The Farmers Mart Dec-Jan 2018 - Issue 54 | Page 43

BEACON HILL FARM 43
• DEC/JAN 2018
gone for Nordmann Fir mainly but
there are Fraser Fir, Douglas Fir
and Norway Spruce also. They
take around 8 years to get to
between 5ft to 8ft and the market
has shifted since we started
growing from 6-7ft being the most
commonly bought to 7-8ft.’
‘We’re busy with customers
buying Christmas trees from
November 29 as many want to
have theirs up by December 1,
which is good for us but the ideal
time for one to be bought and still
look fabulous on Christmas Day
is probably around December 8.
Now we are still buying in all our
trees and in September each year
Cheryl and I go up to Scotland to
choose what we want. We started
our business in a small shed, but
we’ve grown substantially and
now have much larger premis-
es. We also sell decorations and
wreaths. Cheryl visits the trade
fairs in Harrogate and the NEC in
Birmingham.’
Santa comes to Woolley Edge
Christmas Tree Farm every Sat-
urday and Sunday in the lead up
to Christmas at 10am to feed the
reindeer. It’s popular with grand-
parents and parents who bring
the children. There’s no admission
charge, but Martin and Cheryl
invite everyone to donate to the
Forget-Me-Not Children’s Hos-
pice. They raised £1200 last year.
Unfortunately, Santa rang in sick
from the North Pole one morning
at 9.30am (good job it wasn’t the
24th but maybe that’s why he
pulled a sickie at that time) and
Martin found himself pressed into
action donning the red suit, quick-
ly growing a white beard inside 30
minutes and pulling on the black
boots.
‘Never again!’ says Martin.
Cheryl recalls growing up on
farm and going to Otley livestock
market with her dad. Billy origi-
nally farmed at West Bretton but
when the family partnership of
three brothers was dissolved he
built Beacon Hill Farm up himself
from what was bare land. He was
recently lauded at the Yorkshire
Post Rural Awards for his efforts
in running a local horse show for
many years. Cheryl trained as a
chartered surveyor, worked for
Wilby’s at Barns-
ley and current-
ly works for
Kirklees Coun-
cil three days
a week. As well
as the Christmas
trees Cheryl and
Martin have also
turned to pumpkins as
another enterprise.
‘It’s all about Hallowe’en,’ says
Cheryl. ‘We have held children’s
events here for the past six years
called Spooks in The Straw. The
children pick a pumpkin, carve it
in the barn, go on a witch’s walk
and enjoy the Singing Pumpkin
Show.’
Cheryl was one of the elite Caw-
thorne YFC girls’ Tug O’ War team
that travelled the country victo-
rious wherever they pulled. She
and Martin have two sons – Harry
(18) who is very interested in the
farm and hoping to attend Harper
Adams next September; and Tom
(15) who plays cricket alongside
his dad for Upper Denby. Harry
is the current treasurer of Caw-
thorne YFC.