The price of machinery ( and a few livestock) through the years....

holwellcourtfarm said:

The DB880 was 8 years old in 1976 but mint condition with only 500 hours on it. I wish Dad hadn't sold it, I loved driving that tractor.

The 6600 was brand new though.

He only started out in June 1966 with £500 capital and, on 120 acres, had earnt enough to buy a brand new Land Rover in 1972 and a a brand new Ford 5000 in 1974 without using finance. It's that sort of progress even possible now?

It's his cremation today so I'll be giving his eulogy. Quite a man.

Click to expand...

holwellcourtfarm said:

Dad died at the start of this month after a long lifetime farming. He started out on his own in 1966 and kept a log of all his capital purchases from the start until he died (at 89).

Click to expand...

holwellcourtfarm said:

Dad died at the start of this month after a long lifetime farming. He started out on his own in 1966 and kept a log of all his capital purchases from the start until he died (at 89).

Attached is a pdf of the log. It makes for an interesting historic document...

These are a few screen grabs of specific pages:

View attachment 1045573

View attachment 1045574

View attachment 1045575

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holwellcourtfarm said:

They were expensive then. It came from the "Chainsaw supermarket" and was a McCulloch PM700 with a 24 inch bar. Could be a bugger to start hot but cut like a dream.

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holwellcourtfarm said:

My Eulogy to Dad from last week. I hope one day to live up to his standards.

Eulogy to Roy Davis (expanded from address at cremation)​

Roy was born on the 27th April 1933 at 41 Castle Street to Jim and Amy Davis, the youngest of 3 children. Soon after, the family moved to 203 Horns Mill Road where Roy grew up.

As a child he hated school. If he could avoid school on Monday then he could stay away all week (remember, much of this was wartime) but when in school often undertook repairs to buildings as he was good at it, the Headteacher giving him money from school funds to buy necessary materials. The only school activity he did like was amateur dramatics. When he escaped school he would either play on Dunkirks Farm, behind his house, visit the glove factory opposite (now Tanners Crescent) helping the workers process hides or attend Hertford Market from where he often bought livestock home.

One week he came home with a goat, to his mother’s alarm as his father was a proud gardener. He was persuaded to sell it again the following Monday and made a profit.

He left school at 14, in 1947, going to work for the Neale family at Dunkirks Farm. They were somewhat behind the times and there he worked heavy Horses alongside the men and was expected to work hard, at times even carrying bean sacks weighing 2 ¼ cwt (125kg) up stairs to the granary. He suffered back problems for life as a result.

In 1950, at 17, he went to work for Les Broad at Bayfordbury Park Farm. He and Les got on well and were friends for the rest of Les’s life. Here he met Eddie, Bill and Pat Shevlane, Irish lads over for hoeing sugar beet and lifting potatoes, becoming firm lifelong friends. Along with another friend, Nobby Simpkins, they often travelled the area by motorbike. Les encouraged Roy to enter ploughing matches and in 1952 he won the Essendon District Youth Challenge Cup. He met and began dating Maureen Warren at this time.

Around this time Jack, Roy’s elder brother, suffered a severe nervous breakdown and developed paranoid schizophrenia leading to him being incarcerated in a series of Victorian mental asylums. Visiting Jack and seeing the brutal “treatment” he endured left a lasting impression on Roy.

In 1954 he was headhunted by Joss Abel-Smith, a London stockbroker, to manage and work his small farm at Orchard House, Letty Green. On his first day Joss asked how Roy wanted to be addressed and, when he said “please call me Roy” was told to address his new boss as “Joss” in return.

Their working relationship was close and Roy was soon asked to act as Joss’s driver alongside other duties. This included taking Joss to amongst the best aristocratic pheasant shoots in England where Joss would do business with other shooters. He often let Roy take his place on the stands, using his personal pair of Purdey shotguns, and even occasionally acted as Roy’s loader!

When Roy and Maureen married in February 1955, Joss offered them a cottage at Letty Green. Soon after the cottage was needed for another worker and Joss had a new bungalow, 42 Letty Green, built for Roy and Maureen to live in. Sandra was born in June 1962 and when, the following winter, Joss dropped in one weekend to chat to Roy he found the house very cold. He said that was not good for the new baby and so had central heating fitted, an uncommon luxury at that time.

One day Roy happened to mention Jack’s tragic situation in the asylum system and Joss immediately arranged for a Harley Street specialist to assess and treat Jack, at no cost to the family, leading to Jack being able to return home and regain some normality. Joss’s integrity and kindness left a huge impression on Roy and he always aspired to match Joss’s conduct.

