YFC memories

Young farmers is a fantastic organisation that taught me at an early stage in life that it’s better to regret the things you have done, rather than the things you haven’t. I could write a book about some of the great escapades of my Keyston YFC days, though inevitably some stand out.

A certain incident at the Little Chef, Builth Wells during the annual Royal Welsh Show pilgrimage complete with the communally owned and even more communally occupied ‘love shack’ is definitely one of them!

The annual conventions in Blackpool were always a heady and compelling mix of traditional hwyl and, to paraphrase an ecclesiastical term, ‘fellowship’! Never more so than a certain evening at the Claremont hotel when South Pembs won the national talent trophy.

However, some of the more run of the mill situations were equally rewarding. The building of stage sets late into the night (sausage, chips and beer obligatory!), carol singing, competitions that were secretly developing skills for life and of course the social side of discos and balls.

YFC is like most things in life — you get out of it what you put in. The sense of community, equality, endeavour and trust is something many of us take for granted, but it is widely recognised that this county would be a far poorer place in many, many ways without Pembrokeshire Young Farmers’ Clubs. Happy 70th!

Will Prichard Vice-chairman of Clynderwen and Cardiganshire Farmers, radio presenter and dairy farmer talks about his YFC ‘education’.

Everything useful in life I learned from Pembrokeshire YFC. Don’t get me wrong, it is not that I am ungrateful for my formal education, but to be honest the usefulness of French verbs and eureka cans is limited if you are a farmer living in Pembrokeshire. YFC meanwhile introduced me to stock judging, public speaking and fence erection, things that I use in my everyday life, both professional and in my public life.

What allows the YFC to stand head and shoulders above the rest is that it is run by members for members. This allows clubs to develop their own agendas and change to the changing needs of today’s rural youth. There are of course an army of supporters and past members willing and able to help and pass on skills that they too learned through YFC, but at the end of the day it is the current members who decide what to do, and when and where to do it.

There can be no better way of preparing young people for future public life than YFC.

Travel now plays an important part in the lives of many young people. YFC gives its members the opportunity to meet up with new people and involve themselves with new cultures from all over the globe, but very often great friendships are struck up while competing and socialising with neighbouring clubs and counties.

Which brings me on to socialising... I started this article by declaring that YFC had taught me everything that was useful in life and when it came to ‘socialising’ I can safely say it certainly did that!

Congratulations Pembrokeshire YFC!

ROB THOMAS Ex-member and Pembrokeshire YFC’s favourite DJ, looks back over the last 30 years.

I joined Fishguard YFC when I was 13 years old, and took part in a variety of competitions, making a lot of friends along the way, throughout the country.

At this time, Rhyswyn Thomas and I started doing discos for young farmers at the Roch Gate Motel, which was the place to be in the early 80’s on a Saturday night, and we were known as T & H disco for many years.

In 1981 we won the local talent competition and then went on to win the all Wales final and the national finals at the Winter Gardens, Blackpool. I also won the best male contribution in any act for my rendition of Gypsy Rose, of which I am quite proud!

I have married off almost every single young farmer providing a disco for them and now I am doing their children’s 18th birthdays, or even their weddings! I wonder if anyone from Eglwyswrw YFC remembers me dressing up as a Christmas fairy, complete with red sparkly tights and toe cap boots?

The YFC movement has given me so many opportunities. I would sincerely like to congratulate them on their 70th anniversary this year, and wish them every success for the future. We enjoyed working with county organisers, Mervyn Harries, Mair Evans and now Dill Williams and would like to thank the county federation for all their support throughout the years, and look forward to working with the next generation of Pembrokeshire’s young farmers!