Country Close-Up: McConkey the Donkey and his cart

From treacle for a pony to sandwiches for harvesters, the Trant children contribute to the smooth running of Maesmawr Hall farm, Welshpool.

McConkey the Donkey helps with the Trant children's allotted tasks at Maesmawr Hall farm, Welshpool. He pulls the cart that carries the sack of grain for feeding the hens, the crate to transport expertly-handled cockerels from one field to another, the pails full of newly-dug spuds. The children's competence and stamina are impressive, from sowing the spuds and bottle-feeding lambs to distributing sandwiches to harvesters. Mrs Trant's accordion music ends the day.

Ion Trant, brought up on Dovea Farm in Tipperary, Ireland, felt a gulf was emerging between town and country and welcomed school visits to the farms he ran with his wife, Janet Owen (Maesmawr Hall, Cefn Du, Esgairdraenllwyn). He also devised, filmed, edited and scripted the "Country Close-Up" series for children (BBC - 1956-62), often featuring his own three. As a result of this series, he was offered work as a freelance cameraman on the BBC's weekly farming programme and he also ventured further afield, travelling as cameraman with sports commentator Max Robertson to the West Indies and with George Cansdale, field naturalist and ex-Superintendent of London Zoo, to Palestine and Israel.