Alan Richards

I love going into schools to meet the bairns. I’ve made friends with people aged four to 94 through doing the hen road shows. I’ve learnt so much myself about keeping hens, stuff that I didn’t have a clue about before and now we can go back into schools and homes to share our experiences and to encourage others. To be honest, you’re never too old to learn.

I used to come out of the house for the bingo but most of the time was just staying in watching TV and going to the bar drinking.

I was looking for something to do. When Wood Green had the first meeting I was sitting there and said ‘I have never heard such a ridiculous idea, it will never work.’ A couple of days later I came into the lounge and there was a book on the table about hens and I remember just the normal hens people kept during the war but this book had 400 different breeds and I thought ‘I wouldn’t mind getting into this.

I enjoy getting around the country to places I have never been, no two days are ever the same. Hens get me out the house and give our lives more purpose.