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'Mr Grumpy' plans final Halloween at pumpkin patch

JOHN DEVINE/BBC John Quince, 71, has thinning grey hair with matching beard and moustache. He is standing in front of a field of pumpkins at his farm in Isleham. He is wearing a red-checked shirt and a black body warmer.JOHN DEVINE/BBC
John Quince says he was dubbed "Mr Grumpy" by visiting pickers from nearby USAF bases

A farmer dubbed "Mr Grumpy" has been forced to quit his pick-your-own (PYO) business due to ill health.

John Quince, 71, a third-generation Cambridgeshire farmer, has been growing strawberries since he was 18, first working on his father's farm in Wisbech St Mary, and moving to Lidgate Farm, Isleham, in 1985.

Mr Quince said some customers visited from 40 miles (64km) away.

"I'll be really sad to finish, and will miss all the lovely customers," he said.

JOHN DEVINE/BBC A field of orange pumpkins lying in a large field with trees in the background and a dark cloudy sky on the horizon.JOHN DEVINE/BBC
Mr Quince says he has loved every minute of running his business, but now ill-health has forced him to finish

Mr Quince started a pick-your-own pumpkin business 10 years ago, but this will be his last Halloween on the patch.

"Over the years I have had lots of Americans visiting from nearby air bases at Lakenheath and Mildenhall," he said.

"Many of them had a notion that Fen farmers are grumpy old men and started calling me 'Mr Grumpy', so I played up to it and they loved it. Soon everyone was calling me it."

Mr Quince said he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease last October, and this spring found he also had chronic kidney issues, which left him feeling "exhausted all the time".

JOHN DEVINE/BBC 25 green and silver wheelbarrows in a field that will be used by customers to collect pumpkins.JOHN DEVINE/BBC
Fleet of wheelbarrows ready for his last pumpkin-picking season, Mr Quince says he'll be sad to finish and will miss the banter with customers

He said he would not move and was hoping to rent the site out to another operator.

"I have family that do come and help when they can, but they don't want to take it on full-time; their hearts are not in it," he said.

"Our strawberries pull in people from miles away. There doesn't seem to be many doing PYO strawberries any more.

"I think a lot of people stopped because pickers abused the system and stole fruit and growers got fed up with the hassle of it all."

Mr Quince, however, said he had been lucky, and had not experienced many issues with theft.

"I have pickers who came here as children with their parents, and now bring their own youngsters - they've been coming for years," he said.

"Some told me they are really upset I am quitting and said they could always tell it was summer when my signs went up for the strawberry picking season."

JOHN QUINCE Field of people picking fresh strawberries at Lidgate Farm in Isleham. Some are standing, others crouching, and the sun is shining.JOHN QUINCE
Mr Quince says people came from about 40 miles away to pick strawberries, and added that there were not many places left to pick the fruit yourself

Customers of the farm have been commenting on social media about Mr Quince's retirement.

"Absolutely gutted," wrote one. "Such a huge asset to the village and much loved. Thank you for the memories we've made since moving here."

Another wrote: "We moved from the States, and our hometown there had a PYO strawberry place too. Finding you guys was like finding a little slice of home."

A third comment said: "Dear Mr Grumpy. This makes me so sad... I will miss you and your humour. A sad, sad day."

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