'I couldn’t help but be overwhelmed with pride and gratitude' - Jill Thorp
The last couple of weeks have been tumultuous for all farmers, the length and breadth of the country. Emotions have been running high, with social media awash with some extremely misinformed and ignorant debates, leaving many of us questioning why we bother.
By car, train, coach and bus, they flocked with a common purpose, intent on making a stand and having their voices heard. I doubt the London commuters have ever seen so many wax jackets and wellies, checked shirts and flat caps all crammed on the Tube or marching defiantly on the streets of our capital. Armed with bags of home-grown produce for the cities food banks and fuelled with passion, commitment and determination, the streets were packed with like-minded souls that could no longer sit quietly whilst generations of work was torn out from underneath them. And for those that couldn’t make it, due to no help on the farm, children to look after or elderly relatives to care for, their support was seen in other ways.
Schools were full of rosy-cheeked kids in wellies, villages and towns were crammed with tractors, banners held aloft in one giant sweeping wave of raw emotions driven by anger, frustration and despair. The amazing support and camaraderie that is always felt in our wonderful industry has never been so evident, with tractor tinsel runs now filling rural villages to raise money for local charities. As I watched this amazing display of hardworking folk, standing up for themselves, their forefathers and of course their children, I couldn’t help but be overwhelmed with pride and gratitude that I am lucky enough to be one of them.
As we head towards December, we’re eagerly looking forward to our trip to Bentham auction mart for their wonderful Christmas market on the 13th and 14th. As the stalls are set up in the pens, Paul feels sufficiently enough at home to partake in some festive purchases with little to no complaints! This year we’ll be heading up on the Friday evening so the little guy can enjoy the lantern procession and tractor run whilst his Father sets the world to rights with his farming buddies.
We wouldn’t ordinarily drive that far for our Christmas shopping, but this particular market is not your average one. Each and every stall is crammed with the very best of rural arts and crafts displaying the immense talent of our brilliant rural artisans. Painting, felting, word-working, all uniquely beautiful but so often nowadays in the shadow of modern items, the stalls are packed with one-off works of art, all proudly created by locals. We are an industry that communities rely on in so many ways and this much admired Christmas market is a perfect example of spirit and generosity. Each stall holder donates an item and hampers are made up and then given to families or individuals within the local areas that are having a particularly tough time. These hampers are a gesture of support, care and I suppose you could say love and to me symbolise everything that is so special about our rural places and the wonderful people that live, work and breath them. Support and solidarity.
United we stand.