Haulier Profile: Tommy Middleton

Meet Tommy Middleton, a dedicated haulier with an impressive thirty years of experience in the British Wool family! His incredible journey has allowed him to forge unparalleled relationships with our farmers, creating a strong network of trust and collaboration.

Dive into the engaging interview we’ve conducted with him, where he shares his inspiring background and the passions that drive him.

“Hello! I’m Tommy, and I hail from Holden House in beautiful Carnforth, Lancashire. I come from a big family—I’m the middle child of eight—raised in the straw business that my father started back in 1959.

I’ve been happily married for over 40 years and have two wonderful children and five amazing grandchildren. We live on a smallholding just outside Ingleton, right on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales.

In 1995, I took over a collection centre and became a haulier for British Wool. It seemed like a great addition to my straw business, which I’ve been running since I was 21 after taking it over from my dad. It’s been a rewarding journey, and I’m proud of the success we’ve achieved.

When I first joined British Wool, I was delivering about 8 loads each season to a depot in Clayton. Fast forward to now, and I’m proud to say that I’ve ramped that up to around 45 loads a season!

The improvements in the British Wool warehouse operations over the years have been remarkable, and I’m excited about what the future holds.

I’ve been a haulier for British Wool for 30 years, and I’m not slowing down anytime soon.

One of my favourite parts of the job is meeting all the farmers and sharing a bit of banter. I’ve built a good reputation within the British Wool community, where farmers love to chat about their wool and the future of British Wool. I give my all to both my straw business and my partnership with British Wool—I’m a dedicated supporter and proud ambassador!

In my free time, you can find me restoring vintage tractors and joining tractor runs across the Dales to raise money for various charities. And of course, I cherish every moment I get to spend with my grandchildren!”

Meet Welsh Shearer: Elgan Roberts

Sheep shearing is a skilled profession carried out by professionals who have been trained to shear carefully and sympathetically. British Wool is the approved provider for shearing and wool handling training in the UK, with a programme designed to support trainees of all abilities.

We caught up with 22-year-old Elgan Roberts a Welsh Shearer from the Llyn Peninsula about why he enjoys shearing and his achievements to date.

Q: What are the details of your farming and shearing business?

A: On my farm I keep cows and sheep, selling sucklers calves and fat lambs. My shearing business started in 2019 when I was 16 years old, and I took over my cousin’s shearing run. I currently cover the Gwynedd area with my shearing business.

Q: What has been your personal and professional achievements?

A: One of my biggest achievements in the shearing industry was winning the intermediate in the Royal Welsh, that was a dream come true. Another achievement I gained this summer was winning the intermediate class in Corwen and qualifying for the final in the senior’s class.

Q: How long have you been a farmer?

A: I was born on a farm and have been farming with my father since I was a young child.

Q: What motivated you to enter a shearing competition?

A: My motivation with the shows was to make new friends and to learn and develop my shearing.  There is so much to learn in shearing especially listening to the open shearers talking and giving out tips.

Q: What advice would you give to young up-and-coming shearers?

A: Don’t start too early, and don’t push yourself too young, attend as many courses as you can, watch videos of good shearers on YouTube, and always enjoy it – you must enjoy shearing to get a passion for the job.

At the start of the season, I went on a British Wool course with Gareth Evans in Denbigh – the course was fantastic, and I learned so many tips from Gareth and it improved my shearing in just two days, in my opinion, I wouldn’t have achieved this year’s accomplishments if I hadn’t of been on the course!

Q: Who has been your inspiration?

A: There are a lot of people who inspire me in the shearing industry. One of the biggest is Rodney Sutton, and I had the privilege of shearing for him over in New Zealand last winter!

Gwion Evans – A Summer of Competing

Sheep farmer, shearer, and our Ambassador Gwion Evans farms with his father and brother on a traditional hill farm in Bylchau, North Wales. They run a beef and sheep system with a herd of continental crosses mainly British Blue Cross dairy cows and rear 50 calves on an automatic feeding system. The sheep are split between 1,000 crossbred ewes and 400 pure Welsh Mountain ewes.

