Passion for collecting limited only by space and capital

Craig Bakay | Feb 27, 2019

Paul Younge likes to collect things — farming related things to be specific.

Younge’s collections were front and centre at the Bedford Historical Society’s annual open house Saturday in Glendower Hall, where the society’s archives are also located.

Younge is something of an archivist himself. Amongst the display of horse collars, butter churns, milk cans and other implements (including an ‘egg crate’ with the words “Humpty Dumpty” printed on the side), he was displaying an impressive collection of farm-related publications.

“This issue of Farmer’s Advocate turned 102 yesterday,” he said, pointing out the publication date.

One of his favourite collections is of Hoard’s Dairyman, which for a number of issues in 1959 and 1960 ran comparisons of how things were done many years ago.

“It shows you all the changes in 75 years,” he said. “It shows pictures of what things were like in 1885 and compares that to 1960.

“For example, milk was delivered by wagons and then by tucks.”

He describes his collection as “some bottles, some tins and examples of pioneer farming — and a variety of newspapers.”

He said he grew up on a small farm and so these things interest him.

“I have various collections of you-name-it,” he said. “It’s only limited by space and capital.

“I had it in me as a child to collect and then nine years ago I got back into it.”

While his main collecting passion is farm paraphernalia, it’s not his only avenue.

“Last year, I was here with collectable tins,” he said. “Next year, it will probably be something else.”