Island Life Magazine Ltd October/November 2010 | Page 52

interview

Island Life - October/November 2010

Semi-retired Ron still hunting for
new challenges to keep him busy
Ron Holland says he is now

years, and when I heard someone was

the youngest of five children, and the

semi-retired. That’s because he gets

thinking of using it for motor cycle

son of a farmer and horse dealer. He

up at eight o’clock in the morning and

scrambling , I decided to buy . It is

attended Thame Grammar School, and

doesn’t start work until nine.

the best thing I have done - I love it. I

although he found school easy, all he

was in there with a tree book for three

really wanted to do was farm.

But at 64 Ron still packs more into his
day than most. He and his family have

weeks to see what was there, I knew

lived at Kemphill Farm, Havenstreet,

nothing about trees.

since moving to the Island back in

“My elder brothers were already
working on the farm, and I envied them

“The Forestry Commission have signed

so much. My headmaster wanted me

1972. He has seen the bad times

me up to a 10-year management plan

to go to vets’ college, but I left school

and well as the good in the farming

and it is all about the wildlife. We have

and went to join my brothers. I thought

industry, but he maintains it is a move

to widen the tracks to let the light in

they were having such a wonderful

he has never regretted for one minute.

and keep the re-growth at different

time.”

He relishes challenges, and always

heights. Over the next 10 years we have

“We lived for fox hunting, that was all

has. That is why he is so excited about

to remove all the conifers , and leave

we ever thought about when we were

the latest venture he took on when he

the hardwoods.”

kids. We milked the cows twice a day

bought adjacent Kemphill Moor – a

Not surprisingly, this astute

and would then be off hunting about

50-acre woodland. He smiled: “It is

businessman has turned it to his

three times a week. Father taught us all

the most exhilarating thing I have done

advantage by starting a new business,

to ride bare-back, he wouldn’t let any

in years. The Forestry Commission

as well as saving himself money on

of us have a saddle until we could ride

suddenly advertised it, and I knew the

heating bills – but more about that

anything. When we went hunting it was

wood from my hunting days.

later.

a case of Wellingtons boots, our old

“But no one had been in there for
52

Ron was born in Thame, Oxfordshire,

school jackets, and a hard hat.”
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