In mid 1965 Maureen again fell pregnant and Joss agreed to be the godfather. In late 1965 Joss signed the tenancy on the 120 acre Holwell Court Farm, next door, to expand the business. Ian was born in February 1966 but, sadly, Joss died suddenly on a foreign business trip before Ian was born.

Joss’s widow informed Roy that he was no longer required and Roy, in desperation, went back to Les Broad for advice. Les was a tenant of Wallace and Innes Gravel, also the owners of Holwell Court Farm, and said “why not take the farm on yourself as it’s free now”? Les called the agent, Harry Hoy, straight away and personally vouched for Roy who signed the new tenancy the following Monday.

Roy sold his car, pooled his savings and borrowed some money from Rene, his sister, scraping together £500 to start the farm. He bought 250 point-of-lay chickens and began selling eggs at the door. John Bracey (of Bracey’s of Bennington) allowed Roy to choose an old tractor from his stock on the basis of “Pay me when you have a harvest”. Les Broad allowed Roy to borrow any machinery he needed until he was able to buy his own. Les let Roy have some dairy calves to rear for beef and pay when he could. Roy never forgot these kindnesses and thereafter always aspired to help others.

Roy worked very hard and by 1972 had earnt enough to buy a brand new Land Rover. In 1974 Wilfred Neale, the last member of the Neale family at Dunkirks Farm, decided to retire and offered Roy the tenancy of 60 arable acres. To cope with the extra work Roy bought a brand new Ford 5000 tractor. 2 years later Wilf let Roy add the rest of Dunkirks farm, taking Roy’s farm up to 240 acres in total.

In 1981, following Les Broad’s death, Bayfordbury Park farm was sold in blocks. Harry Shepherd, a businessman from Hertingfordbury whom Roy knew well, approached Roy saying he was interested in buying the 50 acre block opposite his house but only if Roy and Ian farmed it. Roy agreed and the farm expanded again to 290 acres.

In the early 1980’s Roy served a year as chairman of Hertford NFU.

In 1982 Roy was approached by a Hertford Heath schoolteacher who’s daughter desperately wanted to go farming and was looking for a work experience placement. Roy took Julia Reay on under the YTS for 12 months and started a lifelong close relationship, later referring to her as his other daughter. He drew huge pleasure from seeing Julia go on to run her great uncle’s farm near Hoddesdon. When Julia finally left for college, after 18 months, Roy repeated the act with Simon Redman (who went on to farm in Scotland) and Kate Gearing. Much later he became close friends with Dave and Jo Jeffs of Rose Tree Farm, Little Berkhamsted and helped them as much as possible in many ways.

In 1992 Wilf Neale died and his beneficiaries agreed to sell Dunkirks farm to Roy as a tenant. As they had previously sold off the farm yard he built a new farmyard and a bungalow. He drew huge satisfaction from finally owning his own farm, all the more so as it was the farm where he began his farming career.

Roy had retained his deep interest in the County Competitions Association which ran the local ploughing matches and other farm competitions. He became a regular judge both in Hertfordshire and elsewhere, often accompanied by his close friend Ivor Williams from Tewin Bury Farm. In 1996 Roy was proud to be chairman of the county competitions association for its’ 50th annual championship which he helped arrange at Hatfield House. He became friends with Lord Cranborne, the host (later to become Lord Salisbury) and was proud of their association.

Roy had travelled to several places in Europe, always on farming tours, but had always wanted to see New Zealand. By 2004 he had given up with ever seeing it but when Ian and Mel presented him with tickets for a New Zealand farm tour he finally gave in and had the trip of his lifetime seeing all that the country had to offer. On his return he said “If I was 10 years younger I’d sell up and go there today”.

In 2007 he added 70 adjoining acres at Home farm when neighbours Joey and Terry Vigus ceased farming.

In 1998 Roy had been persuaded to join Hertford Rotary Club and threw himself into raising funds and helping good causes. In 2007 he was elected club president, a role he was rightly proud of.

Friendship was always of huge importance to Roy and when he threw a party for his 70th birthday in April 2003 he was delighted to see so many friends attend. In 2013 he repeated the exercise for his 80th birthday and was, again, delighted at the large gathering of friends old and new.

