Foot and Mouth 1967

 
Foot and mouth seems to have been an ever present sore all my farming life. It started way back in 1967 when I was at Walford Agricultural College.  All the new students arrived in late September for the start of the term and we had all just about started to settle down and enjoy all that was on offer with a year away from home, when down came foot and mouth. To say it drastically restricted our social life would be an understatement.

 
Walford student’s life was spread between Radbrook ladies teacher training college, Oswestry nurse training college and one or two other fun places. And then you come to the pubs in Shrewsbury. All of that was gone when the college was surrounded by foot  & mouth. All surrounding farms were culled due to the disease, but somehow the college stock escaped the disease.  Extraordinary, especially when you consider that one or two people  could not contain their amorous tendencies and absconded for the occasional evening. If found out it was instant expulsion.

 
When the outbreak calmed down, it was time for exams and the end of the year.

 
And then came 2001 !