- Location
- Lincolnshire
I remember as child of 7 or 8, I was sat in my maternal grandfather's house shortly after he had died. I think it was 1976, as the cattle were eating straw from mangers in the fields. It was a rented farm so the stock and machinery were being sold off, and my father, up to neck in sh!t and scrap, was outside sorting it all out as grandfather had died with his boots on. The land agent, a commercially ruthless but amiable man was with me in the kitchen as he was interviewing prospective managers there to run the farm in hand for the landlord, a certain Lord of the realm and member of the Tory governement. A prospective manager arrived in the yard in his car along with his wife and family. The agent turned to me and said "That man has got the job already. Look how clean his car is. Look how well turned out he and his family are." And sure enough that man did turn out to be an excellent manager.
That observation stuck with me for the rest of my life. I noted that appearance really did matter to other people and said a lot about you. (I also decided that it would be preferable, if at all possible, not to have to work for somebody else or rent land from anybody, if, like me and my father, personal appearance was never a strong point or particularly high on the list of priorities.)
I also recall his Lordship visiting the farm while my grandfather was alive. My grandfather asked him something regarding the farm and his Lordship gestured towards the agent and said "I don't keep a dog and bark myself." All life's lessons there to be seen and heard if you kept your ears open.
That observation stuck with me for the rest of my life. I noted that appearance really did matter to other people and said a lot about you. (I also decided that it would be preferable, if at all possible, not to have to work for somebody else or rent land from anybody, if, like me and my father, personal appearance was never a strong point or particularly high on the list of priorities.)
I also recall his Lordship visiting the farm while my grandfather was alive. My grandfather asked him something regarding the farm and his Lordship gestured towards the agent and said "I don't keep a dog and bark myself." All life's lessons there to be seen and heard if you kept your ears open.