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TOM YANDLE
Born:
Exebridge,
Somerset, 1935
Lived: Exebridge
Recording made: 2001
Length of recording: 3 hrs 25 mins
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Hunting has been Tom Yandle's life. He is a political lobbier for its preservation and chairman of the Devon and Somerset Staghounds. He was also High Sheriff of Somerset and on both the National Trust and National Park Committees.
His grandfather took over Riphay Barton in 1901, as a tenant farmer on the Pixton estate. His father was a draper who came to farming, and marriage, late in life. He was 55 when Tom was born, his wife 30 years younger. Tom went away to school, but came back at 16 to take over in his turn as his father's eyesight was failing.
Life revolved around farming and hunting, and Auntie Clare, who liked reading her bank statements and was 108 when she died. Riphay is still a family farm, run mainly now by his son. He says he used to think that he worked hard, but he didn't work as hard as Timmy.