking of would be a type of Scholarship paid for out of a fund raised by subscription from our membership – even from bequests. I fully accept that this will have to be a long term project, but let me have your thoughts. Tim.

Notes from “Park Life” News sheet Glad tidings for the New Year.

Top councillors and close neighbours joined friends and family of Old Warden Park at an open house event at the The Mansion House during the recent festive season. The informal event was to thank everyone for their support throughout the year and to talk about plans for the future, including activities at Old Warden Park and investments being made at the Shuttleworth campus by Bedford College. Leader of Central Bedfordshire Council, Councilor Angela Barker and Councilor Tony Brown brought their families with them to look over the stately home and visit the Christmas Food Festival in Russell Hall. Villagers and other visitors enjoyed the mouth-watering afternoon teas on offer in the Drawing Room, before taking a look at information banners about the site and hearing from Bedford College Services (BCS Ltd) staff about how much they enjoy working at Old Warden Park. Sales Manager Kathy Birch was there to talk to those who wanted to know more about the venue and the possibility of staging weddings, charity celebrations and business events. She said: “It was a lovely afternoon with a house full of people who we made welcome, especially those who were looking forward to meeting Santa who put in a guest appearance.”

Editor: A number of the Committee members attended on the day, and yes it was an excellent tea provided by the students of the Catering Department. Tim. Shuttleworth College preserves Shakespeare’s Warden Pear.

Students at Shuttleworth College are making sure that a pear that dates back to Shakespeare’s time and is mentioned in ‘A Winter’s Tale’ is around for future generations.

Horticulture lecturer Paul Labous explained that, after receiving a request from the Parish Council to propagate the historic pears, he came up with the idea of ‘grafting’ to give students a unique skill and preserve the line of pears. He says: “The mother trees at Shuttleworth produce the magnificent Warden Pears that date back to the thirteenth century, but with only five trees producing the pears it was time to increase the stock. “Grafting the plants takes patience and skill, but the results can be seen in the thirty baby pear trees now growing. The trees will be tended until they reach sufficient height and strength to produce pears in about three years’ time. “The skill of grafting is becoming a lost art in the UK as more plants are imported, but it is important to keep the historic line of the Warden Pear as an example of what can be done to save endangered plants from extinction.” Warden Pie was a favourite dish in Elizabethan times and is named after Old Warden’s Cistercian Abbey, where the fruit was first cultivated. It is most famously mentioned in Shakespeare’s ‘A Winter’s Tale’ where one of the characters, Clown, mentions that the spice saffron was needed to colour his Warden pies. The Warden Pear project is just one of the innovative ideas being developed across the curriculum at Shuttleworth College to extend the skills and knowledge of its students.

This article was written by your Editor, while at Shuttleworth College, for inclusion in the Ickwell May Day Catalogue for 1967.

Warden Pies My mother, who has always been interested in cookery books, old and new, chanced to read of Warden Pies with a reference to Shakespeare’s “The Winter’s Tale”, saying that they originated in the Bedfordshire Village of Old Warden. Being interested in the local traditions, we wondered if there was any connection with Ickwell May Day. In Old Warden there are the remains of an Abbey, where the monks used to cultivate a large cooking pear which they called “Wardens” and which gave the name Warden Pies to the special pear pie. Undoubtedly the pear meant a great deal to the Abbey, as the arms show three golden pears around the Abbot’s crosier.

Little remains of the Abbey, but both Addey Farm and Park Farm still claim to have trees of the Warden Pear. The pies were said to have been sold in Bedford up to the middle of the last century to the cry of “Hot Baked Wardens.” However, I could find no one who claims to make them in traditional fashion.

After considerable research I found a recipe in a reprint of an old book in Shire Hall, Bedford. The book was Diana Astry’s Recipe Book, originally printed in 1700, and the recipe read as follows: “To make a Warden or Pear Pie.” Firs, pare your Wardens and then bake them in an earthen pot in the oven, with a little water and a good quantity of sugar. Lett your pot be close covered with a piece of corse past. Let them not be fully baked by ¼ hr. When they are cold make a high coffin past and put them in whole, adding to them some cloves, whole cinnamon, sugar, with some of the liquor thay were baked in. So close up the pye and bake it.

Unfortunately this does not quite agree with the passage from Shakespeare, which reads: “The Winter’s Tale. Act IV. Scene iii.”

Clown: Let me see, what am I to buy for our sheep-shearing feast?

I must have saffron to colour the Warden Pies: mace; dates? – none, that’s out of my note; nutmegs seven; a race or two of ginger, but that I may beg; four pond of prunes, and as many of raisins o’ the sun.

If Shakespeare is correct, one would think that these pies also contained a good deal of dried fruit. If pears were to be included at shearing time (June) they must have been preserved in some way the autumn before, or the Warden Pear was a very good and long keeper.

Editors extra notes written in 2013. If I remember correctly, in 1967 I could find no one that could positively identify a tree as an original Warden Pear. I am sure Mr Childs, the Shuttleworth Head Gardener in 1967, would have told me if any of the trees in the old walled garden were thought of as original Warden stock. Of course it was before the days of DNA identification.

Can you believe that we could buy a new tractor for so little in 1969?

It may well be a small tractor but just think what a garden ride on mower would cost today!

Taken from a copy of Furrow Press 1969.

Joke!!

Believe it or not a genuine advert – I leave that to you!

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Paddy McCoy, an elderly Irish farmer, received a letter from the Department for Work & Pensions stating that they suspected he was not paying his employees the statutory minimum wage and they would send an inspector to interview them.

On the appointed day, the inspector turned up.

"Tell me about your staff," he asked Paddy.

"Well," said Paddy, "there's the farm hand, I pay him £240 a week, and he has a free cottage.

Then there's the housekeeper. She gets £190 a week, along with free board and lodging.

There's also the half-wit. He works a 16 hour day, does 90% of the work, earns about £25 a week along with a bottle of whiskey and, as a special treat, occasionally gets to sleep with my wife."

"That's disgraceful" said the inspector, "I need to interview the half-wit." "That'll be me then," said Paddy.

Members Notes John Reader (64/66) I was in the same year as David Valentine, David Creasey, Jim Honey, Ray Watts, Dereck Scott, Martin Gosling to mention a few. Since those days I have worked for about seven companies around UK and in a few other countries. I reckon I have dwelt in about 20 locations. Last year my boss decided being 66 it was time I retired. I didn’t agree but that is what happened.

I have now returned to my roots which is our little family farm. This is where I pass my days keeping busy with farm things and DIY. 2010 I followed Shuttleworth into letting stables and fields. Much more profitable than selling grass although our land is clay.

Yesterday I rang our long time heating oil supplier. He asked if I was sitting comfortably.

No, I said before he told me it was 64.2 p/litre. Then on hearing that I had retired he asked how I managed to live. This to me was a very telling question as so many just can’t afford to hang up their working life. Please tell David I will be looking forward to next year’s reunion.

Best Wishes and keep up the good work.

David Creasey (64/66) As for me, I’ve spent blissful life farming in South Lincolnshire, lots of cattle and sheep. A long involvement with NFU, parish council etc. has kept me out of mischief. Didn’t marry Fiona until I was nearly 40 (about the time Chris Smart asked me back as an external examiner) Having no followers, I have spent the last few years in gentle decline. I have slowly reduced my farming at a pace that I hardly noticed and could adjust to. What land I still have is on FBT’s or grazing lets, so I just try to keep things tidy. You may know that I was ordained as a local priest about 7 years ago and that has kept me busy (mainly burying the local farming fraternity!)

Fiona has Parkinsons and I was diagnosed with a rare lung cancer in 2010.After radiotherapy at Addenbrookes, I am recovered and being monitored by Papworth every 4 months. It’s a very slow growing type so they hope I’ll live long enough to drink myself to the grave!

