942 Years’ Service Recognised

Twenty-three people who have clocked up an outstanding total of 942 years’ service to agriculture were recognised at the Great Yorkshire Show.

The Long Service Awards honour those who have dedicated their working lives to farming in the region. They must have worked for the same employer for a minimum of 35 years and the employer must be a member of the Society.

They were:

• George Armstrong who has worked for the Newby Hall Estate as an Estate Woodman for 36 years.
• John Austick, from the Campbell Partnership, Stokesley, Middlesbrough, who has worked as a Farm Worker for 42 years.
• Mark Bell has worked as a Farmer Worker for T M Darling & Son, Hart, County Durham for 36 years.
• Michael Buck from Sunrise Farm Partnership who has been farming in Kirkby Overblow, Harrogate, for 41 years.
• Dennis Connor who has been an Estate Worker at the Newby Hall Estate. Dennis for 40 years.
• Stephen Coulson with 43 years’ service as a Farm Worker at the Campbell Partnership, Stokesley.
• Stephen Coulson’s uncle, John Coulson, who has 35 years’ service as a Farm Worker at the Campbell Partnership, Stokesley.
• Steve Hugill who has worked as a Shepherd at Wytherstone Estate at Nawton for 40 years.
• Michael Robinson who has worked for 40 years as an Estate Foreman at Newby Hall.
• Tony Sleightholm who has worked at Briar Hill Farm, Sessay, as a General Farm Worker/Tractor Driver for 35 years.
• Philip Williamson who has worked as a Bricklayer for the Dalton Estate, Beverley for 35 years.

For the first time, the Society received a number of recipients from the same farm and, because this was so unusual, they were presented with their awards at the same time. All from J & E Dickenson at Longley Farm, Barnsley, they were:

• Melanie Abbott who has worked in their yogurt department for 35 years.
• David Boyers with 43 years’ service, most of them spent in the yogurt department and now making cardboard boxes for the products.
• Steven Cooper who started life at Longley Farm in the cottage cheese department, then moved into van sales where he still looks after his rounds of customers after 44 years of service.
• Dianne Heppenstall who retired from J & E Dickinson last year having worked at Longley Farm for 48 years, many of them in the cottage cheese department and latterly as their Health and Safety coordinator.
• Adrian Hill has worked at Longley Farm for 39 years, undertaking a variety of jobs, latterly making butter, and working in dry stores, taking delivery of dry ingredients and packaging.
• David Hinchliffe who retired from J & E Dickinson last year after 44 years’ service, having worked mainly at Tyers Hall Farm in Barnsley.
• Mandy Hinchliffe who has worked at Longley Farm for 35 years in various departments, from cottage cheese, making ice cream and running their shop in Holmfirth for many years.
• Samantha Lawton has worked at Longley Farm for 39 years and for several years has been the head of engineering.
• Johnny Lee who has worked at Longley Farm for 42 years doing a variety of jobs, latterly working in the dairy packing cream.
• Charles Morris, the longest standing cottage cheese and Yorkshire curd maker, who has 35 years’ service.
• Ian John Robinson who started 38 years ago, working in the distribution fridge, then took his HGV test and now works as a multi drop delivery driver.
• Mark Robinson who started life at Longley Farm more than 35 years ago making cottage cheese, then moved onto the Dock where he tests and tips/loads tankers of skim, milk and cream.
• Michael Wilson, chief mechanic, who has kept the Longley fleet of vehicles running smoothly for 42 years

The Great Yorkshire Show has become a four-day event after a raft of changes were implemented at the 2021 show due to Covid 19 regulations.

Tickets for the show have now sold out. Tickets will not be available on the gate. The opening times are 8am to 6pm on all four days. To see what is happening on which day, go to: https://greatyorkshireshow.co.uk/whats-on/

GYS22_Long Service – Longley Farm

EDITOR’S NOTES

• The Great Yorkshire Show is England’s premier agricultural event, organised by the Yorkshire Agricultural Society (YAS), a registered charity supporting rural Yorkshire.
• YAS supports and promotes the farming industry through health care, business, education and scientific research.
• The Society is supported by its family of businesses including Fodder, Yorkshire Event Centre, Pavilions of Harrogate and the Harrogate Caravan Park as well as events Great Yorkshire Show and Springtime Live.
• Businesses and events held at the Great Yorkshire Showground in 2019 contributed £73.7 million to the economy.

CONTACT

Jo Francisco
PR Manager
Direct Line: 01423 546215 | Mobile: 07954 007414
Email: jof@yas.co.uk

Sara Lamper Press officer
Mobile: 07759 795990
Email: sara@saralamper.co.uk