Fond farewell to proud Prestonian and former boss of Preston Farmers

THE FORMER general manager of a leading Lancashire farmers' cooperative has died in hospital at the age of 92.
Mr Philip John Brind, former general manager of Preston FarmersMr Philip John Brind, former general manager of Preston Farmers
Mr Philip John Brind, former general manager of Preston Farmers

Mr Philip John Brind was well known in Preston as general manager of Preston Farmers and also as an active member and past President of Preston South Rotary Club.

Mr Brind, who was married with two daughters and two grandchildren, lived in Penwortham.

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He started his career working for Preston Farmers in Lincolnshire and then worked for two other farmers’ cooperatives - Northern Farmers in Newcastle and Teeside Farmers in Darlington, before coming to Preston to take up a post as general manager of Preston Farmers in 1966.

The cooperative occupied large sites on New Hall Lane in the city - where the Preston Central Travelodge and Lidl are now situated.

In the 1970s a huge fire destroyed the Preston Farmers’ mill where the cooperative prepared livestock feed.

His eldest daughter Mary Brind-Surch recalled: “I just remember a knocking at the door in the middle of the night and people telling him he had got to come.”

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He later oversaw the rebuilding of the mill as a state of the art facility.

Mr Brind, who had been suffering from dementia, retired in 1987. He was awarded The Plunkett Award for outstanding contribution to cooperative development in 1994 and the MBE for services to agriculture in 1988.

A member of Penwortham Methodist Church, Mr Brind was a keen fell walker.

He died at the Royal Preston Hospital and leaves his wife Patricia, daughters Mary and Jane and grandchildren Philip and Andrew. The couple were married for 65 years and celebrated their diamond wedding in 2011.

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Mary said: “There’s nothing more important than your good name - that was his motto. He really tried to live that.”

Jane added: “Although a Londoner by birth he adopted Preston as his home town when he moved here. He was very proud of being a Prestonian and followed the fortunes of Preston North End over the years.”

The funeral will be held at Penwortham Methodist Church, Leyland Road, Penwortham on Friday January 13 at 2.30pm.

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