As for contacts, we see the Anyans very regularly. Jim Cook is 9 miles away so I see him as well. I’m in touch with David Gantlett and David Andrews and Roger Woodroffe. In 2011 David Andrews and I went to Dave Gantletts ruby wedding where we met Peter Clarke(farming Course) Of those I taught George Tickler is my neighbour and I see Charles Tyler who farms Rutland.Peter Lister (from sometime in early 70’s is in Bourne and is also a non-stipendiary priest like me so I see him often.

We’re all getting older and we are currently thinking of building a retirement bungalow in a paddock I own. Inevitably, the yard will go for development (we’re very lucky), but I wouldn’t want to stay in the house when it happens.

I don’t know if all this is of interest but I hope you are well. The last time I heard of you, you were on a houseboat.

Best wishes, David Creasey.

Haydn Evans (60/62) Another excellent magazine and I feel very guilty about not supporting it more over the years. It is a good job that Phil Cuttell has provided some fodder on our behalf over that time. You mention changes in format and I still have the Furrow Press for 1961 which was very compact at 5 1/4 inches x 8 1/4 inches. The dimensions changed in 1962. I only have 4 old mags 61, 62. 63 and 68.

Having dug these mags out the 61 mag had an article by S T Dingle of his 1960 working holiday in Kent. The 62 mag contained the story of three of our year namely Hugh Buckhurst, Phil Ellis and me working on the same farm the following year.

Each year three Shutts students were invited to apply as the owner’s son who was managing it was ex Shuttleworth.

Both articles brought back happy memories of fruit picking and also three weeks of hectic hop harvesting. Phil and I transported the hop bines to the hop picking machine. Hugh because he was the tallest rode in the trailer turret to cut the hop bines free to land tidily in the trailer. We all did a lot of tractor driving and many other jobs as well including fruit picking.

Hugh as a "Man of Kent" with his local knowledge was our guide and my old mail-van the transport for our free time trips around Kent. We had a good and well paid holiday even though we put plenty of work in.

Jumping to about Five years ago when in Kent to visit some long lost relations, we took a trip to the farm which I remembered as very well run, only to find industrial units with no fruit trees or hops in existence. It has been said you should never go back. In this case it was true. All the best in the future.

Andrew Snook (65/67) Brilliant newsletter Tim, excellent holiday reading cover to cover. I am in favour of going online. I will try and do a light hearted life history. I suppose Cedric and Pete Rollings were highlights - I seem to remember keeping the final edition of farming news. You are welcome to come and look for it. I am going to email Sarah Perrett as I am wondering if her family farm in the same or next village to where mine farmed if she is from Combe Hay, Bath, if you are in touch with her, I would love to know. Did meet them once, called in during sixties.

Kind regards.

David Cleverley (63/65). Is still in East Sussex farming a few people in holiday cottages having sold my cows nearly 10 years ago.

Harry Standley (65-67) I am still farming, but on a smaller scale now, with no livestock. I retired in 1998 and went to live in Aldeburgh on the Suffolk coast for six years, but was then lured back to the land and now have 110 ha, growing OSR, wheat and sugar beet. My neighbour does the majority of the work for me, but I have a couple of old tractors and keep my hand in from time to time.

Kind regards.

Derek Orchard (51/53) Last October, I visited Clive Pengelly-Phillips at The Royal Star & Garter Home, Richmond, Surrey He was the very unfortunate guy, who went sleep walking during the night at the time of the final exams in the summer of 1953, and fell out of the bedroom window on the second floor of the College, and landed on the gravel below near the front door.

Someone awoke, and heard moaning, but could not find the source. He roused Cecil Kimber, the Biology Lecturer, who enlisted several other students to help. These two went onto the roof and looked over at the front of the building, and saw Clive below.

An ambulance was called, and he was taken first to Bedford Hospital, and later to Stoke Mandeville Hospital, but he has remained paralyzed below the waist since that time.

He made very good recovery to the extent that he could walk with some difficulty, using two sticks, but soon became tired.

I kept in touch with him, and he later found a job with the Cambridge University, but I forget exactly what he did. I last met him in 1962, when he came to my house at Caxton, near Cambridge, but then soon after, I moved to Yorkshire, and lost touch.

A few years ago, I can across a leaflet from the Royal Star & Garter Home, and in that, was a photo of Clive, who now likes to be called "Louis", stating that he served in the Royal Marines, and at one point was part of a special unit protecting the Prime Minster, Winston Churchill, and accompanied him on the RMS Queen Mary, to a conference at Montreal.

He was also one on the first to land during D-Day, and fought all the way through Northern France to Amsterdam. From there his unit was sent back to England to retrain for the Far East, but the War ended before his unit was needed.

The Home where he now lives will close later this year and be transferred to a new Home, at present under construction, near Sutton (?).

If anyone wishes to contact him, could I suggest you contact Tim Bryce for contact details.

Regards, John Dixon (OND; 76/79) I'd like to say a big thanks to all you diehards who keep the flame alive for the spirit of Shutts; sadly I'm not in regular touch with many of my contemporaries, an excuse I know, but not many old boys at large in Shropshire.

I've had half an idea for scribing something for the Newsletter along the lines of "21 Years as a Lime Man". Would that be any good?

Many Regards, Julian Brotherton (50-52) Telephoned me the other day. He talked about the very early days at Shuttleworth. He was there under the leadership of Dr Miles, the then Principal. Apparently he has previously written a piece for the Newsletter about his time at the College, in which he expressing his doubts and misgivings about the place. He summed up the situation to me as “organized chaos”. It was early days so we can forgive him. However he told me he was the person that started the first Newsletter and came up with the name “Furrow Press”. Not only did he do the Editing but he also had to find a printer to complete his work. He expressed his pleasure in finding out that it had survived for so many years. I personally would like to see a return to the title of The Furrow Press, but I can see that it is not particularly relevant to Students of today who study many subjects other than real farming.

He said he would welcome visits, so I suggest you contact me – Tim Bryce Editor.

John Hudson (51/52) I was at Shutts 1951-52 and have found some old cuttings from Mags of those days. They mainly refer to the “Sport” pages of which I took a full part. Apart from “farming” which I still do 7 days a week; my hobbies here have all been associated with sport, local, county & England, but apart from coaching at school my “active” days are over.

I have underlined two “old boys”– J.E.Edge-Partington – who emigrated to Canada on leaving College and has just found me on e-mail. He came over to England last Autumn and we had a reunion. I am sure he would be pleased to hear from you. (Alas I have written but not had a reply. Tim, Editor.)

The second man is – L.C.Pengelly-Phillips. He came to Shutts as an ex-service Royal Marine.

He broke his back in an accident and is now a leading light at the Royal Star & Garter Home for ex-servicemen, in Richmond Hill. (Please also read letter from Derek Orchard, above.)

Just type in “Louis Pengelly-Phillips and his life all comes up! He was one of Professor Guttman’s guineapigs at Stoke Mandeville. (I have written to him but not yet received a reply – he must have a very interesting story to tell. Tim, Editor.)

Also written in his Christmas “round robin”: Back in January 2012 I received a “new eye” – in other words I had a cataract op and I can now see properly out of both eyes again.

Fantastic! The year though has been marked by weather extremes – rain, frosts, drought, floods – you name it we have had it. It has been one of the most difficult, if not the most difficult farming year in my experience. However, we have escaped relatively lightly compared with some of you in America, Canada and Australia. So, we have now to look to the future and hope for better things next year.

In other places in the Newsletter I have included extracts from the various mags supplied to me by John. Coronation Day 1953 at Shuttleworth etc.

Richard Fish (69/70) Well done you are doing a great job.

I am still farming dairy and arable, now with my son.

The last few years have been interesting getting to know the divorce courts very well through bitter wife!!

We farm 800 acres on the south side of the Isle of Wight. 240 Jersey Cows on which we use sexed semen on the best cows and British Blue on the remainder.

