Harper Life Magazine 2020

Mr Heathcote’s son, Tim, wrote to us, saying how much his father enjoyed reading and sharing alumni newsletters. “One of the more recent copies showed a photo of him and other then students attending the recently re-furbished library. This came as a surprise to me, as I thought he spent most of his time at College playing sport!” 21 INMEMORIAM John Usher NDA 1955 – 1957 Tara Quinn Agri-food 1994 – 1999 Mike (MW) Stacey NDA 1961 – 1963 Rachel Lumley BSc (Hons) Agriculture with Land FarmManagement 2006 Anthony Kilner Heathcote National Diploma in Agriculture 1949 – 1951 President of the Harper Adams Club, 1970 – 1971 JohnHidderley HNDAgriculture 1970 – 1973 John was born in Shropshire where his father was an Agricultural Advisor with the County Council who joined NAAS at it’s inception in 1948. John had great musical interests playing the grand piano at assemblies when at school in Shrewsbury. He also had a very good singing voice. He won a singing scholarship to Llandaff (Cardiff) Cathedral where he was a member of the choir. He attended Harper Adams from 1955 to 1957 and on achieving the NDA went on to Seale Hayne Agricultural College where he took the NDD course. Following college he was employed on a farm for two years where he gained further practical experience. He joined NAAS as a trainee advisor at Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire in 1960 and three years later he was promoted to Agricultural Advisor in Somerset where he specialised in dairying. Subsequently he was transferred to Bakewell in Derbyshire. Towards the end of his career he specialised in aspects of agricultural policy. In retirement his interests were gardening and walking in the Yorkshire Dales. He met his wife Doreen at a walking event. He also returned to singing, particularly with Sheffield Bach Choir and Leeds Festival Choir. John was a popular best man at the marriage of Peter Chance (1953 – 1956) in 1963 and the marriage of Glyn Sneade (1956 – 1958) in 1965. In total a life full of varied interests. Philippa Cox wrote to tell us that Tara Quinn sadly lost her long battle with cancer this year. “Tara was a 1994 – 1999 agri-food student and a keen hockey girl. I am sure many have mad stories of her”. Mike was probably the last 61 – 63 NDA intake still actively farming in Worcestershire. He had installed a fully automatic milking system and achieved considerable success with his cheeses. He is survived by his wife, Diane and son Nick, now living in Broadway. David Main. John Hidderley was a well-known and respected farmer from Creswell in Staffordshire who attended Harper from 1970 – 1973 as part of the HND group who, on leaving Harper, formed the Glee Club. He was an active and regular attendee at the Glee Club reunions and had a dry wit and unique sense of humour. In 1972 he was part of a small group of students who took a piano round local town centres where they sang Old Time Music Hall songs to collect money for rag. The problem of how to move the piano from town to town was soon solved by John who commandeered his farm pick-up. As our singing efforts were sometimes on the fringe of legality we sometimes had to leave town rather suddenly and John was our very competent get-away driver. It was while he was at Harper that John met Anne, (nee Clarke HND 1971 – 1974) who was to become his wife. Later, as John fell ill, Anne cared for him devotedly whilst John bore his illness with courage, fortitude and good humour. Our sympathies and thoughts are with Anne and the family at this sad time. Tributes were paid during summer 2020 to Harper alumna Rachel Lumley, who died aged 37. Graduating from Harper Adams in 2006, Rachel went on to have an impactful career in the agricultural sector. She was the founder of Love Lamb Week, an annual campaign promoting the benefits of eating lamb, and worked as an experienced wool handler and represented England at the World Shearing and Woolhandling Championships, held in New Zealand in 2017. Harper Life Nov 2020 — www.harper-adams.ac.uk