GRANT LOHOAR
Surname
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Lohoar
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Forename
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Grant
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Date of recording
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Jan 2008
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Year of birth
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1953
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Place of Birth
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Glasgow
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Occupation
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Property Mgr National Trust
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Fathers occupation
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Farmer
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Present Address
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Sudbourne
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Location Interview
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Interviewer
Summary |
Veronica Worrall
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Duration
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158 Mins
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No of tracks: 2
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This recording consists of 2 tracks.
Track 1 [72 mins] [Session one: 24 January 2008] Grant Lohoar address since 1995/6 occupation with National Trust, Orfordness. Description of early home, a farm in Glasgow, born 1953. Family farmers in and around Lanarkshire West Green Lees 1959 /1960 Glasgow city expansion sold up farm move to England [2.28] move to Morden Grange, Nottinghamshire England followed by move to Wormegay. Description farming changes example breeder of Clydesdale horse and horses used by dairies. Early tractors [4.20] Comment on early school in Nottinghamshire then Neville Holt, Leicestershire as boarder until 1968. Then as boarder at a school in Cambridge. Comments of life in middle of city. [6.03] Description of how his school forced him to lose Glaswegian accent and forced him to become right handed. [7.22] More description of losing accent. [7.30] Description of parents' family and origins and type of farmers'. [8.17] Description father death. [8.40] Decisions about career and assumption of going into farming. [9.00] Comments on school holidays in farming and today [9.34] Comment on things changing rapidly and as a teenager career considerations including army [10.33] Comment on A levels, description of a year out and why taken. [11.29] Long description of time away from home as a boarder at school and his school friends from all over world for example Tonga. [13.03] Comment on trip to Europe and how deferred from India and continued around Europe travelling with girlfriend. [13.45] Description of brother 5 years younger who went to Cambridge as boarder, tech college Kings Lynn, Norfolk college of Arts and Technology, then RAC Cirencester, still in farming. [14.54] Remarks on how he dealt with the 60's and conservative expectations of himself. Life in Cambridge as teenager, particularly music and big bands of the time. Comments on concert attending in London - all 'nighters' at Lyceum. [17:35] Pop stars underground scene - Pink Floyd local band at that time Led Zeppelin at Royal Albert Hall [18.51] Comments of his music record collection and his partner's choice of music. [19.52] Comments of partner's brother contact with Mick Jagger and contact with Marianne Faithful and current radio choices [20.57] Description of choice of agricultural college, went to RAC did HND sandwich course - Description of practical year working on a farm in Gloucestershire difference between this type of farming to his father's dairy farm in Lincolnshire. Comments on how estate run, and owned by Captain Phillips, production of own gates and fencing learnt how to make. Comments on his apprenticeship. [25 01 Comments on how he learnt and compare how people learn now and what skills are being lost, the need for practical apprenticeship [27.11] Description of what was happening at home - major fire at farm, 50 fire appliances, family farm went into liquidation. He went to work as assistant farm mgr 2 years Fenland farming [30.25[Description of Fenland farms' ownerships in 1970s. Comments on 1976 being a good year for root crops especially carrots. [32 44] Comments on leaving in '78 to job as farm mgr in Boyden Valley Farm and then his moved back to Nayland farm for 4 yrs specialising top markets -hand picked, description of using gang labour. Comments on Walkers crisp and potatoes used. Further description of gang labour and the efficiency. [38.48] Further description at Nayland farm and how he was told suddenly he was being made redundant. [40.40] Comment on his next job spraying crops, then move to Fisons fertilisers for 15/16 mths in Norfolk, then took a 3 mth job with ready mix concrete company stayed for 18 mths -looking after 3 concrete plants. [42.30] Comment on his move to Suffolk Wildlife job as volunteer, comments on his father's interest in conservation Explained how to get into conservation and his planned route through Manpower Service Commission. After 3mths taken on as paid employee with Suffolk Wildlife, some detail of Suffolk Wildlife [46.18] comments on new project, The Deben Orwell Project, setting up MSC team of long term unemployed. Comment of this team and the 270 MSC employed by Suffolk Wildlife Trust. Comments on how the volunteers got back into work. [50.30] Project manager Valley Fens Project, Waverley, and his 4 teams doing conservation work along the stretch [51.22] Description of sites and what Suffolk Wildlife achieved. Comments on different sites and the work with a local sculptor include sites Redgrave and Lopham Fen [53.31] Some comments on sedge cutting. Further comments on volunteers and their turn around [55.39] Comment on his own management style and his supervisors, description of volunteers' 'fry -up' and their change in attitude. Based at Lopham Fen, working out of brick bungalow built by a tramp [59.00] Heard job coming up a Wicken Fen applied to NT. Deputy head warden for 7 years. Site declared national nature reserve, won European award etc - the first nature reserve gifted to NT 1898. Close link with Cambridge University, comments on eminent Victorians interest in