Cropping is 300 acres of arable (Wheat & Barley), 600 acres of maize and grass.

I still really enjoy working for little return!! Retirement definitely not in sight.

Teddy Maufe (70/71) Again appears in the news with the paper saying “Signs close to Teddy Maufe’s farm tell motorists they are entering Malting Barley Country. Records show the Iceni tribe nurtured, wild barley to brew beer on land in the area 2,000 years ago, and he is proud to be continuing the tradition at Branthill Farm.” Well done Teddy – always the great salesman for Norfolk’s best.

Kit Papworth (89/92) This time is seen as Chairman of Anglian Farmers’ opening the new extension to their headquarters. When Anglian Farmers headquarters was officially opened in November 2008, they had a turnover of approximately £40 million. Today it has increased six fold. The enlarged offices at Honingham Thorpe, near Norfolk, which have been completed about 10% under budget, will give the farmer-controlled buying group space to grow into the future. Peter Kendall NFU leader said “AF had seen unbelievable growth and had been a fantastic success story in the past four years. He said that as technology was evolving at a rapid rate, the industry had to use the tools available to collaborate, communicate and trade for what was becoming the “Star Trek” generation of farmers.

Phillip Bradshaw (82/85) Reporting back in November, he talks of the problems of wet conditions for all cropping operations. He says Potato harvesting is ongoing on one field. Yields are reasonable, but the issues are getting them lifted, and then storage in such wet conditions. My assessment of this year’s crops and prices has not yet reached a conclusion, with some crops unsold and even still in the ground, but we will be down on last year’s yield by quite a lot. Editor: I hope I will be able to report the true harvest results in the next newsletter. Tim. Martin Lush (56/58) Having moved to Ashwell near Baldock in 1999 from Lincolnshire, where I had duties at Caythorpe College for 30 years, my wife Carolyn (born in Biggleswade) and I, are busy in the village and area. I spend time as volunteer at National Trust Wimpole as guide on the farm, and in education activities, also I help on RSPB Fowlmere reserve.

Our daughter and family are in Hitchin and son with his in Prince Edward Island, maritime Canada. I am still in touch with fellow Shutt’ Peter Eldridge, who also married a Biggleswade girl. Best wishes for the e-news.

Brian Batcheldor (65/67) Good morning Dave, and firstly thank you for the consistent and quality work you have done for “Shutts” for so long, you will be sorely missed for all your efforts which I for one appreciated even from so far away.

As a photographer, I specialise in panoramic images, these have no relevance to print but could be used in a “e-edition” format. Would something like this be of any interest?

Editor: Yes, Brian but I can’t download your images. Please send me another one for the Christmas edition. Tim.

John Pawlyn (60/62) Hi Dave, thanks for your email and for the dedication and work you have done for the association.

Secondly my apologies for the A.G.M. I shall be in Russia supervising drilling of 8100 hectares of sugar beet. I did not think when I retired as a director of Booker Farming that I would be doing that at age 75!

David Prothero (62/64) Tells us that he has moved to Wales.( Llandysul, Ceredigion, Dyfed ) Ben Harden (64/66) Retirement has yet to come my way. When no longer able to stick the excitement of farming I took on an agency for bee equipment and like Topsy it just growed! Now in the sights of the tax man… life is harsh. I will probably stick this provided I can employ a student over the panic summer period. Would love to make a celebration if it can be fitted in.

I don't have contact with Pete Morley (64/66) and no longer see his firm's lorries on the road, a sensible man decently retired. He did live south of Dublin and the 2012 Dublin telephone book lists just one possible in P.D. Morley, Good luck tracing lost souls, Ben. Thomas Scotson (68/70) I stopped recieving Newsletters several years ago and I am not sure if or where they will be going now. Anyway I am now residing at Brickendonbury, Hertford.

I am still involved with the Shutts farm as the agronomist for the contracting grower Peter Allen (89/92 ) another old boy albeit from a much more recent time.

Indeed I was speaking with John Scott, as I bumped into him the other day, the first time for several years.

Best Regards and thank you for your work in editing the Newsletter. Thomas.

Mark Ormond, HND Ag, (89-92) Where does the time go?

It’s frightening how time flies! It doesn’t seem long since I arrived at Shuttleworth on day 1, in a rusty old Ford Escort. As I shut the door, with the keys in the ignition, the door lock dropped and there I was. Stuck. At a new college, didn’t know anyone, and locked out of my car. Luckily, the keys from the Ford Fiesta, parked next to my car, fitted so I wasn’t locked out for long. Its owner was Paul Oughton, who turned out to be on the same course as me, and is still a good friend today.

After 20 years driving company cars, I have been reminded of the pleasures of first cars. My son has just turned 17 and bought his first car. He drove it all day during the Saturday we collected it, and had an enormous grin on his face. He had saved up and bought a 2006 Fiat Punto and was thrilled. Unfortunately he wasn’t so thrilled on Monday morning when the battery was as flat as a pancake. Sorry Robert – back on the moped today. There is now a charger in the garage and jump leads in the boot. As I say – the pleasure of first cars!

Sally and I still live in Suffolk, and will celebrate 20 years of marriage on 1st May 2013. This seems quite a milestone with many of our local friends failing long before this point. Perhaps it’s something to do with an agricultural education, as many of our friends from Shuts are now reaching similar points.

Will and Jane Needham, Chris and Bridget Hall, Peter and Linda Nixon, and Peter and Jane Allen were all married shortly after us, and are still happily married. I am pleased to say we keep in contact with them all I bump into a few other 89-92 faces from time to time.

Tom Pick is farming in Leicestershire, married to Barbara, and I see him regularly at shows.

Adam Teverson lives near Sudbury with his wife Amber. Charlie Glenister is one of the Directors of A T Oliver, which is one of the dealers selling LEMKEN, for which I work. Look me up if you are in need of a plough, cultivator, drill or sprayer.

Picture: Mark Ormond during Wiggle Dragon Ride 2012 When not working, cycling is a big part of our life. All four of us are now members of the local (Stowmarket) cycling club, and can be seen holding up traffic on Suffolk’s roads every Saturday and Sunday. My highlight is when I catch a tractor that does keep to the 20mph speed limit and sit in its slip-stream. That certainly lessons the workload. Sally has agreed (and is now regretting) to do the Wiggle Dragon Ride with me this summer - 85 miles (for her) and 125 miles (for me) around South Wales the weekend prior to Cereals. If I look uncomfortable on the Cereals stand you will know why.

It would be great to hear from anyone who was at Shuttleworth during 1989-92. My email is mark.ormond@btinternet.com Mike Holliday (56/58) says: Tim Hubbard (77/80) has been my highly valued Agronomist for the last 14 years.

It was only on reading this year's magazine that we both realised that we share our alumni but 21 years apart.

Farm results. Is anyone from the SCA team taking the current College management to task on the quite abysmally low yields of all crops grown?

Editor. I really thought that I should give Mike Johnston the right to reply. I personally did not think the results were that bad especially in such a difficult year. Tim. “It is really important that our farm offers our students good practical skills development opportunities as well as management expertise.

All the farm work is carried out by students and that limits the opportunities to focus on high value commercial practice. It does sound to be rather different to the experiences that you had when you were students. But it does mean that they learn how to do the job.

Last summer was particularly difficult for us to work around - partly the weather and also the restrictions placed by timetabling, however the quality and yields of our crops were above the average for the area which doesn’t seem to me to be too bad. An OK commercial return for a great experience for the students.” All the best. Mike Johnston (College Director)

Peter Day (62/64) Has just moved to Bametby le Wold and writes the following: This is very much a downsizing. We have left our very rural Lincolnshire Wolds village with field views whose only facility was a pub (but not a good one) to a larger village /small town on the edge of the Wolds that has 2 pubs, a doctors, general stores and even a bus and train service, and its within 2-3 miles of the motorway network and regional airport! A hard decision to make but the right one - Alice could not have done it if she had been having chemotherapy at the time and we are both getting older. Best wishes to you all.