Humour was a key aspect of Roy’s character and he seldom let an opportunity slip to have a laugh with visitors whether they knew it or not. As a teenager he would often spin wild tales to his mother who never did learn the trick of telling whether he was joking or serious and relied on Maureen and his friends to give the game away.

Honour and integrity were also major parts of his character alongside loyalty, family and a strong drive to repay the help he had received by helping others.

Reflecting on his life in recent months he repeatedly said that he had been lucky enough to do what he loved for his entire working life and that, if he had the chance to start again there is nothing he would change.

Roy died at 8:40 pm on June 2nd after a short illness. He had remained active and independent for all but the last few weeks of his 89 year life and he leaves a strong legacy of friendship and good will.

Click to expand...

holwellcourtfarm said:

My Eulogy to Dad from last week. I hope one day to live up to his standards.

Eulogy to Roy Davis (expanded from address at cremation)​

Roy was born on the 27th April 1933 at 41 Castle Street, Hertford, to Jim and Amy Davis, the youngest of 3 children. Soon after, the family moved to 203 Horns Mill Road where Roy grew up.

As a child he hated school. If he could avoid school on Monday then he could stay away all week (remember, much of this was wartime) but when in school often undertook repairs to buildings as he was good at it, the Headteacher giving him money from school funds to buy necessary materials. The only school activity he did like was amateur dramatics. When he escaped school he would either play on Dunkirks Farm, behind his house, visit the glove factory opposite (now Tanners Crescent) helping the workers process hides or attend Hertford Market from where he often bought livestock home.

One week he came home with a goat, to his mother’s alarm as his father was a proud gardener. He was persuaded to sell it again the following Monday and made a profit.

He left school at 14, in 1947, going to work for the Neale family at Dunkirks Farm. They were somewhat behind the times and there he worked heavy Horses, alongside the men, and was expected to work hard, at times even carrying bean sacks weighing 2 ¼ cwt (125kg) up stairs to the granary. He suffered back problems for life as a result.

In 1950, at 17, he went to work for Les Broad at Bayfordbury Park Farm. He and Les got on well and were friends for the rest of Les’s life. Here he met Eddie, Bill and Pat Shevlane, Irish lads over for hoeing sugar beet and lifting potatoes, becoming firm lifelong friends. Along with another friend, Nobby Simpkins, they often travelled the area by motorbike. Les encouraged Roy to enter ploughing matches and in 1952 he won the Essendon District Youth Challenge Cup. He met and began dating Maureen Warren at this time.

Around this time Jack, Roy’s elder brother, suffered a severe nervous breakdown and developed paranoid schizophrenia, leading to him being incarcerated in a series of Victorian mental asylums. Visiting Jack and seeing the brutal “treatment” he endured left a lasting impression on Roy.

In 1954 he was headhunted by Joss Abel-Smith, a London stockbroker, to manage and work his small farm at Orchard House, Letty Green. On his first day Joss asked how Roy wanted to be addressed and, when he said “please call me Roy” was told to address his new boss as “Joss” in return.

Their working relationship was close and Roy was soon asked to act as Joss’s driver alongside other duties. This included taking Joss to amongst the best aristocratic pheasant shoots in England where Joss would do business with other shooters. He often let Roy take his place on the stands, using his personal pair of Purdey shotguns, and even occasionally acted as Roy’s loader!

When Roy and Maureen married in February 1955, Joss offered them a cottage at Letty Green. Soon after, the cottage was needed for another worker and Joss had a new bungalow, 42 Letty Green, built for Roy and Maureen to live in. Sandra was born in June 1962 and when, the following winter, Joss dropped in one weekend to chat to Roy he found the house very cold. He said that was not good for the new baby and so had central heating fitted, an uncommon luxury at that time.

One day Roy happened to mention Jack’s tragic situation in the asylum system and Joss immediately arranged for a Harley Street specialist to assess and treat Jack, at no cost to the family, leading to Jack being able to return home and regain some normality. Joss’s integrity and kindness left a huge impression on Roy and he always aspired to match Joss’s conduct.

In mid 1965 Maureen again fell pregnant and Joss agreed to be the godfather. In late 1965 Joss signed the tenancy on the 120 acre Holwell Court Farm, next door, to expand the business. Ian was born in February 1966 but, sadly, Joss died suddenly on a foreign business trip before Ian was born.

Joss’s widow informed Roy that he was no longer required and Roy, in desperation, went back to Les Broad for advice. Les was a tenant of Wallace and Innes Gravel, also the owners of Holwell Court Farm, and said “why not take the farm on yourself as it’s free now”? Les called the agent, Harry Hoy, straight away and personally vouched for Roy who signed the new tenancy the following Monday.

