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North-coast farmer's antics in BBC2's This Farming Life prove popular


By Jean Gunn

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Joyce Campbell has been surprised by the popularity of the current series of This Farming Life.
Joyce Campbell has been surprised by the popularity of the current series of This Farming Life.

Television footage of a local farmer carrying out a spectacular tackle on a sheep nearly earned her a call up from a rugby team.

North-coast hill farmer Joyce Campbell, who is appearing in the latest series of This Farming Life, said rugby players in the borders had admired her technique.

Laughing about the incident which was caught on camera, she explained: "I usually have a stick, but did not have it – just by good luck she landed on my lap."

The BBC2 programme was being screened on Wednesday nights at 8pm and follows on from the first part of series four which was aired last August. However, Winterwatch is taking over that slot for the next two weeks and This Farming Life will be back on February 3.

Joyce's exploits while out checking her in lamb ewes at Armadale Farm, Sutherland, were screened on January 6, in episode seven – the opening programme in the second part of the series. She spotted that one was limping so she decided to catch it with the aid of her dogs so that she could provide treatment.

The popular hill farmer had to watch it herself on the iPlayer as she had been inundated with messages from people of all ages, including a guy from New Zealand, who had enjoyed her antics.

Later in the same episode she can be seen out gathering sheep during storm Ciara in winds reaching around 60mph and her dogs once again have to help get the flock up a dangerously steep bank in terrible weather conditions. The North Country Cheviot ewes live out on 6,000 acres of rough hill ground at Armadale.

The tricky operation involves much whistling and shouting, with one of Joyce's older companions, Jock, managing to get the job done successfully despite many commands to take the pressure of the ewes. "He's known as 'lie down Jock' as he never does that," Joyce joked.

Taking it all in her stride, Joyce said she felt people liked seeing an older women just embracing life. Commenting on why she had originally agreed to take part in the series, she said: "All I wanted to show was the food that we grow and produce. I am not special, there are people all across the country doing the same thing as me."

Surprised at how popular the programme has become, Joyce said: "It has been quite good fun, people have been very kind. It has had a huge following – because of lockdown it feels like the television is running out of fresh things. I do not think I have had a negative comment back yet."

She continued: "I am really glad they are showing the north and that it is being well represented, and our village in Armadale – I am really proud of it as well."

Joyce pointed out that one thing that had come over from the programme was the way the public see how she works with her animals and in particular the kindness shown to her dogs, of which she has nine.

"These are everyday things that that we as farmers think as nothing," she said. "Sometimes that is the only company – you can become quite fixated on your dogs."

Over the past five weeks she has experienced an extremely sad time after having to put down three of her faithful companions. "It is quite poignant still seeing them on the TV," she added.

In episode eight Joyce can be seen preparing for the spring with her 800 ewes in the final stages of pregnancy. While in Northumberland, Emma Gray sets a record price for one of her top sheepdogs at Skipton Dog Sales.

Commenting on the internationally renown sheepdog trainer, Joyce said: "She is a great role model of a young mum training dogs and looking after a toddler which is not easy."

Clips of farming life at Armadale will also be shown in episode 10, which will focus on how all those taking part coped when the coronavirus started to grip the nation.

During this time Joyce helped the community by delivering eggs to the doctors surgery. "They all looked so knackered at night, I still feel sorry for them with all the work they have and it is just a wee community."

The final episode will show the Armadale shepherd, who is used to working on her own, getting help from her niece and nephew, Frances and Mure, who returned home from university because of the Covid-19 restrictions and spent five months helping on the farm.

A special lockdown purchase will also be revealed – Joyce's new Highland pony – with some of the filming proving exciting as it was done with a drone.

This Farming Life, series four, follows six farming families in Scotland and the North of England as they face one of the toughest years in farming.


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