Richard Cobbald ( 87/89) I am currently managing an estate near Newmarket which is 1300 ha of combinable crops and sugar beet with a large commercial partridge shoot.

One side kick I have is writing for the Farmer Focus section of the Farmers Weekly, this has been great for getting my face known in the industry and is a wonderful forum to try to stir things up should the opportunity be required.

But the big news is I am getting married in October to Claire, after all the years away from Shuttleworth I am getting hitched to a Biggleswade girl. I think it was for the best that we didn't meet between 87-89 as other elements in life were far more important. But it’s nice to be around the area of Shuttleworth and have the odd beer in the Hare.

Richard Cobbald and Claire.

Editor: Congratulations to you both. Tim. Richard Heath (67/69) I was a church bell ringer and spent Sunday mornings in Old Warden tower. The captain at the time was a lady who served in Tory head office and noted the rise of a certain politician of the 'Female Form' (Debate runs on!). As I had a group of friends who were not bellringers (don't think there were any others anyway) I did not ring at Bedford nor Northill, etc. but stuck to student activities relevant at the time.

At Mrs. Shuttleworth's funeral there were not enough ringers for the service, as it was in the working week, and so I was called in to ring. Being the only one available there was the option of 'nothing' or 'tolling' a bell. The custom at the time was for six tolls / break / six tolls / repeated ....... of the tenor (9 cwt -0 qu -22 lb) and this is what was done at the end of the service and while the funeral party went to the tomb in the churchyard. My viewing of the tomb afterwards was revealing in that the 'opening' led to a chamber passage some 2,5 m below the ground level and had, if I remember correctly, places for a number of coffins off to the sides of the passage.

Editor: Interesting little snippet. I was a bellringer too; in fact I learnt to ring at Old Warden and later rang a lot at Northill. Tim. Jerry Stephenson OND 83/86.

Jerry is now Managing Director of a business called “A day in the Country”, which is an award winning Corporate Events, Team Building company, with a Conference venue based on the Oxfordshire / Northamptonshire border at Aynho, near Banbury, Oxon. (Just down the road from me at Banbury- Tim Editor) Established over 25 years ago as a family-run business, A Day in the Country offers a very personal and specialised service to clients, and its staff have a wealth of experience as Event Managers. A Day in the Country prides itself on being able to organise any event to suit precise requirements, and is renowned for its standards of service and attention to the smallest detail. From organising a major product launch to a small conference, A Day in the Country is an ideal venue for your corporate event, whether it’s an activity or team building day, meeting, product launch or conference. Website: www.adayinthecountry.co.uk Richard Stuart 52/54) Sadly we have to report Richard’s recent death.

Dave Valentine wrote to me saying: He was a very long ‘friend’ of the SCA, he was a worker for us – finding many addresses etc. of old students from his and later eras. He will be a big loss to our ranks – he travelled alone from Devon to several reunions and was a great supporter.

John Simpson said, he saw him at the last reunion and it was a great pleasure to meet him and chat about the "old days". It is believed that he had a full set of the Furrow Press, Our condolences go out to his widow, Christine. A full obituary will appear in our next issue.

Colin Rayner (76/79) Has been enjoying his year as Mayor of Windsor and Maidenhead. Here are a few pictures: Colin with his wife Samantha (in Red). Civic Duty (left)

Meeting the Queen, yet again (left)

Ken Cox on Retirement Editor: I caught sight of the word Shuttleworth in a copy of the Saga Magazine. A few chosen words to encourage us older ones to face the reality of retirement.

Ken Cox, 86, was briefly worried that he might find retirement boring, but after 22 years of it the former police officer and driving instructor-examiner cheerfully reports that his fear was ill-founded. His passion for engineering, which extends to aircraft, vintage cars, motorcycles and model railways, is as consuming as ever.

After many years as a volunteer for the Shuttleworth Veteran Aeroplane Society in Biggleswade, Bedfordshire, Ken became Chairman in 1992.

Membership has since increased to more than 3200 and the collection now includes more than 80 working aircraft dating from 1909. Ken, who served with the army during the Second World War, was awarded the MBE in 2007.

“You never know what’s going to come up, that’s what I like,” he explains.

“We’ve got the oldest flying aircraft in the country, and the unpredictability of working with them keeps me on my toes. I’m very practical, but this is a social activity as well because I show people round the hangers. And we have flying days, so it keeps me active.”

“I was lucky – when I left School at the beginning of the war I worked in a garage and the boss got me a driving licence. I wasn’t even 16. Now I’ve got a model railway all the way round my garden – its intricate machinery that fascinates me. I like helping people out, and I meet a lot of like-minded people through the Shuttleworth Collection.”

Ken Cox.

Little bits from the Furrow Press of 1969 It would appear that I have got interested in reading old copies of the Newsletter. The 1969 copy of the “Furrow Press”, I find fascinating. Not only was it nearly the last – certainly it had a lower circulation than previously – but it records Mrs Shuttleworth’s passing and the arrival of the New Principal replacing the much loved and admired, Ken Russell.

All the Sports Teams are recorded with smart photographs. There are Reports of a whole host of Clubs including, the Agricultural Club, Machinery Club, Christian Fellowship, Music Society. Another success story was recorded when “The Seal Hayne Challenge Run” was won in a record breaking time by a dedicated group of Shuttleworth students.

However there were two other lesser items that caught my eye, No.1 an advert for a Tractor, the Nuffield 4/25 (British Leyland to become Rover, now maybe BMW). I don’t remember it but it may well have been quite a small tractor but what an amazing low price. Seems impossible! (see the picture of the advert) No 2 a few words in an article reporting the Annual Conference of U.K.I.A.S.A. held at the Royal Agricultural College. To quote: “The same evening a talk on Chemicals in World Agriculture in the Future was given by Mr R.A.Hamilton, head of the Agricultural Division of ICI who would have us believe that the salvation of the world would come from the use of chemical aids – perhaps it will.”

Editor: 44 years later we have become all too aware of the misuse of Chemicals. Reading between the lines I guess that the writer was sceptical about the speaker’s words in 1969. Tim.

Mrs Frank Shuttleworth An Appreciation by Lieut.-Colonel L.W. Diggle (Reproduced from -the Furrow Press of 1969) Mrs. Shuttleworth moved to Old Warden when her father came to the Parish as Vicar. She was a girl at the time, and continued to live in the Parish after her marriage till the time of her death. She knew it well and for a long time retained a close interest in everyone and in all that went on. Her son Richard Ormond Shuttleworth, lived with her and shared her interests.

Her activities extended far beyond the village. In the First World War she made her London house into a hospital; in the second, Old Warden Park became a hospital. She had many interests in the County and in a wider field still. In his boyhood Richard took the keenest interest in everything mechanical and developed a great love of speed – whether on a horse, in a motor car or an aeroplane. He loved a point-to-point and used to have fences in the park for schooling his horses. Motor racing appealed tremendously to him as did flying.

He had many adventures in most of which his mother shared; she took the keenest interest in all of them On one occasion she was flying with him in his aeroplane which was far from the latest model. The exhaust pipe broke off beside where she was sitting much to her discomfiture.

On another occasion a pot of red paint fell from his aeroplane and the content was spilled over a pram, frightening the poor mother who thought the paint was her baby's blood. When racing in South Africa, with a very strong side wind. His car swerved badly and he had a very serious accident. His mother flew out to him; her anxiety was great while he was recovering from his serious injuries.

All this time he was collecting "vintage" cars and aeroplanes which were the beginning of the now famous "Shuttleworth Collection" as we know it today. His knowledge of all the exhibits was remarkable. He was a frequent participant in the "Old Crocks" run to Brighton.