Roy sold his car, pooled his savings and borrowed some money from Rene, his sister, scraping together £500 to start the farm. He bought 250 point-of-lay chickens and began selling eggs at the door. John Bracey (of Bracey’s of Bennington) allowed Roy to choose an old tractor from his stock on the basis of “Pay me when you have a harvest”. Les Broad allowed Roy to borrow any machinery he needed until he was able to buy his own. Les let Roy have some dairy calves to rear for beef and pay when he could. Roy never forgot these kindnesses and thereafter always aspired to help others.

Roy worked very hard and by 1972 had earnt enough to buy a brand new Land Rover. In 1974 Wilfred Neale, the last member of the Neale family at Dunkirks Farm, decided to retire and offered Roy the tenancy of 60 arable acres. To cope with the extra work Roy bought a brand new Ford 5000 tractor. 2 years later Wilf let Roy add the rest of Dunkirks farm, taking Roy’s farm up to 240 acres in total.

In 1981, following Les Broad’s death, Bayfordbury Park farm was sold in blocks. Harry Shepherd, a businessman from Hertingfordbury whom Roy knew well, approached Roy saying he was interested in buying the 50 acre block opposite his house but only if Roy and Ian farmed it. Roy agreed and the farm expanded again to 290 acres.

In the early 1980’s Roy served a year as chairman of Hertford NFU.

In 1982 Roy was approached by a Hertford Heath schoolteacher who’s daughter desperately wanted to go farming and was looking for a work experience placement. Roy took Julia Reay on under the YTS for 12 months and started a lifelong close relationship, later referring to her as his other daughter. He drew huge pleasure from seeing Julia later go on to run her great uncle’s farm near Hoddesdon. When Julia finally left for college, after 18 months, Roy repeated the act with Simon Redman (who went on to farm in Scotland) and Kate Gearing. Much later he became close friends with Dave and Jo Jeffs of Rose Tree Farm, Little Berkhamsted and helped them as much as possible in many ways.

In 1992 Wilf Neale died and his beneficiaries agreed to sell Dunkirks farm to Roy as a tenant. As they had previously sold off the farm yard, he built a new farmyard and a bungalow. He drew huge satisfaction from finally owning his own farm, all the more so as it was the farm where he began his farming career.

Roy had retained his deep interest in the County Competitions Association which ran the local ploughing matches and other farm competitions. He became a regular judge both in Hertfordshire and elsewhere, often accompanied by his close friend Ivor Williams from Tewin Bury Farm. In 1996 Roy was proud to be chairman of the county competitions association for its’ 50th annual championship which he helped arrange at Hatfield House. He became friends with Lord Cranborne, the host (later to become Lord Salisbury) and was proud of their association.

Roy had travelled to several places in Europe, always on farming tours, but had always wanted to see New Zealand. By 2004 he had given up with ever seeing it but when Ian and Mel presented him with tickets for a New Zealand farm tour he finally gave in and had the trip of his lifetime, seeing all that the country had to offer. On his return he said “If I was 10 years younger I’d sell up and go there today”.

In 2007 he added 70 adjoining acres at Home farm when neighbours Joey and Terry Vigus ceased farming.

In 1998 Roy had been persuaded to join Hertford Rotary Club and threw himself into raising funds and helping good causes. In 2007 he was elected club president, a role he was rightly proud of.

Friendship was always of huge importance to Roy and when he threw a party for his 70th birthday in April 2003 he was delighted to see so many friends attend. In 2013 he repeated the exercise for his 80th birthday and was, again, delighted at the large gathering of friends old and new.

Humour was a key aspect of Roy’s character and he seldom let an opportunity slip to have a laugh with visitors, whether they knew it or not. As a teenager he would often spin wild tales to his mother who never did learn the trick of telling whether he was joking or serious and relied on Maureen and his friends to give the game away.

Honour and integrity were also major parts of his character alongside loyalty, family and a strong drive to repay the help he had received by helping others.

Reflecting on his life in recent months he repeatedly said that he had been lucky enough to do what he loved for his entire working life and that, if he had the chance to start again there is nothing he would change.

Roy died at 8:40 pm on June 2nd after a short illness. He had remained active and independent for all but the last few weeks of his 89 year life and he leaves a strong legacy of friendship and good will.

Click to expand...