Family ties up businesses...

The move raised more than a few eyebrows amongst the rural community. "There have been all sorts of rumours," says Derek. "One is that we bought Cundalls for 1. That's certainly not true. There are also those who think that because we now own the company that I don't have to pay for selling my livestock through Malton market. That's not true either."

What is without question is Derek's appetite for spotting opportunities and grabbing them with both hands.

"I have always told my children that in life you might get four or five really big opportunities. Most people miss them all and if you're Richard Branson you take all five."

That Derek, his wife Carol and son Tom became land and estate agency owners is down to one of the most common of farming reasons - succession planning. Derek is setting up his son in business. It is a case of the wheel turning full circle as Derek first showed his tendency for trading at Malton Market when he was in his early teens. "I used to breed rabbits and sell them in a magazine called Fur & Feather."

He fried fish and chips for a year or two at Flamingoland and became a sales rep.

He started farming on a five acre lot where his wife Carol reared around 200 calves a year. They took the plunge and bought 200 acres of farmland but with no farm house. It was another of Derek's great opportunities.

'We had just got our previous farmhouse the way we wanted it. It was worth around 100,000 at the time, but a year later it was worth twice that much. Land prices almost halved in 1992. It meant we could sell our house and five acres of land and buy 200 acres here at West Farm. We rented a house elsewhere whilst we built a new home."

Carol is a farmer's daughter from nearby Thorpe Bassett but neither she nor Derek had ever reared cattle or kept a pig in their lives before they started with them at West Farm. They had also never been on holiday in a caravan – but that didn't stop them from opening the Wolds Way Caravan & Camping site. "The Wolds Way goes through the farm and I have always thought you should utilise what assets you have. We set up our caravan site and have also added a log cabin, yet we had never had any experience that way. We just sat down one night and pretended we had become caravanners. We listed all the things we would want from a site. It's funny but one of the reviews we have had says: 'It's obvious Derek and Carol are hardened campers and they have picked out all of the good bits from other caravan sites.' We hadn't at all. We just thought about it. It's not rocket science."

So what next for the Watsons? Watch this space. Their daughter Lucy is presently working for a racing journal in Australia. Perhaps Derek could be moving into Rupert Murdoch territory.

LAND IS MAINLY ARABLE WOLDS

THE Watson's land is predominantly Yorkshire Wolds arable land but they have tried their hand at outdoor pigs, now consigned to history, and have run a cattle herd of varying shape, breed and size.

They have recently reduced their herd for the winter and have ordered 90 stabiliser heifers for delivery next year with the aim of building the herd up to a minimum of 200. They now rent a further 180 acres. This year they grew all winter barley and last year it was all winter wheat.