A G Street farming books

[Danllan]

Are these ag' based novels, memoirs, documentaries or what?

 

[andybk]

Are these ag' based novels, memoirs, documentaries or what?

all of the above, good easy to read novels in the vain of the james herriot type books but obvs farming , im surprised no tv / film company has taken them on .

 

[glasshouse]

about nearly everything thats happening even now ! very relevant story , you soon realise we as an industry keep making the same mistakes over and over

Was that not made into a film?

 

[andybk]

Was that not made into a film?

havnt seen it , will see if i can find it later

 

[Suffolk Serf]

Are these ag' based novels, memoirs, documentaries or what?

AG Street's first and in my mind best, Farmer's Glory is mostly an autobiography. Most of Adrian Bells books are autobiographical as well as are Hugh Barretts.
All, although written in the first half of last century are very different as all come from different perspectives, Street taking on and nearly failing and turning round the family tenanted farm, Bell a city boy, who took to farming for his health and started out very naive to farming but quickly got enthused and writes in a great style. Barrett had to start at the bottom, his first job was to hand hoe a massive field of sugar beet, that took all day to do one two rows, there and back and contains some wonderful factual material about farming practice at the time, including a superb description of plough horse harness and a graphic description of lamb castration (using the shepherds teeth) which I remember reading to my shocked (female) french teacher when I was 13.

 

[at the edge]

I quite like the Farming Ladder-G Henderson and The Clifton Park System-R. Elliot too

 

[puntabrava]

Did mr Street publish one by the title ‘ 18 year old ripped up all the Chilmark stone on my farm by ploughing with new points’? I needed more lessons was my excuse.

 

[Danllan]

AG Street's first and in my mind best, Farmer's Glory is mostly an autobiography. Most of Adrian Bells books are autobiographical as well as are Hugh Barretts.
All, although written in the first half of last century are very different as all come from different perspectives, Street taking on and nearly failing and turning round the family tenanted farm, Bell a city boy, who took to farming for his health and started out very naive to farming but quickly got enthused and writes in a great style. Barrett had to start at the bottom, his first job was to hand hoe a massive field of sugar beet, that took all day to do one two rows, there and back and contains some wonderful factual material about farming practice at the time, including a superb description of plough horse harness and a graphic description of lamb castration (using the shepherds teeth) which I remember reading to my shocked (female) french teacher when I was 13.

I like Bell's style of writing, although he does come across as a 'frightful' snob sometimes.

I quite like the Farming Ladder-G Henderson and The Clifton Park System-R. Elliot too

Hmm... I finished reading Henderson's book a little while ago... hmm... interesting, but he does seem a colossal know-all, not just in farming, but in everything! I've nothing against someone claiming expertise in a given field or two, I certainly do, but he claimed he got everything right, every time... I'm glad I read it, but I don't think I'd read anything else by him.

 

[Suffolk Serf]

I like Bell's style of writing, although he does come across as a 'frightful' snob sometimes.


Hmm... I finished reading Henderson's book a little while ago... hmm... interesting, but he does seem a colossal know-all, not just in farming, but in everything! I've nothing against someone claiming expertise in a given field or two, I certainly do, but he claimed he got everything right, every time... I'm glad I read it, but I don't think I'd read anything else by him.

I suppose Bell's style reflects the times.
In my edition of Henderson's "The Farming Ladder" John Cherrington wrote an excellent forward, in which he says he thought Henderson was a "frightful prig" until he actually met him and that he was a very nice, humble man.

 

[Gander]

Was that not made into a film?

I think the only one made into a film was 'Strawberry Roan'. I'd love to see that but have never managed to find it anywhere.

 

[Gander]

I

I have them all and read them all (several times some of them )except Fair Enough,several years ago I was bidding on Ebay for that one and came into the house one Sunday evening after been out for tea and just missed bidding again for it so missed it.If I remember right Holdfast was a particular favourite of mine.If anyone has Fair Enough and would like to pass up on it I would very much appreciate it

Likewise. If you manage to buy the next available copy before me...I'd very much like to borrow it!

 

[glasshouse]

I think the only one made into a film was 'Strawberry Roan'. I'd love to see that but have never managed to find it anywhere.

I remember seeing a film about the war ag evicting a farmer which ended in a shoot out.
Cant remember the title

 

[Danllan]

I remember seeing a film about the war ag evicting a farmer which ended in a shoot out.
Cant remember the title

Anthony Hopkins was in a film called 'Heartland' about a Welsh farmer that ended with him carrying a gun around, much more modern though.

 

[chaffcutter]

There was a case near here which virtually reflected the plot of ‘Shameful Harvest ‘ unfortunately.

 

[goodevans]

I was going to add the very same thing that in most of the novels you can liken the characters or story line to real life experiences

 

[at the edge]

I suppose Bell's style reflects the times.
In my edition of Henderson's "The Farming Ladder" John Cherrington wrote an excellent forward, in which he says he thought Henderson was a "frightful prig" until he actually met him and that he was a very nice, humble man.

In his case I suppose it was difficult to tell how he'd done things without sounding blowy as he made a remarkable turnaround of the place in unprecedented times. Nevertheless these old classics still portray the industry and its challenges from a farmers perspective, without them and with our chance for reflection we would never know how and what challenges these people had to endure

 

[Sharpy]

There was a case near here which virtually reflected the plot of ‘Shameful Harvest ‘ unfortunately.

I read Shameful Harvest last night. Very good book, very sad, and a damming indictment of the worst of human nature.

 

[goodevans]

Crikey what time did you stay up to

 

[Sharpy]

Crikey what time did you stay up to

Took about 3hrs, I'm a quick reader.

 

[glasshouse]

Took about 3hrs, I'm a quick reader.

I like to read a book in one sitting