Pastures new for friend of farmers (From Gazette Series)

Pastures new for friend of farmers

DYED in the wool countryman Robin Winfield retired at Christmas after 35 years spent protecting the interests of local farmers.

As the first point of contact for National Farmers Union members in South Gloucestershire, he has navigated his Land-Rover up more muddy farm tracks that he cares to remember.

"I've made so many friends over the years and I'm going to miss my regular contact with them," said Robin, NFU group secretary for Berkeley and South Gloucestershire since 1971.

"I've been friend, advisor and confidante to whole families of NFU members - sometimes up to four generations - through good times and bad. You can't give that up without a few regrets."

As well as keeping farmers abreast of current issues - and helping to steer them through the tangle of rules, regulations and red tape which assails them - Robin has also looked after their financial health in his linked role as local agent for NFU Mutual insurance.

"There's never been any conflict between the two roles," said Robin, whose base for the last nine years has been the NFU office in High Street, Thornbury.

"My job has been to give a service to all NFU members whether they've been insurance clients or not. All I would say is, the more you know about an individual's circumstances, the easier it can be to help.

"In the end it has all boiled down to good contacts, good relationships - and trust.

"It's been satisfying and enjoyable - but there have been dark days, too. I wouldn't want to relive Foot and Mouth. Watching so many farmers lose their livestock was a nightmare."

Born into a Gloucestershire family with strong farming links, Robin said he felt for farmers struggling to cope with today's pressures.

"The industry has changed a lot since I started in this job and very often not for the better," he said. "More and more bureaucracy has crept in and I have so much sympathy for farmers and what they have to go through to make any sort of living."

As for retirement at home in Almondsbury, Robin currently has no firm plans - except that he won't be losing touch with matters rural.

"I enjoy game and clay shooting and also fly fishing so I'll probably be doing a bit more of that," he said.

"I've always been a countryman and that won't change."