C S SMITH COLLECTION

Contains articles concerning C S Smith 1971-1985; reviews of Peter Gurney's book Shepherd Lore 1985; articles about C S Smith's attack on the proposed plans to build a hotel and conference centre near Avebury n.d [1990]; photocopy of an address presented to C S Smith on the occasion of his retirement from the National Association of Agricultural Contractors 1991; newsletter of the National Association of Agricultural Contractors 1991; correspondence 1933-1990 including correspondence as National Association of Agricultural Contractors' Public Relations Officer 1979-1990; files of research material 1938-1990; reference material including articles, reports and leaflets 1935-1990; published articles, draft articles and papers written by C S Smith 1935-1991; papers relating to C S Smith's involvement in the television programme 'Farming in the Air' 1959 and BBC radio programme 'On Your Farm' 1977; file relating to conference Farming with the contractor 1981; photographs, negatives and contact sheets c 1950's-1980's

Clifford Sydney Smith had a career in agricultural journalism that extended over sixty years. He started on the Wiltshire Advertiser in 1926 and then moved to the Bristol Times and Mirror, The Evening Times and Echo and Wiltshire Advertiser before joining the North Wilts Herald in 1933. He wrote the agricultural page using the penname 'Peter Gurney' (a name taken from the song Widicombe Fair like his predecessor at the paper Uncle Tom). In 1939 Smith moved to Fleet Street and spent twenty years working on Farmers Weekly. He later became Public Relations Officer for the Country Landowner's Association (1971) and the National Association of Agricultural Contractors (1976-1991). An expert in farming lore Smith was also enthusiastic about modern farming methods especially the use of aeroplanes. He dealt with public relations for A D S (Aerial) Ltd, the largest firm of agricultural aviation contractors in Britain, and was a vociferous defender of the spraying of chemicals from the air. Smith was also an acknowledged expert on Dutch hydrological engineering. He died in 1993.

A1-7 Biographical and personal information

B1-13 Correspondence

C1-26 Research material

D1-72 Reference material

E1-15 Published works

F1-18 Draft copies of work

G1-7 Other Records

H1 Photographs

Open for consultation

Records deposited in 1989 and 1993. Accession numbers D92/11, DX27

Compiled by Caroline Gould, 18 December 2002

A detailed catalogue is available at the Museum of English Rural Life