conservation and the Fens. Comments on Sir Harry Godwin and his experimental plots. Comments about some of the eminent persons in conservation. [1.07.27] Comment on his many house moves over the years. Description comparing his career progression with the current career entry into conservation. [1.10.44] Comments on why this change in career approach and what can be learnt from experience. Track 2 [1.26.00] [Session two: 24th January 08] Comments on time at Wicken Fen and in Oct 92 NT negotiations with MOD to purchase Orfordness. NT East Anglian October day out to Orfordness pre purchase to do mgmt plan for site. Comments on his determination to get the job, 1 April 93 NT buying Orfordness and his application for position. [4.30] Description from 1st April 1994 started on Orfordness, living in Jolly Sailor before renting house and subsequently buying his house in Sudbourne. [6.16] Comments on early days on Orfordness - worked with Chris Martin. Comment on his role travelling across to Orfordness [8.10] Comments on preparation for public visitors to island and comments of problems on the site - such as drug smuggling and other contraband coming up the river in early/mid 90's. Description of some of the evidence. Longer description of night visitors to the island, interface with Coast Guards and different events including Custom and Excise finds on the beach. Description of smugglers getting away and eventual arrest. [15.43] Comment on current Customs Officers activity and haul at Bawdsey and the threats to him. [17.00] Comments on hare-coursing and police involvement. [18.26] Long description of wild life on Orfordness and its significance and unique structure. Global significance of Orfordness structure and Coastal Vegetative Shingle - rare and fragile habitat created by the seas. Full articulation of the changes to the coastline. Description of the Long Shore Drift and effect on the beaches and spit, resulting in Coastal Squeeze. Changes over his years [24.00] Comments on the disappearance of past lighthouses and the rate of erosion. Plans for the future and his involvement with Trinity House. Description of the cellars of lighthouse. Description of previous lighthouse and his visit to its base at low tide and reference to Turner's painting. [28.05] Description of changes to the river particularly increase of silting. Long description of northern end of site and the Managed Retreat area. Full description of this 'soft' type of sea defence by salt marshes. Description of different ground levels and the build up of sediment to form upper salt marsh. Definitions of different levels of salt marsh and the different vegetation with names of plants. Comments on the controversial aspects of this work. [37.41] Description and names of the different salt marsh plants [39.01] Comments and description of the birdlife on Orfordness and the significance of the site under various International Conservation Directives/Reserves. Comment on Ness's importance for many species such as Marsh Harrier, Barn Owls. Description of the Atlantic Flyway for migrating birds and importance of salt marsh. Listing of the over wintering birds such as Pintail, Teal, Plover, Lapwing - 50 species breeding on the site. Description of 10 yr bird ringing project - 5500 birds ringed this year [44.27] Climate change and effects on Orfordness. An example is the Little Egret over wintering and breeding and size of flocks. (Interference and poor recording at this time) [46.37] Comments on the appearance of the Spoonbill and it past history of being shot for feathers. Orford holds record 28 Spoonbills on site [49.35] Full description of mammals on the Orfordness to include fox, otters, mink, with description of predation, Description of 7 Chinese Water Deer, specie like Muntjac, with potential to destroy habitat. Comments on devastation by Red Fox and their control on site. Comments on grass growth [53.12] Description of small mammals and species including water voles doing well because not disturbed [54 07] Evidence of when species introduced to the Ness such as when MOD residents had shooting clubs eg hare shoots. Comments on Brown Hare on site. [55.58] Comments on cattle on the Ness and the early records - such as in Henry 11 time to provide for the Castle. Description of letting grazing in 18th century through to WWI [58.12] Comments of the misinformation put out by War Office of what was happening on Orfordness, trying to misinform and continues to today [59.48[Comment on grazing of livestock in 1990's and the problems such as Foot and Mouth, market collapse, logistics, lack of abattoirs in East Anglia with explanation of why stop grazing today. Description of how cattle brought across in past. Comments on haulage contractors from long distance and how cattle were droved from Norfolk. Description of loading cattle at Orford Quay using landing craft and how lorry driver was stopped each time. [1.05.16] Comments on the visitors to Orfordness, one of few atomic weapons' sites open to visitors. Comments how decided on numbers who can visit per day. Comments on bomb disposal and other contaminants [1.07.50] Comment on how areas still need supervision, on number of visitors, continued popularity and the NT strap line for visitors to still experience an aura of a derelict site. Comments how he enjoys walking on site to appreciate the scale [1.11.11] Comment how Orfordness continues to be popular - 5 buildings open to public, have a decommissioned British atomic bomb which took 3 yrs to get. Lighthouse opened [1.12.27] Comments on how people can find out about what is available on site and Dunwich Heath and comments on 20/25 annual visits for special interest groups and what attracts people the most. Comments of the living history of the site. [1.15.50] Comments of what Orfordness means to him, the natural history, learns something new everyday, wild place to be, history within his lifetime and big boys toys! Comment on serious side of war and has spoken to many who have made this history e.g. radar with Watson. Description of the secret of his partner's father work at Orfordness. [1.21.04] Comments of how Orfordness has made the river and how the river is integral to Orfordness. The river is one of the best and worse things about Orfordness. Description of his crossing of the river. Comments of the difficult bit of water at the crossing at the Quay and how it changes all the time. He spends much time go back and forth at this point. |