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 JIM SMALE

Born: Patrickstow, Devon, 1934
Lived: North Molton
Recording made: 2001
Length of recording: 2 hrs

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Jim Smale's parents moved to farm at North Molton when he was a boy. He boarded at West Buckland school, where the cane was frequently wielded, and got rough treatment from his mother when he was home. They had two maids living in, but the depression hit them hard. Even Lord Poltimore, their landlord, wore breeches which had been darned and darned again.

He was bright, but he wanted to go farming and at 15 left school to look after his father's 1000-plus pigs. He was there in the war years, when Eisenhower camped in the local quarry. There were four miles of tanks on the road, military policemen stopped him going round the sheep and his cart wheel cut through their telephone wire.

He is interested in antiques and the stock market, says his strict upbringing has made him careful with money, and enjoys spotting the spelling mistakes in the Daily Express.