Graham Stratford

Graham Douglas Stratford is an English farmer, local politician and agriculturist from Alton, Hampshire. He is an award-winning international breeder of pedigree Hereford cattle, and was the first Town Mayor of the Alton Town Council.

Originally a successful agricultural auctioneer, Stratford began farming in 1979 (after claiming four Hereford heifers abandoned at his auction), and progressed to full-time farming in 1987. He has been called "non-traditional" in his approach, and "dedicated to breed improvement," pioneering the cross-breeding of English cattle with Canadian stock.[1]

He was chair of the World Hereford Council for six years, president of the Hereford Breed Society (now Hereford Cattle Society) in 1996,[2] and was awarded the Bromham Cup by the South of England Hereford Breeders Association for best herd in 1994, 1995, 1999 and 2006, in which year he also won best individual stock bull.[3][4] In 2008 he continued his international work to develop the breed by successfully arranging the sale of a large consignment of Canadian-influenced English Hereford stock to Dutch breeders.[5][6]

Stratford attended Churcher's College in Petersfield (graduating 1948)[7] and went on to National service in the 1950s as second lieutenant (taking a posting in Singapore).[8][9] He is a lifetime vice-president of the Alton RFC and a Master Mason.[10][11]

Throughout his career he has held an active presence in the community, working often with local schools (especially in agricultural outreach programmes),[12] sponsoring the Alresford Show,[13] and serving repeatedly as a local politician. Stratford is a former Chairman of the old Alton Urban District Council, served as the first Town Mayor of the newly formed Alton Town Council in 1974, and regularly sat as a Councillor for both bodies.[14][15][16][17]

References
  1. Duckworth, Barbara. British Producer Draws from Canadian Well, The Western Producer. 9 November 2000
  2. Farm-School Link Forged... Farmers Weekly 22 August 1997
  3. Padfield, Emily. Winner of 2006 South of England Hereford Breeders Herd Competition Announced Farmers' Weekly. 31 July 2006
  4. Bromham Cup Winners Records, South of England Hereford Breeders Association
  5. Lawrence, Christina. Herefords go Dutch Farmers' Weekly. 9 February 2008
  6. Farmers Guardian. Consignment of pure Hereford cattle sold to Netherlands. 15 February 2008
  7. Churcher's College Old Churcherians Spring 2015. p.27
  8. The Straits Times, Nurse Marries Officer.16 January 1955, Page 13
  9. The London Gazette. National Service List 22 July 1955. p.4221
  10. Alton R.F.C. Life Vps
  11. Sutherland, Mark. Happy 275th Archived 25 November 2015 at the Wayback Machine, Freemasonry Today. 1 March 2009
  12. Archive Article: 1997/08/22 Farmers Weekly 22 August 1997
  13. The Alresford Show. Show Sponsors Archived 25 November 2015 at the Wayback Machine, 2015
  14. Alton Town Council. Minutes of the Annual Town Meeting Archived 25 November 2015 at the Wayback Machine, 22 May 1975
  15. Alton Town Council. Minutes of the Annual Town Meeting Archived 25 November 2015 at the Wayback Machine, 31 March 1977
  16. Alton Town Council. Minutes of the Annual Town Meeting Archived 25 November 2015 at the Wayback Machine, 28 March 1985
  17. The Alton Society. Business Plan 2012–15 – the Alton Society: "The Society might wish to register the key roles played in these negotiations by the late Ewart Ings, the last Clerk to the AUDC, and the then Cllr. Graham Stratford, a former AUDC chairman, later Alton's first Town Mayor." p. 8, footnote 2. (2012)
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