Cumbrias F&M war
BOOK REVIEWS
Cumbrias F&M war
IN THE midst of the foot-and-mouth outbreak a leading Cumbria farming figure described the crisis to me as "Cumbrias war". The county was not a prime target for bombing during war-time, but February 2001 saw its rural communities facing a far worse "unseen enemy".
The battle that was waged over many months caused heartache and devastation to thousands of the countys farming families and now many of those whose lives were plunged into chaos relate their experiences in this book of personal accounts of the crisis.
Compiled by Caz Graham, a BBC Radio Cumbria presenter, who covered F&M stories throughout last year, the book includes contributions from David Maclean MP, mountaineer Chris Bonnington and Brigadier Alex Birtwistle.
But the most moving inclusions in the 200-plus pages are those from farmers and their families who went to unimaginable lengths to save their stock from the DEFRA slaughter teams.
There are diaries of those who camped in lambing fields for weeks on end, living in livestock trailers in freezing conditions and cutting themselves off from their families in the hope of preventing the spread of the disease to the flocks. There are accounts from village GPs, hoteliers, vets – in fact people from every walk of life. Each with their own tales to tell.
The book has harrowing pictures of slaughtered livestock, but it also pays tribute to the spirit of resilience and determination that inspired the farmers of Cumbria to cope with the enormity of the impact of F&M.
"Foot and Mouth – Heart and Soul" is not a morbid account of trauma and despair – it is an important chronicle of Cumbrias farming history that deserves a place on the bookshelf of every farmhouse in the county. JH
*Foot and Mouth – Heart and Soul, by Caz Graham. Published by Small Sister for BBC Radio Cumbria, price £5.99. Further information 0191-244 1296.