Mathew Cole is focused on the future

I would firstly like to celebrate the birth of our son Tom Henry and thank my wife Gemma for a job well done.

I am back at work and have resumed normal service at the farm after my paternity leave. Dad and Neil took up the slack while I was busy, although I still think Dad assumes I have been on a “staycation” holiday or was being work-shy. The bags under my eyes tell a different story, however.

Producing a son and heir, I can already feel the weight of expectation on the poor lad’s shoulders and you can’t help wonder whether he will want to farm or if we should steer him to a different path.

Gemma already assumes he will be a brain surgeon living at home with his mum. Me, I suppose deep inside I would love to give him the opportunity to continue in my shoes on the farm, while giving him every opportunity to make the most of his life and the choices he will have.

Let us all hope those opportunities will exist in this industry and that young people will want to take them on.

It is a bit early to talk about Tom going to college, but instead of a £27,000 interest-free loan to go to university, they could perhaps offer young people the same loan to start or build a business. Academia is not for everyone and I would rather that money was spent on a fledgling business than a three-year party.

Mathew Cole