Letters: 'We used to have to buy binder twine that we called "Charlie Turner" it was the farmers best friend'

In 1940 growing our first crops of corn for the Second World War effort, my dad bought a binder hauled by horses, which cut the corn and tied it into sheaves.

He also bought a bale of binder twine, coarse thick string which smelled of oil.

The farmers in Butterknowle and Cockfield area called it Charlie Turner.

This twine was weatherproof and after we cut it from the sheaves every piece was saved, to be used again, it was always called and known as “the farmer’s best friend”.

I think this slogan was a sales advertising quote. Happy days.

E M Gowland, West Auckland.