His mother frequently accompanied him, dressed in clothes reminiscent of the early Edwardian or even late Victorian eras.

In August, 1940, Richard was killed while serving with the R.A.F. Mrs Shuttleworth wanted a fitting memorial to him. With great foresight and with her wonderful drive she turned the property into a Trust, the Richard Ormond Shuttleworth Memorial Trust, the root from which grew Shuttleworth College. Teething troubles there were, as was bound to happen, but she felt they were there to be overcome. She had set her heart on the project and was not to be put off. With her great drive, her indomitable courage and her determination to make the scheme a success she persevered and overcame all difficulties. Not only did she make it a memorial worthy of him; it has also proved to be a tribute to a very great lady. With her passing we came to the end of an era. She had well and truly laid the foundations of Shuttleworth College.

The Village and College mourn her.

THE OLD STUDENTS AND THE COLLEGE WISH TO REMEMBER WITH GRATITUDE DOROTHY CLOTILDA SHUTTLEWORTH, O.B.E. FOUNDER OF SHUTTLEWORTH COLLEGE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD OF GOVERNORS TILL HER DEATH ON 5TH OCTOBER 1968 The above is a replica of the Plaque in Memory of Mrs Shuttleworth and which was unveiled by the Chairman of the Trust, Viscount Boyd of Merton, on Speech Day, 28th June 1969. The plaque has been placed in the main entrance of the College building. The major cost of which was born by the S.C.A. Just to add an extra little bit; In the Students Union Presidents report in the 1969 Furrow Press he says, “With the death of Mrs Shuttleworth, went the final living link with the college as it was. However, that intangible spirit which she had engendered at Shuttleworth is something which will survive for as long as there are students here.”

John Humphreys. (67/69) Editor: Well said, Tim.

Coronation Day 1953 - by a young Elizabethan (From a past edition of the Newsletter) These words conjure up to many people the sight of pageantry in all its wonder and out of world colour. To a small proportion of the Queen’s realm, namely Shuttleworth College and inmates, it meant all this and more. In many of their minds the events of the day will live forever.

With the Students the fever of Coronation Day began the evening before when a few of the plutocrats who had their own forms of transport in the way of Matchless, Austin 7’s, Ford 8’s and one MG., proceeding on their way to the city of wonderland, armed with the necessities of living in the form of bread and liquid refreshments. The climatic conditions were as ever forecast to be truly English, so macs and gum boots were the order of the day. Back at College, life went on much in the same way, but for the adventurous few who wended their way to London it was more than a jolly mob. Some had been fortunate enough to obtain shelter for the night in the vicinity of the pageant, with alarm clocks set for some unearthly hour of the morn of the long awaited day while the less fortunate tried to rest their recumbent bodies on to the “softness” of the London’s pavements. Nature did her best and made everyone wet but did not damp their spirits. From a front line account of two of the aforesaid young Elizabethans, apparently the night on the pavement bed was a fight for survival with various bodies trampling on one’s hand and head and other delicate parts of the anatomy.

The day dawned and our correspondents report that they were wet and felt the cold winds creeping in. When the procession (with all its colour and magnificence) came in sight, they felt carried into a wonderland especially when the fantastically beautiful coach carrying Her Majesty came into sight, with radiance thrown from the coach and herself, which they said would live in their memories forever, and which they could pass on to their grandchildren, they hoped!

Returning from the scene of the main focus point of the world on that day of June 2nd, 1953, we came to Shuttleworth, which I hardly need to say, was not the point of focus of the world.

The few that had remained had varying experiences. To many it was a good excuse to lie recumbent among the bedclothes listening to the rain coming down outside and thinking of the silly so and so’s who had ventured to London. On arising they stumbled to the common room where by the wonders of the twentieth century, all the splendour was brought to life through the medium of television.

About three truly rural students went a hoeing sugar beet; two were from the largest Agricultural county in the country (which has been made known to all students at the college by a contingent from this area). The other student was from the country of fells, sheep and heather, and wears shirts of some remote highland clan? So the three did their bit and earned what is called “money” and which is held in great esteem by students everywhere.

The day gradually wore on with the flashes of pageantry flashing on the screen. Eventually 4 o’clock arrived when students had been advised that free food and drink were being made available at the village of Old Warden, so a mad rush was made to the rendezvous of hospitality. However the drink proved to be in the form of coffee, but a hint was passed that “Wells & Winches” brew would be available in the evening.

The evening of Coronation, this was the climax to many students of a very wonderful day.

The evening started off with an issue of free beer at Old Warden and thence the slightly merry bunch of lads wended their way to a dance in one of the surrounding villages where they endeavoured to liven up proceedings.

In the nearby haunt of Biggleshaven a few lads became very merry indeed with the resultant setting off of fireworks outside the local Palais de Dance, or should I say the “Snake Pit”? until the arrival of the law and order. Two ex-army types excelled themselves, and with their experiences in Italy and the Middle East showed us how much fire water they could take and remain fairly upright.

Well past the hour of midnight “bodies”, some merry, some very merry and some completely in another world, trickled back to their retreat and managed to throw themselves on their sites of rest. Next morning the frivolities showed themselves in the form of bleary eyes, sore heads and yawns.

However, I think every student will agree that the Coronation of 1953 will remain long in their memories, and will be spoken of to their grandchildren and even their great grandchildren around their atomic-fired heaters in the New Age. A Young Elizabethan.

John Hudson & John Edge-Partington 51/53 where there on a motorbike.

Editor: Thank you John H for finding this for me. Tim.

Changes for the good I am sure you will be aware that changes are taking place all the time at Shuttleworth but perhaps you have not been able to make a visit to actually see what has been going on. Last Autumn I was invited to an Open-house event. This was an informal event to thank everyone for their support throughout the year and talk about plans for the future, but of course it was also an opportunity to see the more recent changes, including the New Library and the wonderful new student computer facilities. I thought you might like to see two of my pictures:-

This is the New Library situated in the relatively new building in what used to be the Gardens located behind the Bursar’s Office and Vintage Tractor Sheds. For the younger of you I could say where the Veterinary Surgery used to be.

And here is part of the new IT rooms.

Recent pictures in the College The Old NDA Second year lecture room in the Mansion. In my days 65/67 you had to go through the lovely old Library in the large, oak paneled central hall to enter our lecture room.

Seen in December 2012 as a dining room, where we were served a wonderful Tea by the students studying catering.

And here the main Dining Room of the old Mansion House as it was. I was so pleased to see it still intact and totally unchanged.

Here is old age at its best

Russ and Sam, two friends, met in the park every day to feed the pigeons, watch the squirrels and discuss world problems.

One day Russ didn't show up. Sam didn't think much about it and figured maybe he had a cold or something. But after Russ hadn't shown up for a week or so, Sam really got worried.

However, since the only time they ever got together was at the park, Sam didn't know where Russ lived, so he was unable to find out what had happened to him.

A month had passed, and Sam figured he had seen the last of Russ, but one day, Sam approached the park and -- lo and behold -- there sat Russ!

Sam was very excited and happy to see him and told him so. Then he said, 'For crying out loud Russ, what in the world happened to you?'

Russ replied, 'I have been in jail.'

'Jail!' cried Sam. What in the world for?'

'Well,' Russ said, 'you know Sue, that cute little blonde waitress at the coffee shop where I sometimes go?'

'Yeah,' said Sam, 'I remember her. What about her?"

'Well, one day she filed rape charges against me; and, at 89 years old, I was so proud that when I got into court, I pleaded 'guilty'.

'The damn judge gave me 30 days for perjury".

Will Forbes – Fenland Maize Power Will Forbes (85/87) is a director of Riverfen Farms, a Shropshire based group with 2200 hectares. They are one of the largest salad and vegetable producers in the UK but mainly grow wheat and sugar beet. They also have a huge contract with Tesco’s to supply them with over 100 tonnes of fresh Mushrooms every week.

