Grain store operative Paul Bloomfield, 66, who lives in New Holkham, started working on the Earl of Leicester's north Norfolk estate in 1981.

He has seen many changes in the following four decades - including huge leaps in the size and technology of farm machinery.

And his own responsibilities have grown too, from initially handling 1,100 tonnes of grain storage to managing the Holkham Farming Company's 22,000-tonne facility at Egmere, between Fakenham and Wells.

Paul Bloomfield, grain store operative for the Holkham Farming Company, has retired after 44 years (Image: Denise Bradley) "I will miss it," he said. "I will miss the day-to-day running because there is always something going on.

"It can get quite busy at harvest. Sometimes you will have 30 lorries a day, plus our local tractors and trailers. We have a laugh with the lorry drivers at harvest time.

"Outside harvest time there is always something to do. If you are not cleaning, it is maintenance, repairing things, you have got to check all the grain when it is in the store, you've got to keep the........

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