The Farmers Mart Jun/Jul 2014 - Issue 34 | Page 42

LEYBURN AUCTION MART

Buyers flock to Leyburn
Chris Berry talks with auctioneer Stephen Walker
Not every farmer’s son
wants to go into farming
these days, particularly
those who have seen
how hard it is to make a
living. Stephen Walker’s
reasoning was somewhat
different when he grew
up on the family farm at
Garsdale near Sedbergh,
on the old West Riding
county border.

“I did like farming,” Stephen
explained. “We had 120 hill
ewes and around 25 sucklers
but somehow I knew it wasn’t
for me, seven days a week.
What sowed the seed for my
auction career was coming
home from boarding school
one half-term and doing the
rounds of the marts at Kendal,
Sedbergh and Hawes with my
father. I really enjoyed the buzz

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42

Jun/Jul 2014 FarmersMart

and found myself intoxicated
by it. I remember going back to
school the following week and
thinking that I’d right enjoyed
myself!”
Stephen started his auction
career as a clerk at Kendal but
wa