A few years ago, I was attending a farm sale (always an interesting pastime because there was usually a bargain to be had); perhaps an old tractor, or just a box of bits and bobs in which there could be a treasure.

The format of the sale was pretty standard, it usually came about because the farmer had died or decided to give up farming. The land and buildings were sold off first, then an auction held to dispense with the livestock and equipment.

The sale normally started with a pile of scrap which had accumulated over many years; then the low value items such as hand tools progressing finally to the tractors and other high value equipment.

Because most of the attendees like me were not interested in the scrap, we were mostly dispersed around the field when the bell rang and the auction started.  

Although I was not interested in buying scrap, I knew from attending many sales, this heap was worth about £50 pounds.

Soon the bidding escalated to beyond £200 and kept going; the word quickly spread around the field and it wasn't long before a crowd had gathered, wondering what it was that we had not seen in the heap.

The bidding continued and eventually reached £1000 before it stopped. By this time most of us had worked out what was actually happening: two brothers, both in the scrap trade, had a 'falling out' prior to the sale and each was determined that the other should not have the scrap. While one eventually got the scrap, I’m not sure he was the actual winner!

Dave Bird 

David was born into a farming family and enjoyed childhood in the ‘50s on his father’s farm, Elms Lodge on Pawdy Lane (the old and correct spelling of the lane). After leaving Humphrey Perkins School, he began a career in education, lecturing in farm mechanisation, first in Wiltshire and then at Brooksby College, Melton Mowbray. After the death of his father, he returned to the farm where he is today. In a sense his life has now turned full circle.