Gwion is married with three children and as well as being busy on the farm, Gwion does some shearing contracting in his local area of North Wales.

Shearing runs in the family with his father a shearer, both Gwion and Gareth have enjoyed several successes in shearing over the years. For Gwion, this reached the highest accolade of all last year becoming the Individual Machine Shearing World Champion.

We catch up with Gwion after a busy summer of competing:

How long have you been shearing competitively?

I have been shearing competitively for 21 years and my first competition was at the age of 14 at the Royal Welsh Show. After this, I caught the bug and competed at many local shows and competitions reaching the open shearing level at the age of 19 years old.

I shorn my first ever sheep at home at 12 years of age. My dad taught me who was always keen on shearing, and I attended British Wool shearing courses. 

How do you prepare for the competitive shearing season and the shows you attend?

I try and shear as many sheep as I can before the show season. As we have sheep at home, and I have a shearing run I have plenty of opportunity to get some practice in. You must be fit to shear sheep, but farming and shearing is hard work so work keeps me fit!

How many shows have you completed in this year?

I have competed in 15 shows across the UK this year. I compete in the Welsh Shearing Circuit which is 10 nominated shows located across the UK and you must compete in at least 7 of the 10 shows. The competition and rivalry at these shows are very strong but we are all great friends and always enjoy a pint at the end of a busy show!

What is your favourite show?

The Royal Welsh and Corwen Shears, I can’t separate as both are up there with being the best shows in the world. Both have a fantastic atmosphere and all the main shearers on the circuit including from countries like New Zealand would compete at both. The Wales vs NZ tests are fascinating and passionate occasions, you even get to see the New Zealand Haka.

How has the season gone for you?

The season this year has been a bit up and down but improved as it went on. Next season will be an important season competitively as this will be the qualification season for the team to represent Wales at the 2026 World Shearing Championships.

What has been your highlight to date on the competitive stage?

Without a doubt, it was winning the Machine Shearing World Championship last year. A dream come true – I’ve worked hard to get where I am in Shearing but it’s the enjoyment I get that keeps me motivated and going every year. The atmosphere during the final was amazing and it was great that so many of my family, friends, and shearers had travelled up to Scotland to support me and the Welsh team.

Do you have any advice for the next generation of shearers?

My advice would be to work hard and travel as much as you can, you can learn so much by shearing in countries like New Zealand. Attending courses is always a good way to learn, I attended British Wool courses that were great – my brother Gareth is now an instructor on the British Wool courses.  

Wool Sales Update from Andrew Hogley – CEO

Dear Member,

I am pleased to share some positive news regarding the wool market. Since the start of July, we have seen significantly better demand in our auctions, and this has helped sale prices for your wool to reach their highest levels for four years.  Relative to this time last year average prices have increased by 17 pence per kilo. This equates to approximately 40 pence per fleece.

Prices have improved for all types with Blackface, Mule, Cheviot Cross and Romney types seeing the strongest uplift. Welsh Mountain and Swaledale types have seen an increase, but yet, this has not been to the same extent.

Demand has been driven by improved conditions in the contract carpet market. Manufacturers we work with in this sector such as Brintons, Haima and Shanhua are seeing an improvement in trade. Each of these companies specify British wool in the carpets that they supply to the leading hotel chains cruise ship industry.

In addition, the British Wool team has been actively working on a number of initiatives to enhance demand and improve pricing.

• To promote wool carpets in the residential sector we have launched a marketing campaign featuring Shaun the Sheep. Over the next few weeks this will be rolled out to 2,000 retailers in the UK. British Wool has worked with several manufacturers on this promotion.  Our aim is to increase the market share of wool carpets, and thus drive further demand for your wool.
• Earlier this year we announced a strategic investment in NexGen Tree Shelters which has developed biodegradable tree shelters made from wool. Our investment is helping NexGen to start commercial production and guaranteed that it will source its wool from British Wool’s members. Over the medium term this should provide a much-needed increase in demand for Swaledale and Welsh Mountain wool and help reduce the use of single use plastic in our environment.
• British Wool is now working with more than 160 brands through our licensee scheme. As we head into Wool Month we’ll be showcasing and promoting many of these brands at press events to increase consumer awareness.

