Sam Ashton (SH 47-53) remembers Abbey Farm. "A local, lifelong friend (but much younger than I) worked for the Head family at Abbey Farm, St Bees around 1971/2. In my day the farm was owned by the Atkinsons, but they subsequently sold it to the school and the Head family became the tenants. Part of the deal was that they supplied the school with vegetables grown on the farm. Sometime in the 1970s when the school was in need of some ready money, they sold the farm to the Heads, who were then the sitting tenants. For me, the Abbey Farm was familiar territory, since I had been involved with tractors at home on the family farm since the age of seven. Whenever Suttons of Beckermet turned up at Abbey Farm to thresh with one of their smart outfits, I always went to look. When I became sufficiently 'senior' at school to skip compulsory daily 'exercise', and depending on what was happening at the farm, I would go along and drive the grey Fergie tractor and plough to give Harold Graham, the regular driver, an extended afternoon tea-break! Happy memories!"

Picture from Farmers Guardian (Nov 26th 2021) - Photo Audrey and Tony Head Planting cabbages in the 1960s. They farmed at Abbey farm, St Bees, Cumbria. (Photo sent in to Farmers Guardian by Sue Head).

 

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The St Beghian Society    
St Bees School,    St Bees,    Cumbria,    CA27 0DS.

         Tel: (01946) 828093      Email: osb@stbeesschool.co.uk      Web: www.st-beghian-society.co.uk