November 2004

Robert's 55 year association with H&H marts

Robert Carruthers

Robert Carruthers was initiated in mart business at the age of 15 when he sold his first cow at Harrison & Hetherington's Earl Street site in Carlisle. Now, 55 years on, he has stepped down after 12 years as a main board director with the H&H Group, currently the longest-serving director, and he still enjoys spending a few hours at the group's marts chatting to customers and always looking for that elusive bargain!

During his 12 years on the board both the agricultural industry and the H&H Group have befallen their share of misfortunes.

The BSE crisis which began in 1996 drastically knocked back prime cattle numbers which in the early 1990s peaked at 2,000 for a Borderway Monday sale. Then followed the foot and mouth epidemic in 2001 with its continuing knock-on effects on mart throughput and livestock movement restrictions.

The Carruthers family began farming the Buccleugh Estate farm Glenzierfoot, Canonbie, just on the Scottish side of the Border in 1867. At 15 Robert was embarking on a three year course at agricultural college at Thornhill, north of Dumfries, when he sold his first cow because his father was unwell and this gave him the excuse to quit his studies.

Ten years later his father died and Robert took on the running of the 500-acre farm which until 2001 had a 180-cow dairy herd. By that time he had married Mona Taylor, from a farming family at Englishtown, Longtown - they have been married 47 years. The family bought another 200 acre farm. West Trailtrow, at Annan in 1967 and in 1985 when their son Ian married, Robert and Mona moved to live at the farm. The land was added to in 1980 when a neighbouring farm West Bowhill was bought increasing the total to 300 acres.

Since foot and mouth further rationalisation of the farming business took place when Ian wanted to quit dairying to run a herd of suckler cows and sheep. Now Robert still owns 50 acres at Bowhill, Annan, which Ian farms.

Robert Carruthers has stayed loyal to H&H, selling all his livestock through the firm since he became a director. "All my life I have been attending auctions always looking for a 'bargain' which rarely turns out to be the case," said Robert.

As well as enjoying the crack at the mart, he firmly believes that the auction mart has a vital role to play for farmers not only in safeguarding a fair price but also acting as an insurance for them to get paid for their stock.

Outside farming, Robert is a season ticket holder with Carlisle United and a one-time competitive curler with Gretna Curling Club which took him to Canada in 1983. Mona still plays and Robert keeps his eye in with the occasional game.

The couple like to escape to the winter sun of Lanzarote where they have a holiday home. Their daughter Linda is married to Mark Bell, formerly of Bells Haulage, Carlisle, and they now run their own hill farm at Winterhope, Waterbeck, Lockerbie. They have two sons and a daughter. Ian and his wife Kathryn have three daughters and a son.

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