We all recognise that prices need to increase further to give you a better return for your wool. The improved demand and success of these initiatives is however an encouraging step in the right direction.

Our depots and drop-off sites remain open. If you still have wool on farm, please contact your local depot to arrange delivery.

Thank you for your continued support.

Best regards,

Andrew

CEO, British Wool

Drop-Off Point Profile: Meet Paul Chuter

Many farmers might have crossed paths with Paul Chuter at the Cockermouth Depot during drop-offs, but we know it’s often a whirlwind of activity and there’s little time for a chat.

At British Wool, we want to help you get to know Paul better. We recently sat down with him for a short interview where he shared some insights about his background and what he loves to do. As the one in charge of storing and processing your wool after you drop it off, Paul makes sure it’s well taken care of before it heads out for grading.

Please read Paul’s response below;

I was born in Hampshire and grew up on my parents’ small dairy farm next to my grandfather’s bigger mixed farm. In 1979, I went to Wye College in Kent, the University of London, and graduated with a degree in Agriculture. 

After that, I worked as a truck driver for two years in the UK and Europe, which helped me save money for a house and a few old tractors. It was a good-paying job at the time! 

In 1981, I started an agricultural contracting business near Canterbury, Kent. The business grew a lot until 1993, when I sold it to a competitor, and it is still running today. 

Then we purchased High Gate Farm Bewaldeth in 1994, which I then farmed while starting an Agricultural Engineering Business. By around 2005, we focused on selling, servicing, and repairing quad bikes mainly for farmers in the North. 

In 2019, I sold this business to Carrs-Billington Agriculture, which moved everything to their Cockermouth branch, including me and my 11 staff members. 

Now, I work at the Cockermouth drop-off centre for British Wool, and I really enjoy it! I take in and store wool sheets after shearing, label them, do the paperwork, and then send them to Brampton when needed.

There’s no cost for the farmers, and I get to connect with many old and new customers. The job is simple, which I appreciate, and I get along well with Ian, the British Wool lorry driver who picks up the wool. The team at British Wool is easy to work with, and I’ve enjoyed my time there. Overall, it’s a nice little job.

In my spare time, I enjoy gardening, restoring classic tractors and cars, riding my Triumph Bonneville and doing the odd job fixing tractors or welding work for local farmers. 

A summer of shearing records

Following on from Meirion Evans’ successful new British Shearing Record that took place in Machynlleth during July, we saw two World Record attempts taking place in August. Please see below details on both Nick Greaves and Una Cameron’s World Record attempts:

Staffordshire Shearer Sets a New World Shearing Record

Staffordshire based shearer Nick Greaves was top of the world after achieving his dream by setting a new World Shearing Record which took place on his home farm in Stafford during August.

An experienced shearer, Nick successfully set a new 8-Hour World Lamb Shearing Record by shearing 764 lambs beating the previous record held by Jack Fagan of New Zealand in 2022 by 10 lambs.

At the end of his successful record attempt, Nick said:

“I’m delighted to be a World Record holder and can’t quite believe what has happened.  This has been a long journey that started way before my two-stand record back in 2022. It was always a dream of mine and the entire record’s success is down to a huge team effort.”

Nick continued:

“This record would not have been possible without the help and support of my wife Kate and the entire family.  Thank you, it means so much to me that we have achieved what we have here today as a family.  I’d also like to pay tribute to the support and commitment of so many people, too many to name individually.  From the farmers supplying the lamb, pen men that were here with me all day, the wool wrappers, those supporting me with my gear and all my family and friends – without all of you, today would not have been possible.”

