West Norfolk farm workers honoured for 200 years of dedicated work

Five West Norfolk farm workers, who between them have given more than 200 years’ service to the industry, have been honoured at the Royal Norfolk Show.

Long service awards were presented on the second day of the show on Thursday, as thousands of visitors enjoyed tastes and glimpses of the county’s present and future.

The long service award winners were Malcolm Whittred who has worked for G W Harrold and Partners, mostly on their Stanhoe farms, for 50 years; Roy Blackwell, a general farm workers for Heygate Farms, Swaffham, for 44 years; Michael Rayner, 41 years as an agricultural operative with E W Porter, of Feltwell; Steven Howell, 40 years with Keith Farms Partnership, Fakenham; and Paul Hobbs, also 40 years at Harrowden Turn Ltd, Hockwold.

The certificate presentations were made by the show president and watched by employers and proud families and friends.

In their time on the farms, all of these workers have seen farming techniques and machinery change beyond recognition.

Mr Blackwell said that he was stilll a schoolboy when he got a Saturday job helping out on the farm. He said: “My father asked if there was something I could do.

“They must have liked me because I am still there. I still enjoy being out there in the fresh air and can’t imagine doing anything else.”

Mr Rayner has worked for three generations of the Porter family, starting by helping out in the house.

He then started tractor driving and now does anything including driving combine harvesters and beet harvesters.

He said that today’s machinery is a far cry from the very basic tractor he started driving, adding: “Now we have air conditioning, GPS satellite navigation and everything happens at the push of a button.”

Also among the visitors was South West Norfolk MP Elizabeth Truss, who got a taste of Norfolk grown produce and drinks when she chatted to exhibitors in the food hall on Thursday.

Among them were Matt and Steph Brown, from Beachamwell, whose company Founding Drinks chose the show to launch a new product Boadicea Gin. It uses Norfolk grain and the base spirit is the company’s popular vodka brand.

The head gardener at Houghton Hall, Ollie Wilkins, gave audiences at the horticultural show an insight into growing herbs. His ‘herb your enthusiasm’ talk explained how he and his team are redeveloping the herb garden at the stately home.

And heads also turned skywards as the newly-arrived F35 jets from RAF Marham chose Thursday and the airspace over the showground to make their first flights in the Norfolk skies – just as their station commander, Group Captain Ian Townsend, and his wife walked on to the site.

Turn to page 24 for more of West Norfolk’s winners.