Tributes to Baylham House Rare Breeds Farm founder Richard Storer who has died aged 88

A former Red Arrows Squadron Leader and founder of a popular rare breeds farm has been remembered following his death last week.

Richard Storer, who owned Baylham House Rare Breeds Farm, near Needham Market, died of age related illnesses on Wednesday, October 19 aged 88.

A well known figure in the rare breeds society, Richard has been remembered as a person who loved people, and his legacy will continue through the preservation of rare breeds at the farm.

Farm manager Kate Ockelton, who has worked for the family on and off for 17 years, said: "He was ridiculously intelligent. His knowledge was very vast.

"He was very friendly, loved talking to people and loved people-watching. He loved to teach people anything and everything.

"He was forever asking myself and other farm and shop staff to try various forage he'd collect while walking the dog and we'd always be very suspicious of trying to put a leaf in our mouths.

"His passion really was for the farm side and for the rare breeds. He loved being in the farm shop, welcoming visitors in. He loved being Farmer Christmas and chatting to people during the lamb cuddling events."

Richard was born in London in 1933 and moved to Suffolk in 1942. He grew up at Baylham Mill during the war and went to Ipswich School. Richard had fond memories of his childhood at the mill and he and his wife would later buy Baylham House Farm in the 80s.

"He was brought up at the mill as a child and he remembered putting his hand down a rabbit hole and pulling out two black rabbits which were not pets, they were wild rabbits," Kate added.

"We occasionally still see them, very rarely on the Mill Lane, you'll spot a black wild rabbit. And he used to ride his pony everywhere.

"When he moved to Baylham the plan was to merge the Mill and the farm, but due to family matters that never happened. The plan was to have the grazing and the mill open for people to look around and learn about the milling process."

Before Richard bought the farm, he attended Durham University to read physics, before embarking on a career as a pilot. He joined the University Air Squadron, learned to fly and finished a degree course with the intention of joining the RAF which he did in 1956.

Richard married Ann Mackay a year later and then trained as a fighter pilot serving on No 66 Squadron RAF, flying Hunters based at Acklington in Northumberland. After two years, when the squadron disbanded, he was posted to fly Vulcans with No 83 Squadron at Scampton.

Richard had been flying the Vulcans which had nuclear bombs ready to be deployed. His target, had they been deployed, was the Red Square in Moscow during the Cold War.

Richard rose up the ranks and left Scampton on a promotion to Squadron Leader at Fairford in Gloucestershire to be the first Commanding Officer and manager of the recently formed RAF Aerobatic Team, which was soon to be named the Red Arrows.

After spending two years with the Red Arrows, he was posted to the RAE at Farnborough to command one of the two experimental flying squadrons, and flew all kinds of aircraft engaged on trials work.

After four years at Farnborough, he was sent on promotion to Brussels to be the Air Attaché at the British Embassy.

He later went on a one-year attachment to the BBC as RAF advisor, liaison officer and “Mr Fixit” on an RAF-based fictional drama series called “Squadron” which aired in 1982.

At the end of the Falklands war, he was removed from the BBC to head the team responsible for the RAF involvement in building the brand new airfield on a green field site at Mount Pleasant on the Falklands and also for the extensive alterations to the airfield and facilities on Ascension Island.

Richard bought Baylham House Farm in 1985 whilst he was serving at the Ministry of Defence. Both Richard and Ann had an interest in rare breed livestock and bought the animals to eat the grass that came with farm.

After gradually increasing their livestock, they opened Baylham House Rare Breeds Farm to the public 10 years later.

The farm's breeding programme has helped the preservation of the breeds it supports and has grown from its humble beginnings serving tea and coffee from a kettle on the windowsill to being a popular tourist attraction.

"His legacy will be his contribution to rare breeds. He is a founding member of a couple of the societies of the breeds we still keep. He's very well known within the rare breed breeding programmes and societies. And we aim to continue his vision of keeping these rare breeds going," Kate added.

In recent times, he received an award from the British Pig Association for 25 years of breeding mainly large blacks, middle whites and berkshire pigs.

He leaves behind three children, Fiona, 64, Neil, 62, and Trina, 60. As well as grandchildren Tony, Sophie and Benjie, and great grandchildren Tracy, Nora and Leyla.

The farm will be taken over by Richard's children.