History of Agricultural Education in Wiltshire - Lackham Countryside ...

CHAPTER XVIII
LACKHAM OLD STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION
by Leslie Rogers (1951-52)
Lackham College of Agriculture had its beginnings in a welter of post-war shortages and
improvisation. Rather grudgingly, I feel, His late Majesty's Government had offered
the young men and youths who survived the war a resettlement course. The Ex-Service
intake which filled Lackham in its first five years were a cosmopolitan crowd.
Landowners and pre-war farm workers, ex-corporals and former colonels all came the
same way home. It is perhaps natural that a generation which relunctantly accepted
prolonged regimentation, and who found the rigours of this regimentation softened by
social relationships would hope to continue civil life in the same spirit.
As the Association's first secretary and general everything, the Warden,Bill London,
supplied this need. It was an unpretentious but successful start. The story of the
L.O.S.A. in a way 'mirrors the progress of our changing society. Advancing technology
and widening expertise made for greater specialisation. In addition to the General
Agricultural and Horticultural Courses, Lackham provided Rural Domestic Economy
Courses and specialised courses in Machinery and Mechanisation on the farm and in the
workshops. This led to the Ordinary and Advanced Diplomas in Farm Mechanisation.
Students now came from all parts of the United Kingdom and at the end of a year or two
spread throughout our islands and beyond. It was accepted that these movements to
faraway places with unpronounceable names would effect the dropout and composition of
the Association membership. But these ex-students have and still do provide articles
for the Annual Magazine, "The Lackhamian", telling us how they are helping the old
Empire of Britain to die in peace and tranquillity and promoting new relationships of
inestimable value for the future.
After a faltering start, the magazine got under way by the expedient of willing away the
advertising rights to an agency in return for free printing. It has established a tradition
of moving from an editorial crisis to a publishing crisis and back again, but it survives,
albeit late in publication. Magazine editors who will stay the pace have been hard to
come by over the years. Without exception they have been staff members of the
Association. It is noticeable that numbers of ex-students who never attend a reunion
regularly renew their membership. The magazine fills a positive roll, as twentieth
century society will not be remembered as a great age of letter writing. Many
friendships which in the English fashion, are both warm and casual survive through its
good offices.
Most ex-students would agree that when making a career in Agriculture, an ambitious
young man should consider any option which comes his way. To the ex-student without
farming connections, Lackham's extensive curriculum provided more openings and this is