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Saturday 22 November 2008

Slow Life

Conquering hero

I was in a meeting a year or so ago about a charity record for Darfur. Mick was on board. Bono was confirmed. It was all looking good — good for Darfur, as the benevolent gods of rock assembled to come to the rescue.

Amy Winehouse’s name was mentioned. ‘Isn’t she a bit tricky?’ said someone. Then an executive I’d only ever met after midnight, someone I’d always privately believed to be a simpleton, said something I’ll always remember. ‘People say she’s difficult. That means she is brilliant. It always does. You can’t be difficult and not be brilliant in this business. No one will tolerate it.’

I recalled those unexpected words of wisdom, sadly perhaps the best thing to come out of that meeting, as I travelled to Laverstoke Park on Tuesday. It was Charles Campion who suggested I went down there. He knows more about food than anyone else. ‘You need to go and see what Jody Scheckter is up to,’ he said. When Charles tells you something, it’s true. So, I went.

Well, Jody Scheckter was a Formula One world champion, for Ferrari. He retired from motor racing, moved from here to America and started a company that had a hundred million dollar annual turnover by the time he sold it and moved back to England. He is a winner, a conqueror. Since he returned to these shores, he has been pouring his considerable verve and inestimable wealth into a farm project.

I’m a farmer myself, and there is nothing that delights a farmer more than snooping around other people’s farms. It has been a great pleasure to be one of the judging panel for the BBC’s Farmer of the Year this year. I’ve been up and down the country, having a wonderful time, admiring the best of the best.

More articles from: Alex James | this section

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