We are delighted that one of our young parishioners, Victoria Furlong, has recently become Countryfile Young Farmer of the Year. Vicky, from Shaftoe Young Farmers Club, was nominated by her employer, Mary Dickinson, where she is the very young manager of the Crowhall Estate, with 120 cattle and 700 sheep. She was one of three young farmers to make it to the final, where she beat off competition from men from Gwent and Newport Pagnell. While studying, Vicky had worked as a part time gamekeeper at Crowhall, and had been steeped in farming all her life, growing up on the family farm at Ridley. Her parents, Stuart and Dorothy Furlong, are rightly proud of their award winning daughter, and accompanied her to the awards ceremony in September. We send our warmest congratulations to Vicky.

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