They are now developing an exciting new enterprise, in conjunction with Shropshire Energy UK, to produce electricity from Maize.

They are growing 800 ha of Maize on the Fens this year to generate 2.4 MW of electricity at May Farm, Littleport. The electricity will power the Mushroom enterprise as well as 4500 houses in the district.

The Maize will be converted to Methane gas in a Biogas plant. They are planning on using 40,000 tonnes of maize and supplementing this with the 20,000 tonnes of vegetable trimmings, a waste product, coming from their present vegetable enterprise, mainly Onions, Beetroot and lettuce.

There will be useful extra benefits from this new enterprise. It will help improve soil management across the rotation. Slotting in after wheat and beet in the rotation, it will give time to repair soil structure.

They have had a lot of issues with weed beet in the beet crops. "It is a case of one year seeding, nine years weeding.” This should now be less of a problem because maize herbicides will take out the weed beet.

Then there is the Biodigestate (residue from the Biodigester) which will form an excellent low cost organic fertilizer.

Well done – keep up the good work. Big is beautiful. Tim, Editor.

Memories of my first day (and a few more) working at the Mechanisation Centre 13th November 1978 Travelling up the drive, the tradesman’s entrance (Biggleswade end), I wondered what I had got myself into. Arriving at the Mechanisation Centre I was met by Peter Kennedy, head of mechanisation, the other staff were getting ready for lectures. Arthur Davy and Alistair Costley. After a quick tour round Peter introduced me to my office. 6ft X10ft, no windows, it was where the farm keeps all of the tyre repairing equipment. I managed to clear my office and give it a coat of the standard issue smoked magnolia paint. As all three staff were lecturing I was left to my own devices to start the job that Peter gave me, to sort out the stores! Not so much a sore more an area stacked with memorabilia. It was a job I never completed to my satisfaction even by the time Cranfield closed us down in 1996.

My first thoughts on meeting Arthur and Alistair were Arthur’s organisational skills. This included the fantastic balancing act of staking as many books, handouts and other useful items as possible, on, around or under his desk. The one that seemed to excite most people was a massive bronze gear from a final reduction unit of some prehistoric tractor. Also seeing him going into a lecture with what looked like a bundle of large cigarettes (these were in fact fantastic diagrams that he had painstakingly drawn before the advent of technology, the O.H.P.) Alistair on the other hand seemed quite organised, I just could not understand why he was wearing sandals, without socks, in midNovember! Over the next 18 years I did get used to this though. The other thing that struck me about Alistair was his ability to listen to the radio and either read or mark students work, I’m sure it never affected any of your marks?

One of the hardest things to adjust to was the hours in the working day. Having come from the outside world, the hours were shorter and interrupted by what seemed like breaks every hour, but after some practice I got the hang of it! Once I started to find my way around as a technician, the other part of my job to teach welding kicked in, which I hope some of you might have found useful?

It’s one thing being a welder and another trying to teach someone to weld safely from scratch. I watched the instructor who came over from Mander College to teach evening classes for a few weeks to see how he did it, then I was left to my own devices to try to teach you lot the art of gas and arc welding (later MIG).

Some of my most enjoyable days at Shutts were spent in the welding bay. It was very rewarding to see a student who had never seen a gas or arc welder join two pieces of metal together and the joint survive the official test of destruction (large hammer plus a big vice).

Once I had gained confidence, Peter thought I should expand my instructing to workshop skills and safety. I’m sure a lot of you remember my enthusiasm for stopping the tractor’s engine and lowering any implement attached to the ground, then removing the key before getting off it! (a tractor in this position is usually very safe). My first experience of workshop skill almost gave me a heart attack, but also taught me a very important lesson. We were removing a David Brown front wheel to grease/refit and adjust the bearings. I had got all the equipment out, jacks, axle stands, spanners etc, set the task, and one able bodied student was removing the wheel. I went into the stores to get something and came out. The student having taken the wheel off was lying on the floor, head under the stub axle looking upwards at the bearing with no axle stand under the tractor. Trying not to get too excited; asked why he was not using the pre mentioned stand. He said “You never told me to”.

From that day forth I always assumed all students had no previous knowledge, and with a lot of them it seemed I was not far wrong!

Sometimes it was the staff that caused trouble. I will not forgive Bill Bedser for putting the fire out on our old plot combine, he ran all the way from the plots to reception to get a fire extinguisher to prevent it from being burn out. Mechanically this machine was “well past its use by date”.

Eventually we did manage to replace it with a more modern one.

My time at Shuttleworth was one of the happiest times of my working life. We had ups and downs, a few jobs in muck spreaders that weren’t much fun, a few students that were a bit of a pain but for 99.99% of the time it was great. My only hope is that some of what I went on about was of use to you at sometime in your working life. Also that you as student might have realised that Mechanisation was a great mine of information (some of it going back a few decades) but the basic skills in and around workshops don’t change that much!

Phil Trolley Technician Shuttleworth 1978-96 when Cranfield shut us down. Then free transfer to Silsoe (which Cranfield closed in 2008). Lastly free transfer to main campus, and I took early retirement 2010 !

Pictures that bring back memories

Arthur Davy playing with the Combine..........

My Large Office.

Ready for a bit of Knotter technology

Ivel Tractor.1st British tractor built in Biggleswade.

Machinery Centre with one of our Hi-tech machines

Vegetable firm’s growth plans to create jobs Jonathan Pearce (82/83) and his brother Simon run a major West Norfolk vegetable supply business. They hope to expand the family run business by building a new £2 m plant near Downham Market, creating 25 new jobs for the area.

Alfred G Pearce based in Setchley are seeking planning permission for a purpose-built vegetable washing and grading facility at Mill Farm in Shouldham Thorpe. They already run a processing plant at Wormegay, preparing vegetables including, carrots, parsnips and onions.

Simon said manufacturers increasingly wanted washed, graded and trimmed vegetables and the new facilities would help the company to meet these changing customer demands.

Once up and running the plant is expected to be able to handle about 30,000 tonnes of parsnips and carrots every year.

The business was established in 1959 to service the canning industry and is now involved in growing, processing and marketing vegetables for food manufacturers in the UK and throughout Europe, handling more than 70,000 tonnes of products annually. Last September it was named by the Daily Telegraph as one of Britain’s brightest businesses within the food and agricultural industries.

Editor: Eric Yates (SCA Committee) often sees Jonathan at Carrow Road watching Norfolk City Football Club.

Hydroponics in the Caribbean – Phil Harper Editor. This is a piece from the Caribbean – the first of a series he has sent me. It is about a hydroponics unit which grows all kinds of things without soil. They also grow a grass which can be irrigated with salt water, and mushrooms on logs. If anyone would like to read the ongoing story then I suggest you write to me and I will pass on your e-mail address to Phil who can keep you updated direct.

Phil Harper OND (71/74)

The journey started with all four doors of the car frozen shut after rain during the earlier part of the night followed by frost. The car was ice bound and this was my farewell to Dinton. Hannah, Ross and my beloved wife all piled in to take me to the airport at Gatwick to either to see me off or to make sure I was gone. We had a fast run even though the traffic was plentiful and we checked in without bother and went for coffee together. Eventually the time of parting arrived and we all found the reality more difficult than expected with a few tears all round. The journey was painfully long with me stuck in a not too warm airplane for all of nine hours.

