A WEEK last Tuesday, Helmsley Young Farmers visited Bisca, a design and architectural firm at Sawmill Lane, Helmsley. Members were shown around by Ian Bell, who explained what the company does and produces.

Bisca was founded in 1966 by Richard McLane and Julian Pilling with the aim of designing and manufacturing high-quality furniture, lighting and accessories in steel. Their specialities are canopies and staircases, working in copper, forged steel, mild steel and stainless steel in different finishes. Members felt their precision of workmanship was a bit beyond some of our agricultural members! Well done to a local company which is catering for a niche market.

The club was lucky with the weather on Sunday for its annual ploughing match at Wombleton aerodrome. There were 74 entries, the number showing how popular these competitions are.

Results (in order of placing):

Classic - C Grice, A Cage, W Paley.

Vintage trailed - G Witty, D Walden, G T Swales.

Vintage mounted - P Dobson, I Berriman, (joint 3rd) M Berriman and M Daniel.

Conventional - L Hall, A Pashby, D Grice.

Reversible - D Kirby, R Arrand, B Wilson.

Match ploughing - T Charlton, J Witty.

YFC senior - R Arrand, B Wilson, R Scaling.

YFC junior - P Rooke, W Gibson, T Sayer.

The club would like to say many thanks to Mr Webb and T & S Rooke for the use of the land, making it an excellent venue, and to George and Anne Hawkins, from The Top Class Catering Company Ltd, for providing the judges' lunch.

Anyone wishing to join Helmsley YFC can do so by coming along to a meeting, or contacting the secretary, Jan Flintoft, on (01751) 431615. She will forward an action-packed winter programme.

Updated: 11:28 Wednesday, December 03, 2003