Obituaries Obituary: Andrew Parkinson
Mr Andrew Blackburn Parkinson, Liscabank herd, who passed away in January aged 90 years, will be remembered by many in the pedigree Friesian and Holstein world for his active roles within the Lancashire Holstein Club, of which he was a committee member for many years, being chairman in 1975 and president in 1976. He was also chairman for many years of the Lancashire NMR competitions committee and was on the Whalley AI bull testing committee inspecting test daughters of MMB bulls. Andrew was a well known and highly regarded judge of the black and white breed, judging at shows and club competitions all over the UK. His philosophy of a good cow was ‘ it doesn’t matter how much daylight you can see over or under a cow, but how much daylight she stops that matters’.
Andrew was born at Greenhalgh, Kirkham, in November 1924. His father was working with Andrew’s grandparents at Pasture Barn Farm, Wesham, (current home of the Sandcrest herd) then took on the tenancy of Liscoe Farm, Out Rawcliffe, in 1934. Andrew took over the tenancy when his father retired in 1954. At that time there was no electric and the only loo was down the garden. Andrew was a forward thinking man, so that was a situation soon rectified and as the months passed 20 cows, six sows and 200 hens became 60 cows, 2500 hens and sheep replaced the pigs. In 1960 Andrew managed to buy Liscoe Farm and as time went on, and money allowed, a new milking parlour was installed, maize was first grown in 1963 and silage making had been practised as long before as 1955. In 1958 Andrew joined the BFCS registering the Liscabank prefix when buying his first two pedigree cows at the Lancashire Club show and sale at Preston Auction - Weathercock Roma Ruby and Brackenber Linda. The Ruby’s no longer exist, but there are still Linda’s in the herd today.
Andrew always took a keen interest in local matters and served on many committees including the Out Rawcliffe Parish council of which he was a past chairman as well as being a past chairman of the local school governors committee, the Over Wyre swimming pool committee, a founder member and past chairman of The Wyreside Farmers Club and past chairman of the cocal NFU. He was also a founder member of The Out Rawcliffe Bowling Club. Andrew had a full, healthy and active life. He was well in his eighties when asked by his doctor if he was allergic to penicillin, he answered...’ he did not know as he had never had any’. Andrew leaves behind his wife Joan, his soul mate of 67 years, five children, 16 grand children, one being Michael, head of classification at Holstein UK, 23 great grand children and five great great grandchildren. Andrew often said about children there was always enough, but never too many. To them all the Lancashire Holstein Club extends its deepest condolensces.
Obituary: Aubrey Patterson 1927-2014
Aubrey Patterson, founder of the highly regarded Ballycrochan herd, passed away at the end of July last year. He was a cattleman and a countryman who loved life and had a passion for the Holstein Friesian cow. For more than 65 years he was dedicated to progressive livestock breeding and the development of the Ballycrochan Herd, currently the oldest surviving and active pedigree herd in Northern Ireland. He was widely acknowledged as a respected judge of dairy cattle and his keen eye was turned into practice when he scored regular success in show rings around the country.
He notably won the dairy championship at Balmoral Show three years running firstly in 2002 with Ballycrochan Formation Avis (EX) and then with Ards Starboy Marqi (EX) in 2003 and again in 2004. He also enjoyed remarkable success in the prestigious McLarnon Feeds Northern Ireland Show Association competition, winning it four years running: 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006. In 2005 - the hat trick year - he won both the Cow of the Year and second reserve champion with Furze Rudolph Rubens Bertha and Cumrew Journalist Debra.
In 1981/82 Aubrey was president of the Northern Ireland Holstein Friesian Breeders Club and served as a Society council member from 1979-82.
But for Aubrey farming was not a business, it was a way of life. A life that celebrated the seasons, bountiful harvests and the companionship of old friends and new. In February 1945, just as the Second World War was coming to an end, his father Joseph moved the family to Ashfield Farm in Bangor. In 1947, with few Friesian cattle in Northern Ireland, the first black and whites were purchased from Heenan’s, Newcastle and Dickson’s of Derryboye. And for nearly seven decades Aubrey continued to farm the land at Ballycrochan. He never retired.
Aubrey married Kitty in 1969 after a ‘whirlwind’ 10 year romance, and the couple had three girls Karen, Susan and Clare. He often lamented the pace of modern life and encouraged his family to make time for people and listen because everyone has a story to tell.
He adored his wife and family and his grandson, Max. His was a good life, lived well. 6 THE JOURNAL APRIL 2015
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