Here are the results of the Ploughing Up Our Past farms photo competition and the comments from our judge, Ken Fletcher.
Black and White
1 and overall winner, Barmickhill Teatime in the Field (1940s) from Jennifer Kirkland– Indicative of the typical family farm, working hard but always stopping for a bite to eat together (maybe something we can learn from today!). Overall choice because it summed up perfectly farming of that time.
2 Haytime Lorry with a boy driving from Vicki Silvera – great quality picture and again indicative of a bygone hayfield scene. Vicki's father Murray Stevenson of Bankend Farm would be the older guy on top of bales here. The three younger boys would be the boys from Changue farm.
3 Murray Stevenson as a boy with dog, Vicki Silvera's late father– another great quality pic, with binder twine, reaps of corn and ‘the boy’ having a rest with his trusty collie. One which I’m sure will have pride of place in the family album.
Colour
1 Bales at Little Creoch from Jan Davidson – Farming can be lonely these days, but this just made me smile. Nairn Sloan and granddaughter Ella (the WellChild) have obviously worked together to do this. Shows the role that farming now plays in charitable work.
2 Kept in Line from Andy McClounie, Garclaugh – nice framing of these sheep and it’s not easy to get them all looking so ‘cocky’ and that’s probably down to the dog just creeping into the pic.
3 Quartet of pics of the Fordson and Reaper from Jim Smith at Skerrington Mill – again, a testament to the family farm and a great series of pics showing the different generations linked by the same machinery. I guess the mechanicals will be preserved forever!
I really enjoyed the pics and some were a stark reminder of how hard farming is. I just hope that for your next series you hammer home the benefit of photography in preserving family farming life … and to not just have them on a mobile phone. Too many important snapshots of family life have been lost by NOT downloading the pictures and preserving them in a format that will stand the test of time.
Can all prizewinners get in touch with their details so the prizes which will be gift vouchers from a variety of local businesses can be sent to them.
With very many thanks to all who have shared their family pics and to our judge Ken Fletcher, Editor of the Scottish Farmer, for the time and care he has taken over this. Kay and the team have enjoyed all your photos.
