Amerton Farm Ltd made a donationto the National Memorial Arboretum, at Alrewas in Staffordshire, for the upkeep of the Women’s Land Amy Tribute memorial.

The Women’s Land Army Tribute was made possible by a very small group of very enthusiastic women associated with agriculture in Staffordshire, and members of the former Staffordshire Women’s Food and Farming Union which was a branch of the national organisation. Eunice Finney ARAgS the Managing Director of Amerton Farm Ltd acted as the press officer for the Women’s Land Army Tribute group. This group raised almost £100,000 in four years to create the stunning memorial to honour the fabulous young ladies who served in the Women’s Land Army (WLA) and Women’s Timber Corps(WTC).

The Women’s Land Army Tribute group was formed following a comment made by a former Director General of the the National Memorial Arboretum (NMA). He said that the NMA received several letters every week asking why there was no formal recognition for the wonderful work done by the Women’s Land Army and Women’s Timber Corps at the National Memorial Arboretum. These women were recognised as the women who stepped up to the mark, served their country and ensured that food was available and fed the nation during the war years. We formed a group which became very passionate about raising awareness for the project and the funds to erect a fitting memorial for these wonderful ladies.

Amerton Farm along with many others farms in the County of Staffordshire, had Land Girls working on the farm during war. During the fund raising for the project, the late Nellie Emery, a former Land Girl, met HRH Princess Ann at Amerton Farm on 26^thJuly 2011 and talked to her about her Land Army experiences working on farms on the outskirts of Stafford. The late Mary Wright, another well-known former Land Girl from Staffordshire, did a great deal to promote the WLA Tribute via press, radio and TV and is pictured below at Amerton Farm at an Afternoon Press Launch and Tea Party. Mary had a lot of contacts with Amerton Farm, in particular with the former Jersey Herd based at the farm. Mary went on to farm in her own right with her son Andrew in Cannock breeding some very famous pedigree Jersey cattle. Mary was also our super star as she appeared on many of the TV reports, Christmas on the Farm on Radio 4 and then invited Country File to her farm to film her and granddaughter Izzy Laird (nee Wright). As a teenager Izzy worked at Amerton Farm in the tearoom, so the family connection with Amerton Farm goes back several generations. Izzy has also followed in her grandmother’s footsteps and taken a career in agriculture. Izzy acted as the model for the iconic land girl on the actual sculpture which was erected at the NMA.

The aim of the Women’s Land Army Tribute was to commission a sculptor to design a life and quarter size bronze sculpture of a Land Girl and Lumber Jill similar to the one depicted on the iconic recruitment poster used during the Second World War. This sculpture would be used to create an appropriate memorial to be installed at the National Memorial Arboretum.

With their aims and plans firmly in place, the group decided they should make every effort to contact as many former members of the Women’s Land Army and the Women’s Timber Corps as possible. The group also needed to raise awareness of the project which was called Women’s Land Amy Tribute or WLA Tribute for short.It was felt the memorial would provide a much needed focal point for former Women’s Land Army and Women’s Timber Corps and we believed strongly as a group that it would allow these ladies to share their stories with their families, friends and the nation.

Initially contacts were made locally and we held a Sunday afternoon tea gathering in the tearooms at Amerton Farm. Many former land girls started to help raise money for the project, carrying out media interviews both locally and then nationally. Thankfully word spread, helped in no small way by the press and media, and especially when we hit the BBC TV Country File in the summer of 2014, before we unveiled the tribute. It was hoped and believed that the project would also recognise and acknowledge the much needed focal point for former Women’s Land Army and Women’s Timber Corps. The WLA Tribute group believed strongly that it would allow these women to share their stories with their families, friends and the nation. These wonderful women have left a true legacy for future generations to appreciate.

“At the beginning of the war, 70 per cent of our food was imported. By 1943, that figure was reversed, in no small measure due to the Land Army,”  also “….there was resentment from farmers about taking their jobs away, but as the war grew darker and France fell, people recognized how vital they were”.

Quote from Terry Chairman, senior historian at the Imperial War Museum, whose Ministry of Food exhibition highlights land girl’s efforts.  

The Women’s Land Army (WLA) was first formed during  World War One – the Land Girls as they became known, worked on the land, freeing the male workers to go to war.  In the Second World War, by 1943, there were some 80,000 young women at any one time, working in every aspect of agriculture to feed the nation. With their distinctive uniform of green ties and jumpers and brown felt slouch hats, they worked from dawn to dusk each day, milking cows, digging ditches, sowing seeds, harvesting crops just to mention a few of the jobs they tacked during a day’s work. The Women’s Timber Corps (WTC), also known as the Lumber Jills was formed during the Second World War, the young women worked tirelessly in the forests to provide timber for the war effort, felling trees, sawing timber and making railway sleepers, barricades and telegraph poles.

During the

World Wars and thereon until 1950, well over 240,000 young women had served in the Women’s Land Army and Timber Corps and during that time, their efforts truly changed the face of British Agriculture. During the war years, with the men away fighting, it was up to volunteer girls to work in our rural fields to help feed the war effort and the nation, as well as helping to maintain wood supplies, hence the references to these young girls as Land Girls and Lumber Jills.

