Geoffrey Cole 1928-2022

Geoff was born on 26^th July 1928 to parents Sidney and Dora Cole of Brownrigg Farm, Caldbeck. After primary school, he attended Nelson Thomlinson School Wigton and went up to Fitzwilliam College in 1946 to study agriculture. He made full use of his time there being an active part of academic and student life. He became a member of the boat club rowing in an eight with the future Prime Minister of Singapore, Lee Kwan Yew. He enjoyed returning to the college for reunions and was impressed to see the growth of the college and its buildings. After graduation he did his National Service during which he gained a commission.

He started his working career at Ford’s Factory in Dagenham, ending up in the Public Relations department of the agriculture division where he worked as editor of Ford’s Farm magazine with a circulation of 35,000.

However, he yearned for the countryside and commenced farming in Yorkshire after 5 years at Ford. Later, Geoff came back to Cumbria purchasing Bramley Farm, in the Loweswater Valley. To finance the operation, he retrained by taking a diploma in Education at Newcastle University. This led to a job as a teacher at the Workington Technical School and later at the College of Further Education.

In 1969, Geoff married Ella and their son John was born in 1972. After their marriage, farming at Bramley really began with Ella giving up teaching as sheep were purchased and the farm further developed.

A great European due to his early work in foreign countries, he organized exchange groups of French pupils and was also Vice-Chairman of Forward in Europe. Always busy and looking to the future, he wrote a book ‘A Hundred Years of Hill Farming’ while in his eighties.

Never short of an opinion, he could always be relied upon by friends and family for sound, practical advice. A truly a remarkable man of so many talents, Geoff lived life to the full.