A renowned agriculture and land management expert has been made an honorary fellow of the University of Cumbria.
The honorary fellowship for Alan Bowe is in recognition of his lifelong and outstanding service to agricultural education and land management.
A Cumbrian born and bred, Alan began his land agency career in 1963 as an articled pupil and assistant to a firm of chartered surveyors in Northumberland, qualifying in 1968.
Moving to a Keswick-based firm in 1968 as a senior assistant coincided with Alan becoming a Fellow of the Central Association of Agricultural Valuers.
Twenty years later he established his own company and grew a significant client-base before amalgamating with Carlisle based auctioneers and land agents Harrison & Hetherington in 1999, immediately becoming a director.
Between 2006 and 2013 Alan was the non-executive chairman of the H&H Group and remains a consultant of H&H Land and Estates to this day.
During his career Alan has represented many farmers, landowners and tenants in Cumbria and beyond on a range of issues from tenancies to milk quotas; and land issues to succession planning.
He is renowned throughout the country for his wealth of knowledge on many agricultural and land matters particularly relating to Cumbria and the Lake District.
In 2015 Alan was awarded the Blamire Medal for outstanding services to agriculture and in 2017 was made an Associate of the Royal Agricultural Societies.
Accepting the honorary fellowship, Alan appealed to graduands to help others to enjoy the benefits of higher education, training and employment.
He said: “The fact that this honour is only bestowed on a limited number of individuals makes its receipt even more precious. Furthermore, as I was not the beneficiary of any university education it means even more.
“Your education is not only a ladder of opportunity, but it is also an investment in your future. You are already on the ladder of success. I request that you in turn assist the young people you come in to contact with to help them take that first step on the ladder.
“This can be done by mentoring those possibly not as fortunate as yourselves. Mentoring is simple, it is taking time to support younger members of the company employing you, or people that you come across in whatever career path you follow, by simply spending a limited amount of time talking with them. A few words of advice and encouragement based on your own experiences goes a long way and can have a tremendous impact.”
Professor Rob Trimble, pro vice chancellor (academic) at the University of Cumbria, said: “Alan has vision, enthusiasm and determination and inspires all those he has mentored over the years and who work with him.
“There are many chartered surveyors and land agents now recognised as highly competent who owe much to Alan’s commitment to young, often newly qualified individuals, who have grown under his guidance.
“His positive approach to life has also enhanced his own learning and opened the doors to many opportunities, challenges and experiences.”
In addition to his consultancy work, Alan is actively engaged in numerous educational and charitable activities.
Married with three grown-up children, Alan is a warden at St Bega’s and St John’s churches in Bassenthwaite and trustee for several family trusts and individuals on agricultural matters.
