2002 Stocken Farm New Relief Herdsman Wanted

Extract from the Stocken Farm Diary by Joan West, as published in Hallmark

July 2002. Our relief herdsman has retired and his position been advertised. At first we had about a dozen replies from which we shortlisted five to come for interview. Later more applications came in from Romania, Georgia, two from Zimbabwe, Italy and more from the UK - what a small place the world has become!

It is a big responsibility choosing someone for a herdsman's job. The family will be uprooted, children will change schools, they will almost certainly have to move house, because if you're going to have to start work very early you need to live nearby. Some only apply because they want the house. One man had worked for us before and lived in the same house that goes with this job fifteen years ago. I suppose we should take it as a compliment that he wanted to come back to us and Lacey Green!

All five that came to see us and look round were here the best part of a morning and were all prepared to take the job. Sue and Ian Thorne (head herdsman) very kindly let them look round their house, which was very helpful as we virtually had to refurbish the other one from top to bottom, we certainly didn't want to take people in it until we had.

John, Richard, Maxine and myself had been at all the interviews and independently had a hunch that a man and wife with three children from Zimbabwe might best fit the bill. It was a big gamble because we had only spoken to him on the phone and communicated by fax and email. His wife and a friend came to see us - he dare not leave his home and children, for they have been ordered to stop farming and be out of the house by the 6th of August - they have tickets to fly to England on the 20th August.

We hope this is going to be a success from our point of view of course, and we fervently hope it will work out for them. They had built up their farm for ten years and have had it all taken away, and have to go right back to square one, but they have three young children which makes them able to face this new challenge in Lacey Green. We are confident they will be made welcome here, what a pity they weren't here last weekend to see the village and fete. See 2002 Stocken Farm Wayne & Cherry from Zimbabwe