“I was very young and had never been away from home. I was frightened of cows, but had no fear of hard work. The people I met during those four and half years were full of kindness and generosity and I’m still in touch with some of the girls now. The farmer was a great conservationist and taught us a lot about the land. I got to plant his first ever Pick Your Own field. We were all volunteers and keen to serve our country, but the contribution has been forgotten over the years.” Quote from the Telegraph, 2010 from Peg Francis, 78, Grimsby, Lincolnshire (Defra, 2010)

With the outbreak of peace the WLA remained in existence doing vital jobs on the land until demobilisation was complete.  The Women’s Land Army was formally disbanded in 1950 and the Women’s Timber Corp was formally disbanded in 1946.

“They have obeyed the call of duty in the nation’s hour of need and Britain owes them an everlasting debt…..”

Quote from HM Queen Elizabeth later, the Queen Mother 21 October 1950.

The Women’s Land Army Tribute was unveiled and dedicated in the presence of HRH The Countess of Wessex GCVO on the afternoon of Tuesday 21st October 2014,at the National Memorial Arboretum, Alrewas, in Staffordshire.

The tribute was created by Denise Dutton from Leek in Staffordshire and is a beautiful life like sculpture of a Land Girl and a Lumber Jill sized at life and a quarter. It was unveiled on the day to the appreciative crowd of over 400 wonderful Land Girls and Lumber Jills who attended the service of dedication, and a further 2000 families and friends who braved the terrible wind and rain on the day to be present at the unveiling.

For any further information on the Women’s Land Army Tribute contact Eunice Finney by email eunice@amertonfarm.co.uk 

Amerton Farm Ltd and the Finney family have personally been involved for several years in supporting the charitable organisation Stafford Riverway Link with their project to restore the canal on land at Baswich. The Finney family own the land at Baswich. The canal was filled in during the 1920s, prior to that boats would turn left into the branch canal from the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal and follow the River Sow to travel to the Coal Wharf by Green Bridge in the centre of Stafford. The project to rebuild the canal is well underway. Once completed it will re establish the canal to link to the river and thereby enable boats once again to travel into Stafford town centre.On the site at Baswich, there was a small lock keepers house which was lived in by the Price family. The footings of this house have recently been unearthed. The project’s immediate plan is to restore the canal and create a small marina which will help fund the rest of the project.

For further details go to www.stafford-riverway-link.co.uk

“The land is leased for a nominal peppercorn rent to Stafford Riverway Linkby Mrs Eunice Finney ARAgS and her family. The lease was originally agreed by Bill Finney, Eunice’s late husband. Amerton Farm Ltd which is also owned by the Finney family, has provided further sponsorship for the project.”

Volunteers working to rebuild the canal wall at the Baswich site.

Photos courtesy of Stafford Riverway Link.

Amerton Farm Ltd have sponsored the Sheep Shearing Competition at the 2019 County Show by providing, Stewards with T shirts to wear during the competitions and a banner on the main ring will be displaying our name and acknowledging our support.

Photos courtesy of Staffordshire Agricultural Society Sheep Shearing Committee.

At Christmas 2018 Amerton Farm Ltd made a donation to West Midlands Air Ambulance to in lieu of sending Christmas Cards to staff, tenants and suppliers.

Photos courtesy of Midlands Air Ambulance Charity.

The former Staffordshire Rural Hub Business Awards for members of the Staffordshire Federation of Young Farmers Clubs, received a donation from Amerton Farm Ltd. This was funding towards the awards received by members who were interviewed and selected by a panel and the recipients were announced at the County AGM in 2018.

Photo courtesy of Staffordshire Federation of Young Farmer’s Clubs.

Every year Amerton Farm Ltd support the Stowe by Chartley Fete held at the beginning of July on the village playing field. We sponsor the Punch and Judy show and also provide vouchers to support the other stalls on the day.

Photo courtesy of Stowe by Chartley Parish Council.

During December we have a Christmas competition. Every child visiting an organised Christmas event held at Amerton Farm is given a wooden bauble to decorate in any way they wish. Oncedecorated a photo of the bauble is taken and submitted to our websitefor judging. 

The Best in each Category: (Under 5 years, 5-7 years and 7 years and above) wins a Family Day Pass to Billy’s Farm Barn.

The Best Overall Winner: Chosen from all the categories wins a Family Annual Pass for a year for Billy’s Farm Barn, plus a Family Day Pass to Billy’s Farm Barn for friends/family to join you for the day as your guests.

The Best Overall School: wins a Farm Visit for the Class or an End of Term Play Day for their School.

Some of the many entries to the Christmas Decoration Competition.

Amerton Farm Ltd have sponsored a football kit for the newly formed Stafford Football Academy team, who are playing in the Stafford League 2019/2020 season.  All the kit will feature the name of Amerton Farm. A presentation evening was held to endorse the sponsorship.

Stafford Football Academy in their new kits ready for 2019/2020 season.

Photos of the Stafford Football Academy