The fourth of six programmes produced by CBTV Productions for Tyne Tees Television of a year in the life of John Dodd and his family who live at Sillywrea Farm in Northumberland and use only Clydesdale horses to work their land. Title: The Last Horseman It is now July and the episode begins in a meadow where John and his son-in-law David Wise work two pairs of horses to mow the grass to make hay for the horses. It has been very wet, and they are late starting. According to John, it takes...

The fourth of six programmes produced by CBTV Productions for Tyne Tees Television of a year in the life of John Dodd and his family who live at Sillywrea Farm in Northumberland and use only Clydesdale horses to work their land. Title: The Last Horseman It is now July and the episode begins in a meadow where John and his son-in-law David Wise work two pairs of horses to mow the grass to make hay for the horses. It has been very wet, and they are late starting. According to John, it takes him an hour to do three-quarters of an acre. There are fifty acres to mow. John talks about the different types of mowers he has, and that all machinery have weak points. David has to stop and clear the blades which slows things down. In the stables John work to train young horse Sandy to get use to wagon 'shafts' and 'bridging'. Sandy's head is fastened to the side of the stable to prevent him from rearing. In another barn David sharpens the blades of a mower. Maggie Dodd comes out and feeds some hen with kitchen scraps. She got into hens when John's father bought her half-a-dozen as a wedding present. John and Maggie talk about their children Edwin and Frances. Edwin died aged 14 of cancer. Frances has always been a good worker and there is archive footage of her from another TV programme filmed when she was a teenager. Interview with Frances Wise nee Dodd in her kitchen where is decorating a cake for her mother's cousins golden wedding anniversary. Title: The Last Horseman. End of Part One Title: The Last Horseman: Part Two In the second part of the programme David is in the meadow hay turning while John rides a hay rake or sweep to turn the hay. In his studio Model Sculptor Ray Ayres works on a Marquette showing a farmer leading a horse pulling a wagon of hay. In the field he takes reference photographs of John and David working the hay. He says they have been helpful in telling him what's right and wrong about the sculptures he makes. Back in the meadow John rakes the hay into piles or 'ricks'. These ricks are built on wooden platforms with one of them being winched onto a wagon or 'bogie' and drives across the field back to the farm at a steady pace. In another ploughed field John and David leading Sandy to a set of rollers. Slowly and carefully, they attach him to the machines. He is then lead across the field by John with David at the reins. Back on the farm in the hayloft Norman Barber places bales of hay onto a conveyor. Inside the bails are stacked by Ed Brown, a computer consultant in publishing. He works as a casual labourer on the farm during hay season because he knows the family and enjoys the farm. He likes seeing something at the end of the day which is very satisfying and different from his normal job. The programme ends with John watching over grandson Richard leading a pair of horses back to the farm. John says Richards currently want to be a farmer, but he wouldn't push him into it. However, he does encourage him all he can. Title: With thanks to Northern Arts, Border Fine Arts Credit: Camera Simon Crouch, Lee Sutterby Credit: Additional Camera Kip Halsey Credit: Music John Cook Credit: Graphics Keith Dover Credit: Dubbing Mixer Andy Ludbrook Credit: Editor David Hindmarsh Credit: Executive Producer Jane Bolesworth Credit: Producer Charles Bowden End credit: CBTV Production for Tyne Tees Television. © Tyne Tees Television MM