The Farmers Mart Jun/Jul 2016 - Issue 46 | Page 20

William Sykes & Son

THE NO 1 IZUZU DEALERS IN THE NORTH

Matt and the team at Golden’ s wish Paul, Robert and the rest of the team at Sykes another prosperous 150 Years

R N Golden Ltd is one of the largest Isuzu Dealers in the country and have been so year in year out over the last 30 years. Starting out in the late 50’ s, R N Golden initially sold Land Rovers to the farmers of Yorkshire and Derbyshire. Now they do exactly the same with Isuzu pickups, dealing with the sons and grandsons of those very farmers.

Because of Golden’ s affinity to farming, they support many agricultural shows and Sheep Dog trials.

R N Golden SHOWS 2016

Ask about NFU Membership Discount

I’ m at Bakewell Market Every Monday!

01484 608060 / 07771 666 442

afford. He was right of course. When I filled all the pigpens I could have done with at least one more buyer. Huddersfield was a good fatstock market every Monday. We would get 200-300 sheep and 100 + cattle but it was the pigs that really took off. At Christmas we would have 1000 pigs.

‘ Everyone needs to work together and at Holmfirth that certainly happens’

“ After Foot and Mouth in 2001, Barnsley Council wanted Penistone Mart back up and running as soon as possible. I was under a lot of pressure at the time and that brought about an untimely wake up call when I suffered a stroke. Through hell and high water I got it back under way and it was going well- but then Tesco came in and that sounded the death knell. On the last day’ s sale at Penistone every pen was full. We had 150 fat and store cattle that day and 400-500 sheep. At one time we operated the mart in conjunction with Wilby’ s on a Monday and with Bagshaw’ s on a Thursday but after Foot and Mouth it was just us on a Thursday. Strange really. Both marts were doing well yet both closed because of councils- not poor trade.

“ I was delighted to be invited to sell the sheep at Holmfirth Mart in November 2008 and I’ ve been here ever since. I sell the sheep and David Moxon does the cattle. The mart chairman, Anthony Hobson does a marvellous job. Holmfirth Mart is doing unbelievably well for a little market. It gets great support from buyers even though there isn’ t the same number of smaller local butchers around today. October is the mart’ s busiest time for sheep with the annual store lambs and breeding sheep sale that takes place on the second Sunday in October. Over the year we average around 400 sheep a week but that spikes at around 600-700. The biggest change over my time selling sheep at Huddersfield, Penistone and Holmfirth has been that it’ s now all about white faced sheep, particularly Texels, Charollais and Beltex. When I was a lad it was all about black faces. We also still do well with the native breeds to around here – Gritstones, Lonks and White Faced Woodlands.”

20 Jun / Jul 2016 www. farmers-mart. co. uk