Did Jeremy love farming ?

[Mr. Gee]

There's nothing wrong with any children wanting to get out and see the world, it's becoming increasingly common for young people to take a gap year and travel to distant countries. Surely this is how people develop and grow. Back in the 80s it was mainly children from well off families who could afford to travel and Jeremy was lucky to be able to do this. It may have been better and healthier for Sheila if she had been more independent and had seen other cultures instead of choosing the selfabsorbed and closed life of a model with all the pitfalls. Cannot understand why the fact Jeremy Bamber travelled to Australia, New Zealand and the Middle East has anything to do with proving he was planning to murder his family...........

Maggie, forgive my surprise. But some people here are making Jeremy's EVERY move suspicious. Yet you look at many people today who are doing exactly the same things as he did when he was younger. Yet because of these things according to them he is made out to be some arch villain just because he went abroad for a bit. Oh but of course they need to do this because it really does fit the portrait of a child killer. I'd better watch myself then if I book my tickets for New Zealand to see my brother. Really! give me strength. Sometimes I have to pinch myself to see if I'm in the company of mature adults.

[Caroline]

Who cares anyway? I don't like farming either. It's no big deal. Only for someone who hates farming sure doesn't show it when he orders his farmers magazine in prison. Explain that one if you can.

Gotta keep up appearances  , just because he gets the magazine, doesn't mean he reads it! The 'big deal' is that if he hates farming and wanted to get out of it without losing his inheritance, it strengthens the motive.   

[Steve_uk]

Maggie, forgive my surprise. But some people here are making Jeremy's EVERY move suspicious. Yet you look at many people today who are doing exactly the same things as he did when he was younger. Yet because of these things according to them he is made out to be some arch villain just because he went abroad for a bit. Oh but of course they need to do this because it really does fit the portrait of a child killer. I'd better watch myself then if I book my tickets for New Zealand to see my brother. Really! give me strength. Sometimes I have to pinch myself to see if I'm in the company of mature adults.

I'm sure Jeremy worked hard on the farm and nobody is castigating him for not doing overtime in what is anyway a physical and demanding job. But there's just too much evidence that Jeremy felt embittered about his situation,not least from Chris Nevill in New Zealand as well as James Richards at Goldsmiths University for Jeremy's claim 30 years later that he walks and talks with the victims in his prison cell to hold any validity whatsoever.

[Caroline]

Maggie, forgive my surprise. But some people here are making Jeremy's EVERY move suspicious. Yet you look at many people today who are doing exactly the same things as he did when he was younger. Yet because of these things according to them he is made out to be some arch villain just because he went abroad for a bit. Oh but of course they need to do this because it really does fit the portrait of a child killer. I'd better watch myself then if I book my tickets for New Zealand to see my brother. Really! give me strength. Sometimes I have to pinch myself to see if I'm in the company of mature adults.

That's because 'some people' think he murdered 5 members of his family and if any of the 'many people' that you refer to were arrested and charged with 5 murders then there life decisions would also be looked at with suspicion. I often pinch myself too - must be a feature of this place.

[susan]

Lookout I have read when JM went to Australia for her hols she met her current husband not sure if this is fact or another myth.  Anyone know.?

[Adam]

This is an important question. Jeremy said himself in court Neville's will meant he would have to stay on the farm in order to inherit. If he did not like farm work, potentially another 20 years stuck on WHF would be a nightmare.

I have never met a young man who liked working 14/17 hours a day outside in the English weather. Unless they were earning millions.

However Jeremy's supporters have always said he loved farming.  The evidence points in the opposite direction.

After leaving Gresham's without any qualifications, he spent a year at college, again doing poorly.  He then spent a year travelling, staying with Neville's relatives. Deciding he wanted to be a diver and instructing June to send over £1,500.00.

After completing the diving course he briefly returned to WHF. Only to go back abroad in the middle of the harvest to attempt to become a commercial diver. A medical condition meant this was not possible and Jeremy returned home.

(If anyone has a source that Jeremy worked on a farm while abroad, please provide it. It has often been claimed he did)

Once back at WHF, Jeremy did not work as a farmer although he lived at WHF. Preferring to do other low paid jobs.

He did eventually work on WHF for a short period after realising the low paid jobs were going nowhere. But did not like farm life either and suddenly returned abroad for another long period.

From late 1983 he worked on WHF, although people said his heart was not in it. RB saying Neville told him Jeremy was keen on farming. But he stayed as a farmer, telling Julie he had too much to lose by walking away. He wanted a bigger share in the caravan site, but Neville said he had no business sense.

By 1985 Neville said Jeremy was improving, however Jeremy's wages and long working hours were preventing him from living the playboy lifestyle he wanted. The caravan site break in gave him some short term relief of slap up meals and champagne.

RB said Jeremy already owed Neville £2,000, which he had informed Neville he could not pay back. The caravan break in increasing the money owed. Was Neville about to get the money back in other ways ?

