Outstanding in his field, Fordyce’s exit a loss to press gang
For those readers looking for a comment from Fordyce Maxwell to start the week the bad news is that, after millions of words on the state of farming over the past half century, he has laid down his pen. Fordyce’s career saw him cover a wide range of topics from agripolitics to the foot and mouth epidemics in 2001 and 2007.
His stepping back from commenting on agricultural issues and idiocies found in farming coincides with a move to a new house with fewer stairs and easier living on the one level, this move being triggered by a health scare which overnight changed a very fit Fordyce into a slightly less fit Fordyce
Coming out in sympathy with his decision to close down his writing, his work desk on which he crafted millions of words for hundreds of articles decided its own sell-by date had been and gone. The desk was going to be moved to Fordyce and Liz’s new abode but its legs fell off at the thought. More accurately, it had been mined by woodworm. Symbolically to mark the end of an illustrious writing career, the writing desk was last seen engulfed in flames outside the old house.
It should be stressed this is not an obituary. It is more a tribute to a professional colleague who has made the decision to move into a more gentle, less stressed life after decades of working to deadlines.
Although it is now more than 30 years since I joined the rural section of the fourth estate, I am grateful for the advice from one old hack as I shuffled onto the press bench. It was simple and straightforward: “Watch Fordyce and follow what he does.”
This I tried to do and quickly picked up his assiduous and neat note taking as others with only the attention span of a gnat leaned back and closed their eyes after listening to only a few minutes from the great and the ghastly.
Fordyce remained crouched over his small notebook writing furiously with his favourite indispensable fountain pen. Any doubts I may have had about this dedication were swept away reading the following day’s Scotsman where he not only picked up the main themes but also embellished them with quotes from later in the conference.
It took me longer to pick up his philosophy on writing comments which again was straightforward. Write without fear or favour seems an easy dictum to uphold but it is surprising just how many farming writers become what used to be known as “fans with typewriters”.
We operate in a small sector and some who sit on the press bench think their role is not just to report but also to support the agricultural industry.
Fordyce was never hampered by such worries. When reporting on a meeting or an issue he wrote accurately. When commentating on a subject, he wrote incisively regardless of the subject.
His diligence and writing ability saw him take the Netherthorpe award for services to agricultural journalism a few years ago. This UK award goes annually for services to the person considered to have contributed most to agricultural journalism.
One area where he battled manfully over the years but ultimately unsuccessfully was in pedigree livestock sales where he accused those trading large sums of money for some bull or tup as being out of step with commercial reality.
Knowing his long campaign on the issue of stratospheric prices for livestock, I felt it incumbent on me to pass on the news last week of the record price of over one third of a million pounds for a sheep.
Back the response came, questioning the sanity of all those involved.
After the day’s work was done, Fordyce was almost always the best of company with merry quips and anecdotes of his life, initially as a farmer and latterly as a journalist.
As you sit back in your retirement chair, Fordyce, take comfort from the joy your writing brought to your readership.