When I got off the airplane I was cheered by a sunless, cloudy Barbados with a warm gentle wind blowing. I was met at the gate by a CCA rep who ushered me through immigration and told me that my connecting flight would be in one hour. While I waited I used the airport WiFi to check my emails to find an email from CCA telling me that my private jet would pick me up at 17;00 which happened right on schedule but causing me to wait exactly three hours. My bags went from plane to plane with ease and I was chauffeured to my plane out on the Tarmac, all of thirty yards and I was joined by three others, two women and a child. One of the women turned out to be the CEO, Mrs Curacas who I am told is a bit of a dragon travelling her daughter and nanny. She was pleasant enough but had a certain dismissive air about her and spent the flight ignoring her daughter, politely not engaging in any form of talk whilst sitting right beside me reading a book. Trust me; private jets are intimate and you are in close proximity of each other so , not engaging with fellow passengers is quite a feat.

When we landed, she with child and nanny melted away with a brief farewell while I had to return to the plane to find my glasses so I could fill in the immigration forms. Duh! I was collected by Sidroy in one of many pickups, all white, that's the vehicle and not the man, and taken to a local supermarket (with the super missing) which was far removed from Waitrose at home.

I was treated to 140 Eastern Caribbean Dollars worth of essentials and then driven to my boudoir which generated mixed feelings when I saw it. My first impression was of a shack overlooking the marina. My second impression was of a shack overlooking the marina (under construction and therefore a building site). The reality was a fairly spacious and pleasant apartment backing onto the building site which WILL be the new marina. Still, pleasant enough for now and the air conditioning, though noisy was working well. My own compressor is delightfully noisey and ramshackle and sits obediently by my front door, shaking and rattling seemingly trying to jump off its shelf. A previous tenant, a small person, well short anyway, put a double washing line across the front door to garrotte any sucker who didn't spot it in time. It nearly got me but so far so good.

I was taken out for a meal by my new boss who is an American who rarely met my gaze. He was friendly and I was relaxed and the meal was good though not sensational, but I was too tired to be hungry. We parted at nine and I went to my bed which was supplied with a single sheet. I slept for about and hour and woke up frozen and went on the prowl for the aircon off switch and another sheet. There was a spare sheet, none too thick, and I donned a sweat shirt and went back to my litter (good description) and back to sleep.

I awoke at six and started writing this in order to get over an attack of isolation panic and to get used to being alone which is a problem I have to get used to. While I write this we are hit by a huge noise on the roof which I take as a cloudburst. I looked out of the window and the rain was not obvious so it might have been wind and it sounded like and express loco though.

I am to be picked up from my temporary home at about 8 o'clock, probably in yet another white pickup, to start my first day at the job. Watch this space.

The first day This started with being picked up by Sidroy Lowman, a tall Vincentian. He took me to the offices where I met he gorgeous Maridonna. Tall slim with her long multicoloured hair in dreadlocks and she was elegant in style and manner. She introduced me to Francis who set me to fill in about ten very long forms which took two hours. Maridonna rematerialised and took me to every department and introduced me to so many people that nobody will remember me or me them. I met some really smashing people who warmly welcomed me. One group of guys in a workshop, when they found out that I was the new hydroponics supervisor asked me to grow a special bean to order. This bean is very long and they politely laughed when I corrected them and told them that they were wanting a beeeaaaan. Well, I said I would try if I could get hold of the seed. I was then picked up by Sidroy who took me to the Police station to get my driving licence and then to the bank to change money.

He then took me home to get some lunch and a much needed break from people and sun. Never thought I would get to needing a break from the sun but this is not England. After lunch I was taken on a tour of the island which is concrete roads on steep slopes. Top speed here is 25 mph, if you dare. Everyone smiles and waves which you soon find yourself behaving in the same manner. The day ended early and I had had enough of bumpy roads, heat and people. There is an new awareness of Dengue fever caught from mosquitoes. I have been issued with an awareness card, home treatment and spray on repellent. Paradise?

It is accepted that you give lifts to folk awaiting on the roadside. Most pickups have a number on the back door stating how many are allowed to travel in the back. William's pickup is allowed four so, we pick up all sorts. The Resort is a special area. My office and hydroponic unit are based within the confines of the golf course and thus the Resort which is strictly controlled. I have a pass for entry which is recorded electronically every time I enter and exit. My workers have no pass but they must dismount the vehicle and pass on foot though a side gate for processing. They then meet me outside the barrier to resume the journey home. Occasionally the gate staff search the car in which we travel, looking for who knows what. If I have no passengers there are always plenty waiting outside the gate looking for a lift. Dropping off is by request, not a bell but a rap on the cab roof. It all works well.

Sometimes there are streams of workers heading home along the road and most have to walk as there will never be enough passing vehicles to give them lifts. The sun shines and shines and the air is always warm.

Where I am staying, it is a few yards off the beach and by a wonderful and beautiful bay. The apartment Iooks dodgy at first impressions but is actually really nice. Plenty enough room for two to live and it would be possible to have two good friends to stay over. I could get to love this place.

Tonight I have decided to eat out just along the beach. The evening is delightful and they have wifi on tap so I can email home.

Well the email was good but the pizza cost nine quid. Nice pizza but lousy price. I will stick to home eating for a while and just drink at the bar to use the wifi connection. Bed beckoned and I turned in at 21:00 thinking I will be awake all night but dozed off and slept well until I got up at six to get ready for another day.

My Friday started with a pick up by William. He is always late so this didn't happen until half an hour after the appointed time. He drove me to the hydroponics farm and seemed relieved that the main worker, Jackie, and I seemed to hit it off as naturally as is possible. I also met Richard (top man) and Iran his second. There was someone else, older and more dignified, described as a farmer involved but I am not sure how. Richard was telling me that he intended to spray that morning and I asked him what with? He told me some fancy trade name and I immediately asked him, in an overly brusque manner what the active ingredient was. He looked nonplussed and Jackie laughed and told him that the new order had arrived and Mr Phil was right to ask and it was down to him to know. He wasn't offended in any way and Jackie told me later that he would learn as he was a sponge for knowledge.

Today is order filing day and there were about forty orders for all kinds of things. I was elected scribe, to fill out the order forms for accounts to invoice against. This happened mainly to keep me out of the way of packing and weighing which they were better at. My main problem was identifying the herbs. Anyway, we got everything packed and then the hotel rang and asked for 30 lbs of tomatoes. This cocked up our morning work big time as we have to give the hotel priority over staff.

This meant that we had to unbag everything to access the tomatoes and rebag, re invoice and get a control of our tempers all at the same time. Still, this was great as it helped bonding and it also pissed off most of the staff who will receive no tomatoes this week except for one Canadian who very sensibly ordered cherry tomatoes and he had our entire stock of about a pound.

The day ended at five and on the way back Jackie introduced to to Mr Bramble whose total function in life is to fight the curse of mosquitoes. He was just such a wonderful character and so warm and friendly and such a delightful man. Today I had made new acquaintances and seemed to past muster by some means. I went to the beach cafe for a beer, avoided the expensive food and emailed all my friends. Home to bed and to sleep at 09:00.

Saturday morning and to work again but very relaxed. Richard sprayed the surroundings as part of the insect control measures. This is done every Saturday to keep control of the creepy crawlies. This is a well-oiled machine and I have already identified a few measures for improvement. The most effective change will be to remove the lettuce from the building and grow them by the raft method.

This will require the building of a pond in the 'car park' which will need both money and approval. It is a fact that we will not keep up to the demands of the hotel when it opens and the lettuce varieties will function faster and more economically on the raft technique and away from the tables.

Fortunately, Jackie likes and supports this, not that I need her support but it is nice the carry the staff with you at times like this.

Still, Saturday morning, my first, seems to have passed without too much challenge. I am off in an hour and back to my apartment for lunch and a swim. I have met some really nice people this week and I cannot remember barely one name. One guy, Peter, is from Sturminster Newton and he is building the marina. Seems a nice guy. Another fellow I warmed to was Gary, either Yank or Canadian working on the transport facility. We will see. I am still without transport as my licence has yet to be approved as 't' class to enable me to drive my pickup. This won't help me explore the island this weekend so I might stay put. On Monday I, in a party of newcomers will be flown to St. Vincent to get acquainted a little more. The return journey will be by fast ferry and they warn off sea sickness.

