1948-1960 Stocken Farm with Dick & Hilda West.
From Lacey Green History
This item is listed in Social Snapshots 1900-1968 inc under date 1960
continued from 1934-1948 Stocken Farm with landlord Ernest Smith and tenants Dick & Hilda West
1948 LANDLORD OFFERS TO SELL
In 1948 Ernest Smith, the landlord, offered Stocken Farm, now 190 acres, including ‘Hillocks’ to Dick and Hilda West. They were encouraged to buy, by Harry Floyd, who was the grandson of William Saunders and been brought up in the house. He had his own Floyds Farm but had been lodging with Dick and Hilda. He lent them money, telling them it was an opportunity they must not miss.
Dick, who had never borrowed in his life, bolstered by terrific faith from wife and Harry, took courage and set out to make 190 acres their own. As in 1934 every penny had to be made to count
WW2 had brought improved farming conditions and gradually they paid off their loan from Harry Floyd.
In 1958, on leaving Harper Adams Agricultural College, Dick and Hilda's son John came home to join them. The partners Dick and Hilda West together with John West became R M West & Son.
Dick had employed 2 men from the start, but in the 1950s had taken students who lived in with the family. These students had to work for a year before going to Agricultural College. Their son John worked his pre college year with them in 1953. In 1954 there was Tony Sear who became a grain trader, 1955 Alistair Fagge who became a agricultural advisor, 1956 Patrick Perkins who inherited a farm in Eire, 1957 Ron Leaman who managed a large farm estate in Suffolk. Without exception they kept in touch with the Wests all their lives.
The two men Dick employed at this time were Gerald Bedford, tractor driver and Alf Ayres the cowman.
click 1955 A Year at Stocken Farm for Alistair Fagge's account of his year as a student here.
