Behind every great man… so they say

Most of you will be familiar with the expression: ‘behind every great man, is a great woman…’ or something along those lines. It’s meant as a compliment but, in this day and age, we’d like to think we don’t have to stand behind anyone. Blooming Green was founded by two women and is now made up of a primarily female workforce though men are most welcome, of course — if they have the skills. When it comes to our family, much is said and known about the men who have run the farming business. We’re fifth generation don’t you know — but what about all of the amazing women who were — historically — behind the scenes?

When it comes to our family, much is said and known about the men who have run the farming business. We’re fifth generation don’t you know — but what about all of the amazing women who were — historically — behind the scenes?

This Saturday, March 8th, is International Women’s Day, so we wanted to acknowledge many of the amazing women who have been integral to the farm, and our lives.  

Five generations back, there was ‘Aunt Florrie’ who, we have been told, was one of the first women to be offered a place at Cambridge University — but turned it down so she could stay at home and nurse her father. In the next generation, came Isobel, who was married to our great grandfather Cuthbert.

Isobel, we were told,  ‘suffered with nerves’ which, when you consider she lived through two world wars, is hardly surprising. She was an exceptional pianist and singer, who graduated from the Royal Academy of Music, before raising five children while Cuthbert ran the farm.

The middle of these five children was our grandfather Gordon. Gordon, whilst going about his farming business, bumped into a rather gorgeous Norwegian au pair in the next village. Harriet was our grandmother — and a hard act to follow, especially in terms of glamour. She was headstrong, capable and refreshingly oblivious to the English class system thank to her Scandinavian upbringing. (The photo attached to this blog, shows grandma in her element). One example of this was when Lord Cornwallis called round and grandma went out to ask his driver if he would like to join them for a cuppa.

One example of this was when Lord Cornwallis called round and grandma went out to ask his driver if he would like to join them for a cuppa.

Grandma managed the house and brought up four children, while Grandpa took over the farm. ‘Behind’ grandpa there were various farm secretaries who we remember keeping the good ship Loddington Farm afloat; Mrs Burfoot, Marjory and Pat were three we particularly remember.

Out in the orchards, ‘the ladies’ as they were referred to then, had key roles; from raking the prunings, thinning and picking. They then turned their hand to packing the fruit, whether that be top fruit such as apples and pears, or soft fruit like strawberries and blackcurrants. Our flower workshop was originally a mushroom shed so, for several decades, the shed at Loddington Farm would have been busy with people picking and packing mushrooms.

Our flower workshop was originally a mushroom shed so, for several decades, the shed at Loddington Farm would have been busy with people picking and packing mushrooms.

I grew up on a mixed farm, about half an hour from where Blooming Green is now so, unlike Bek and her siblings, I was not surrounded by ‘the ladies’. According to Bek and her sister Cats (co-founder of The Patch) many of the surrounding cottages were lived in by farm workers, and their childhoods were closely entangled with the lives, gossip and folklore of the women who lived nearby. Women, who, having worked all day on the farm would then go home and do most of the household chores.

In those days, before the Children’s Act came in, women could bring their children to the farm while they worked. Bek and Cats remember the ladies’ fantastic Kentish accents, their bawdy tales and their ability to ‘make a conversation out of nothing’ while they worked.

Bek and Cats remember the ladies fantastic Kentish accents, their bawdy tales and their ability to ‘make a conversation out of nothing’ while they worked.

Not wanting to skip a generation, and leap from Gordon & Harriet, to our own generation… Gordon and Harriet had four children, the eldest of whom is Alan (Bek and Cats’ Dad) and the youngest is my mum, Helen.

Uncle Alan met his wife Mary, whilst on VSO in Tanzania. You could say he met his match. Auntie Mary is the most incredible horticulturist. Someone even said, when we were being filmed with Monty Don: “Mary has more horticultural knowledge in her little finger, than Monty.” Fortunately, Mr Don didn’t hear!

Mary brought up five children while supporting Alan in running the farm. She also set the bar very high, knitting, sewing, growing a large proportion of the family’s food, keeping Alan’s diary in order and preparing fruit each year, for the National Fruit Show. There is also a rumour that it was a pair of Mary’s tights that supported the World’s Heaviest Apple, grown by Loddington Farm in 1997.

There is also a rumour that it was a pair of Mary’s tights that supported the World’s Heaviest Apple, grown by Loddington Farm in 1997.

My own mum has also been an incredible role model. Fruit farming was not for her and, as a young woman, she took her ever-growing collection of sheep and cattle and went to farm with my dad, Joe. At its peak, mum’s flock consisted of 800 breeding ewes… she also had three children and a husband to look after. When I consider how my mum has broken the mould, I think of her showing me how to change a wheel, the day I passed my driving test, of her ability to effortlessly flip a sheep over onto its back and her skill at reversing — which she has to this day.

When I consider how my mum has broken the mould, I think of her showing me how to change a wheel, the day I passed my driving test, of her ability to effortlessly flip a sheep over onto its back and her skill at reversing — which she has to this day.

We are lucky to be of a generation when things are becoming more equal but there is still a way to go. Check out the book Invisible Women by Caroline Criado Perez if you are in any doubt. In the meantime, we’ll just continue to do what we do, strive to be less invisible — and refuse to stand in the shadow of the men. Here’s to International Women’s Day and to all the great ladies closer to home.