Cancer Research UK was the record attempts nominated charity with fundraising taking place during the day. More information is available from Nick Greaves Solo 8-Hour World Lamb Shearing Record Attempt www.cancerresearchuk.org

Una Shears 517 to Achieve New World Record

Scottish sheep shearer, Una Cameron, who is the only woman to qualify in the top 30 at the coveted Goden Shears in Masterton, New Zealand has smashed a World record set by Kiwi Sacha Bond in Southland, New Zealand on February 9th this year.

Fifty-one-year-old Una has certainly not let her age define her, she has been in training for the past year, lost three stones in weight and honed her shearing skills gained over the past three decades.  She triumphantly surpassed Sacha Bond’s tally of 458 by four in the afternoon, giving her an hour on the clock to raise the Solo Women’s Nine Hour Strong Wool Ewe Record by 59 to a staggering tally of 517.

Shearing Romney sheep at Trefranck Farm in Cornwall, Una tallied 113 in the opening run of two hours and followed with successive 1hr 45min runs of 105, 101, 104 and 94.

With a support crew of around forty from the shearing fraternity from as far as New Zealand, the Falklands and Norway, Una was delighted to accomplish her dream and said:

“I had a wonderful team behind me, and they believed that I could do it. I was focused on passing the 458 mark, but always wanted to shear 500. I can’t thank everyone enough, especially Matt and Pip Smith, who hosted the event on Trefranck Farm.”

Una also achieved the British Record.

Gareth Jones, Head of Member Engagement, British Wool said:

“On behalf of British Wool, we offer huge congratulations to Nick and Una on their successful World Record attempts.  This was a display of high-quality shearing and both should be very proud of their achievements.

We appreciate the hard work that also goes on behind the scenes in holding records such as this and therefore offer congratulations to everyone that has helped and supported Nick and Una in successfully setting their new World Shearing Records.”

Una was fundraising for Blood Cancer UK & St Luke’s Hospice Plymouth. If you would like to join in and support please follow the Donation Link: https://gofund.me/4ea1e73a

Supporting British Wool is key to growing long-term value for wool and representing the best interests of members

As we head into September and the busy breeding sales season and autumn on the horizon, I wanted to write in this month’s Graze to highlight the important role British Wool has in supporting the UK sheep industry and encourage any farmers with wool still on their farm to deliver this into their local British Wool drop off site.

As a sheep farmer myself, I appreciate that wool returns in recent years have been disappointing. Indeed, wool prices globally have been challenged, with farmers in countries such as New Zealand and our neighbours in the Republic of Ireland in the same situation – we are all aware that we operate in a competitive environment for wool.

What is unique in the UK, however, is that British Wool exists as a farmer co-operative to represent the best interests of you, our farmer members. Our sole focus is on maximising the value of your wool in the short and long term. This contrasts with direct purchasers. As well as focusing on growing demand for British wool to create value over the long-term, there are many other unique ways that British Wool supports the UK industry, such as:

• Providing a service to all sheep farmers regardless of wool type, volume, or location.
• Having more than 100 drop off sites located across the UK.
• Working with more than 160 brands/manufacturers using British wool, helping to create valuable demand for your product for the future.
• Providing certified shearing and wool handling training courses to more than 800 people every year.
• Supporting innovation such as our recent announcement on our strategic partnership with Next Gen Tree Guards – a fantastic new product.

I know we all need to see wool prices increase but we can only build long-term value by sticking together. Every kilo of wool that British Wool handles, makes a vital contribution to ensuring this work and high level of service continues. Our sole objective is to see wool prices at auction – and consequently your return from wool – increase. If wool is marketed through British Wool rather than sold direct from farm, then it increases the demand at our auctions and supports these improved prices.

By working together and using our collective strength, British Wool can continue to build on the good work being done to grow long-term value for wool by representing the best interests of members and of the UK agricultural industry.

For more information on your local British Wool site please visit: www.britishwool.org.uk/depot-network