Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones has just been selected to lose for the Tories in a deeply unwinnable seat (for them) in Wiltshire. He is a "farmer" and produces sausages in Devon. Congratulatons to him.
However, on the web site of Diverse productions, producers of a television programme featuring Mr Emmanuel-Jones, its says that he "claims to be the UK’s only black farmer".
Indeed, this claim has been given the seal of approval of none other than Mrs Dale's Diary. Madame Dale treats it as "gospel" and writes, while obviously hyperventilating in a shocking fashion: "Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones, Britain's only black farmer". In fairness to old Thrice Daley, he may have been taken in by the Times' description along those lines. Or perhaps the Independent's similar declaration - in a headline no less! It just goes to show how quickly a myth can catch on.
Despite his many obvious qualities and achievements, Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones is not Britain's only black farmer, assuming he is a farmer.
I seem to be the only person bothered or able to do a quick googly on this. I came up with at least one other black British farmer, namely David Wilfred Mwanaka (What is it about Wilfreds and farming in England?), who grows maize on a farm near Thurrock in Essex. He came up as result number four on Google under "black farmer" for goodness sake, so we're not talking megatog-anorak deep cyber-diving here!
So let's get this "only" business behind us and celebrate the fact that there are at least two black farmers prospering in Britain (assuming Mr Emmanuel-Jones description of himself as a farmer), and who knows, perhaps there are even more - you tell me.
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Ah, how refreshing. The nice, kind, caring Lib Dems, always looking on the bright side of life - never negative.
ReplyDeleteYour entire blog is almost entirely about David Cameron and the Conservative party. What about your local area for example? Even bloody Labour Communist Bob Piper manages to mention his local area more often then you.
Admittedly, my entire blog is all about how I hate the Limp Dims, but then, I'm not an elected councillor; just some party imp - you should know better.
Chris
ReplyDeleteMany thanks for reading my blog. I am honoured to have your attention.
As you are interested, you can see my achievements for my area listed here:
http://www.walter.org.uk/niss.htm
..which is my main web site which I have had since just after I was elected and which deals wholly with my work as a Town Councillor for Victoria Ward in Newbury.
I worded my comment on Mr Emmanuel-Jones very carefully. You will see that the main thrust of the piece was to correct an incorrect statement which had been made in the Times and the Independent.
I wasn't the person who said, incorrectly, that Mr Emmanuel-Jones is the "only black farmer in the country". Perhaps you would like to speak to them if you want to get to the origin of this story.I was merely outting the record straight, after a simple Google search revealed that the statement was wrong.
Paul,
ReplyDeleteI stand corrected too. Thanks for pointing this out. I know there is at least one Asian farmer also, but I guess it's not one of those things which are easy to get reliable statistics on.
Very decent of you, Northwing. Thanks for the comment.
ReplyDeleteI have now set up a separate blog for my Newbury updates on newburyupdates.blogspot.com
ReplyDeleteIn fact I have made 18 local Newbury blog postings in the last month - not a bad hit rate. But I agree it is best to keep them separate from general "burblings".