FEW Herald readers could fail to have been deeply moved by our front page picture of farmer Richard Barron as he stood among his culled cattle back in early summer.

The day, which he says he will never, ever forget, was Tuesday May 22. His Hellifeld farm had become a foot and mouth statistic - it was culled under the contiguous premises rule as the epidemic gathered momentum through Craven.

And though our picture captured Richard on one of the darkest days of his life, he was willing to share his anguish to highlight the desperation he and his fellow farmers were feeling.

"Show the world, let them see what's happening in the Dales," he announced as he witnessed 311 home bred milking cattle, young stock and around 1,000 mule, Texel and Swaledale sheep drop to the bullet. He said he could not just stand and watch a lifetime's work go "down the pan".

Now eight months on and new hope has entered the life of Richard, 34, his wife Catherine, and children Stuart, 10, and five-year-old Laura with the delivery of 110 cattle, bought from a farm near Preston.

The couple have also taken delivery of 285 in-lamb sheep.

"I can only describe the feeling of having animals back on the farm as marvellous. We cracked open the champagne and celebrated," he said.

"Just to see sheep in the fields again and have cattle to milk - albeit three at the moment - is brilliant. Before, when the animals were culled I felt there was no aim in life. I would get up at around 5am and sit outside on the garden seat. I had lost my independence in one day and suddenly there was nothing to work for.

"All there was to do was the cleaning - which ended up being suspended for 11 weeks - and baling the silage.

His wife added that something as small as hearing a cow bawling was wonderful.

"Even touching a cow for the first time in months felt strange, partly because you are frightened you will contaminate it," she said.

The children have suffered too. Their pet black sheep were among the animals to fall on that fateful day when the farm became contiguous premises.

"All we had left at the end of the day was our pet Jack Russell," said Catherine.

Soon after arrival at the farm, four of the in-calf cattle gave birth to new calves, two of which - a Belgian Blue cross and a Simental cross - were quickly adopted by the children.

The same will probably happen to the lambs which are due in February.

"We said right from the start that we would re-stock," said Richard.

"It's no good saying you are going to wait and see what happens because sometimes it never does. I know several farmers who have said this. They were culled before us, got cleaned up before us, but still have no stock on the farms.

"I personally could not imagine a life without animals. I love working with them, love working outdoors and that is that. I could learn to do other things, but I don't want to. Farming is what I enjoy and it gives me a meaning in life.

"Having animals again is the best feeling in the world because I am doing what I am good at," he concluded.