Staying put is not my style so, on my first Saturday afternoon I climbed the hill near me which is at the end of the spit of Land on which sits the airport and the marina under construction. The climb was in the heat of the day reminding me of mad dogs and Englishmen. The view was worth it though and seemingly, just for me, a private jet containing some celebrity took off for my video. This is all very nice but so empty without someone to experience this with. I hear tales of cold winds, snow and generally wet conditions and cannot perceive this at all whilst sitting in the heaving lay sun.

My first Sunday starts deliberately late and with a dip in the blue sea. How good is that? It's nine o'clock here therefore 13:00 at home. Maybe I can get in touch with my cute little wife back home.

Today I am loafing and will pop to the beach bar to a wifi zone for my lunch and email home. I feel more inclined to visit there now as on my first meal there they overcharged me. I should have said something at the time but, for reason of cowardice, did not. However, I did mention it last night and the boss went straight to the till and paid me back the difference. I thanked them for their action and for trusting me without question. I then ordered my tea to be eaten on the beach under the brightest moon ever. Waving palms, silver sands, surf crashing onto the beach is so far removed from England. I also felt better that a wrong had been righted without fuss or bitterness.

So, it is Sunday and I am stuck out of the way on a spit of sand without transport. I think coffee time will be at ten and I will email home and do some Internet research

Jim Honey – Garden Design Jim Honey (64/66) is now running his own business, “JIM HONEY DESIGNS”, making gardens for private clients in various locations around the world, working on commissions in diverse climatic zones throughout Europe and North America. Jim works closely with his clients to incorporate their ideas and dreams into the overall project.

Jim was born in Exbury in 1944; he grew up in a farming family. His mother wrote for the Farmers Weekly for many years.

After leaving College, Jim travelled through North America, arriving in San Francisco in 1967, “The Summer of Love”. Whilst there he created his first garden and learned the importance of gardens as sanctuaries from busy lives... “places to dream”.

Returning to England in 1972, Jim started a gardening business in Bath which grew steadily and it was during this period that he collaborated with Alvilde Lees Milne on many of her projects for extremely interesting clients until her death in 1992.

Jim now travels extensively and has realised gardens in England, France, Turkey, Ireland, New York, California, Canada and the French West Indies.

Frozen Cows A farmer goes out to his field one morning only to find all of his cows frozen solid. As far as the eye can see are cows, motionless like statues. It had been a bitterly cold night, but he'd never thought anything like this would happen. The realisation of the situation then dawned on him. With his entire livestock gone, how would he make ends meet? How would he feed his wife and kids? How would he pay the mortgage? He sat with his head in his hands, trying to come to terms with his impending poverty.

Just then, an elderly woman walked by, "What's the matter?" asked the old lady.

The farmer gestured toward the frozen cows and explained his predicament to the woman.

Without hesitation the old woman smiled and began to rub one of the cows noses. After a few seconds the cow began to twitch and was soon back to normal and chewing the cud.

One by one, the old woman defrosted the cows until the whole field was full of healthy animals.

The farmer was delighted and asked the woman what she wanted as a repayment for her deed.

She declined his offer and walked off across the field.

A passer-by who had witnessed the whole thing approached the farmer. "You know who that was don't you?" asked the passer-by.

"No" said the farmer "who?"

It’s worth it.....trust me

"That was Thora Hird."

Teddy Maufe and a Model Stirling…

A model aircraft at RAF North Creake Airfield, now being farmed by Teddy Maufe (70/71).

Labour of Love – The model which will feature on the Antiques Road Show in April 2013 on BBC One, has taken Tony Nelson 7000 hours to build over the course of 15 years.

Tony said some veterans were in tears when they saw it. The Stirling model has also provoked many memories for Fakenham haulier Jack Richards, who was an engine fitter on Stirlings with the 75 Squadron at Mepal in1943. The model has been displayed on occasions at Mr. Richards' popular lorry museum in Fakenham, part of which is a memorial to the 75 Squadron.

Mr. Richards visited the former RAF North Creake Airfield on Thursday to inspect the model. He was joined by Susan Williamson, from Dersingham, whose father Geoffrey Mitchell was a mid-upper gunner on LJ525 at RAF North Creake, Geoffrey Bullen, from Hunstanton, who used to fly Stirlings in the second world war at RAF Rivenhall in Essex and Teddy Maufe (70/71), a farmer on the former RAF North Creake airfield and a great fan of Stirling aircraft. – See pictures. Mr. Maufe's parents farmed on the airfield during the war years. He said: "This model is absolutely brilliant and this is the first time a Stirling, in any form, has been at RAF North Creake since 1947. "So many brave people worked here and never came back. This model is a great tribute to them." Mr. Bullen, 90, said: "Tony has done a wonderful job. The model is so accurate. When I saw it I wanted to climb into it.”

• Anyone who wants to suggest an appropriate home for the collection can call Tony Nelson on 01485 578756. adam.lazzari@archant.co.uk Please see the photographs.

The Editor’s suggestion would be to give it to the “Shuttleworth Collection” - I have no doubt that it would be valued and preserved for all time, as well as admired by many thousands of visitor over the years to come.

Tony Nelson with his model.

Left, Teddy Maufe, Geoffrey Bullemn, Jack Richards and Susan Williamson.

Jane Marshall – Life on the Canals after… Old Warden Jane (Naldrett) Marshall (84/87) By the time I arrived at Shuttleworth, canal holidays were a regular feature of our family life. Dad had really been bitten by the bug and his enthusiasm was beginning to rub off on us all.

My practical year was spent on the College Farms mainly milking the Guernsey herd at Home Farm.

That ‘first boyfriend’ (Pete) had just qualified as a drama teacher and when we got married he came and joined the workforce on the college farms too.

One night (probably after several pints at the Hare and Hounds) the idea came to us to buy a boat to live on…

The story continues, and I am proposing to include it in full in the Next newsletter. As you may well know I have a particular interest in Narrowboats, owing one myself and living aboard most of the time. Editor, Tim. The picture below from Jane may interest you:-

HND 1974-77 reunion Feb 2011 at the Pontcyslyte Aqueduct (Llangollen Canal) Left to Right:Back row - Will Jackson, Aly Moss, John Thickett (Johnny B), Tony Jackson, Dave Neal (Spike), Dave Sipthorpe, Bob Jelley, Dee Kellet, Nigel Kellet (Killer), Jane Marshall.

Front row:Andy Kitchen, Pete Marshall, Liz Jackson, Christine Jackson, John Moss, Jackie Kitchin

S.C.A. Merchandise 1. A superb mounted framed picture of the College viewed from the Warren and painted to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Shuttleworth College (1996).

Size: 17.5" x 21.5". Cost: £45.00 Unframed @ just £25.00 both plus p&p. (subject availability) 2. Shuttleworth ties with a single badge, produced for the 40th anniversary of Shutts. In four colours: navy blue, maroon green or brown. Cost: £5 each (clearance offer!) plus p&p.

3. New! Silk ties to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Shuttleworth College. Cost £10 each + p&p 4. Also New last year. Navy Sports Cap with College Crest, @ £5.00 inc p&p 5. Lapel Badges @ just £2.00 each inc p&p & Back following the ’Sold Out’ sign last year!

6. New stock of Polo Shirts has arrived. This popular item features the Shuttleworth crest on a Navy Blue shirt - £15.00 each 7. Rugger Shirts have also been secured in Blue with a white collar and the crest. @ Just £20 each.

All available from: First Call — Sarah Perrett. 01458 251523 or e-mail: perrett_sarah@hotmail.com Margaret Curry at the College. 01767 626222 or e-mail: mcurry@bedford.ac.uk All cheques payable to Shuttleworth College Association, With Orders please.

Please also remember to Telephone for postal costs, were applicable.