The fifth 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 Filmed during September the programme begins with David Wise, John Dodd's son-in-law, collecting logs from the farms 8-acre wood using horse-power. The logs will be cut up for used on the fires at home. He says it's good for the...

The fifth 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 Filmed during September the programme begins with David Wise, John Dodd's son-in-law, collecting logs from the farms 8-acre wood using horse-power. The logs will be cut up for used on the fires at home. He says it's good for the horses to work under trees, its experience for them. John talks about his wife Maggie's father who was a well-known wagon man. There are a number of archive photographs showing horses being used to pull timber. Back at the farm David and farmhand Norman Barber clean mud from the legs of horse Dick before it develops 'Mud Fever'. This is when mud sticks to the horse's hair and it bites its legs to get the mud off causing bruising and possibly bleeding. In a field known by John as 'The Fell' but on the Ordinance Survey maps as 'Big Allotment' two Clydesdales run around, John says they are known as being 'quick-stepping horses'. He talks about this Scottish heritage. They chase after a cow and calf as they are curious animals. John and David try and catch a 28-day old beef calf so it can be tagged. Cows can be very dangerous, especially those from the continent. While David tries to catch and tag the calf John uses a stick to keep its mother away. In a field of turnips John has 3-year-old Sandy attached to a plough which he is using to 'scuffle' or knock weeds out. He believes Sandy will make a good working horse and can work 8-10 hours a day. He may last 20-25 years. Back on the farm David cleans a number of tups for market. They are loaded into a lorry and driven to Hexham Auction Mart. Inside views of an auction in progress. Title: The Last Horseman. End of Part One Title: The Last Horseman: Part Two The second part of the programme begins at the Hexham Auction Mart where the tup auction is underway. John's tups go in and he gets £1000 for six, half as much as he got the previous year. That's farming he says. In a field back on the farm John and David select a number of turnips to be submitted as part of this year's Harvest Festival at the local Methodist chapel in Langley. The family have always been Methodist, but David considers himself more of a Christian than a Methodist. As John and David clean the turnips, inside Maggie boils peeled onions in readiness to make pickled onions. She talks about some of the produce she has made such as chutney, some of which will go to the chapel. Inside the Methodist chapel the service of Harvest Festival. Interview with Rev. David Perkins who says this is a typical service for the rural chapels across the Tyne Valley. There is a community and friendship between all the chapels. After the service there is an auction of produce for chapel funds, it is an offering of people's talents and creativities of a simple way of life. However, it is getting harder for rural chapels as there are fewer younger people working on farms. There is also a lack of commitment to the church from the wider community. The programme ends with David leading a horse into the stable and taking another out. He says that he doesn't get a chance to go to chapel as much, but you need to believe in something. Title: With thanks to Northern 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