A HUDDERSFIELD student is about to start farming college - and will share his experiences with tens of thousands of people.

Adam Bedford, of Newsome, is to start the first year of a Higher National Diploma in agriculture at Askham Bryan College, near York.

And the 19-year-old former Newsome High School student has won a competition in trade magazine Farmers Weekly to provide a monthly column, charting the highs and lows of student life.

Adam, who lives with parents Steven and Judith and sister Sarah, had to submit a written column to the magazine and was judged joint winner, with Andrea Witcombe, of Somerset.

He is also keen on the theatre and has appeared in numerous amateur productions in Huddersfield.

Adam's winning column:

"HAVING decided to take a gap year before attending Askham Bryan Agricultural College in September, I'm now ready, prepared and excited at the prospect of starting, with an ever so slight feeling of trepidation.

After a successful gap year, the idea of which was to gain more experience of different aspects of the industry and to build on the skills I already have, I am looking forward to further learning and, above all, being around like-minded people.

The future, after all, lies in our hands.

I have grown tired of moaning, narrow-minded people who comment on the industry so negatively, and feel we should be positive about the future.

I hope to enjoy the company of those who feel the same.

The college is close to York, and having heard a rumour (which could be debatable) that there are over 100 pubs within the walls, I hope to try and sample as many as I can.

Another rumour (which is most definitely debatable) is that the female-to-male ratio at the college is 65% to 35%!

So with some quick calculation, that's two ladies to every man - which I would hope proves an invaluable asset to the quality of college life!

I have no worries about moving away from home, but major worries about those modern day inventions: the washing machine and the iron. However, a friend of mine has the theory that the lifespan of a pair of underpants is four days (two days on, then inside out for another two).

I have visions of myself sitting in a launderette, wearing nothing much at all, while my entire wardrobe spins round.

Maybe the college runs a `direct to your mum' laundry courier service. Or this could be something to bring up at union meetings?

The HND agriculture course covers a broad range of topics and will, I hope, give me a firmer idea of career plans.

What is for sure is that with hard work and enthusiasm, college life will provide for me the additional practical and academic skills required to be successful in the modern world of agriculture today.

Roll on the start of term."

(4149a/8/03)