 

[Jane]

This is an important question. Jeremy said himself in court Neville's will meant he would have to stay on the farm in order to inherit. If he did not like farm work, potentially another 20 years stuck on WHF would be a nightmare.

I have never met a young man who liked working 14/17 hours a day outside in the English weather. Unless they were earning millions.

However Jeremy's supporters have always said he loved farming.  The evidence points in the opposite direction.

After leaving Gresham's without any qualifications, he spent a year at college, again doing poorly.  He then spent a year travelling, staying with Neville's relatives. Deciding he wanted to be a diver and instructing June to send over £1,500.00.

After completing the diving course he briefly returned to WHF. Only to go back abroad in the middle of the harvest to attempt to become a commercial diver. A medical condition meant this was not possible and Jeremy returned home.

(If anyone has a source that Jeremy worked on a farm while abroad, please provide it. It has often been claimed he did)

Once back at WHF, Jeremy did not work as a farmer although he lived at WHF. Preferring to do other low paid jobs.

He did eventually work on WHF for a short period after realising the low paid jobs were going nowhere. But did not like farm life either and suddenly returned abroad for another long period.

From late 1983 he worked on WHF, although people said his heart was not in it. RB saying Neville told him Jeremy was keen on farming. But he stayed as a farmer, telling Julie he had too much to lose by walking away. He wanted a bigger share in the caravan site, but Neville said he had no business sense.

By 1985 Neville said Jeremy was improving, however Jeremy's wages and long working hours were preventing him from living the playboy lifestyle he wanted. The caravan site break in gave him some short term relief of slap up meals and champagne.

RB said Jeremy already owed Neville £2,000, which he had informed Neville he could not pay back. The caravan break in increasing the money owed. Was Neville about to get the money back in other ways ?

One or two points arise from the above.

Jeremy MAY have adjusted better to farming had he felt he had a choice. Neville was so keen for him to farm that he may have chosen to close his eyes to the fact that his heart wasn't in it.

RWB points out that Jeremy OWED money to his father!!!!.........Ann points out all the money the Bambers had spent on Sheila. It would NEVER surprise me to learn that RWB a secret file in which was listed every single penny the Bambers had spent on their children.

You "have never met a young man who....................."!!!!!!!!!!!!!  WHAT a very curious expression for a 17 year old to use of his supposed peer group. One can't imagine that you'd have had the experience of knowing THAT many to put you in a position to judge.

[Mr. Gee]

Gotta keep up appearances  , just because he gets the magazine, doesn't mean he reads it! The 'big deal' is that if he hates farming and wanted to get out of it without losing his inheritance, it strengthens the motive.   

Well if he wants a paper that he doesn't read why not take the Sun?

[Mr. Gee]

That's because 'some people' think he murdered 5 members of his family and if any of the 'many people' that you refer to were arrested and charged with 5 murders then there life decisions would also be looked at with suspicion. I often pinch myself too - must be a feature of this place.

But we are talking about a time before the murders. I rather think that some people try and go too deep and read too much into certain things that he did. Things as I have said before many young men of his age do, including a rebelling against their parents.

[Caroline]

Well if he wants a paper that he doesn't read why not take the Sun?

Perhaps he does and it reads it inside the farming mag!! Keeping up appearances 

[Adam]

Perhaps he went to Amsterdam and St Tropez to find out how farming is done in other countries.

[Caroline]

But we are talking about a time before the murders. I rather think that some people try and go too deep and read too much into certain things that he did. Things as I have said before many young men of his age do, including a rebelling against their parents.

I think some people don't go deep enough. If Jeremy was rebelling and it was met with disdain, that would cause resentment. If he was then told to toe the line and buckle down or it may affect is inheritance -  a seed is already planted (pardon the pun). I think the problems started even before that for both he and Sheila, rejected by their natural parents and ushered off to boarding school at such a young age. Not the best recipe for stable family dynamics.

[Jane]

I think some people don't go deep enough. If Jeremy was rebelling and it was met with disdain, that would cause resentment. If he was then told to toe the line and buckle down or it may affect is inheritance -  a seed is already planted (pardon the pun). I think the problems started even before that for both he and Sheila, rejected by their natural parents and ushered off to boarding school at such a young age. Not the best recipe for stable family dynamics.

TOTALLY agree, Caroline. Many here tell us how it was for them. I would have loved to hear from THEM how it was for them.

[lookout]

Lookout I have read when JM went to Australia for her hols she met her current husband not sure if this is fact or another myth.  Anyone know.?

Hi Susan,yes,you're right she met her future husband there then they went to Canada to settle there.

[Jan]

Its quite simple - if he is guilty people have to justify his actions with some kind of deep psychological reason why he would commit such a crime , when apparently he could not even bring himself to shot a rabbit or show any sign of violence at all.

However if he is innocent it will be shown it all means absolutely nothing at all. Not a thing. I don't think he was a saint and I think he actually had generous parents and enjoyed himself before having to settle down on the farm, but his parents still could have supported him if he had decided to take another choice in his career. We will never know.