William Bingham spent 40 years as a pig farmer before swapping early mornings in the pig houses for evenings with pen and paper. Now, with the launch of his new book, From Piglets to Poetry – A Farmer's Perspective, he hopes to share his love of farming and poetry while raising money for two charities close to his heart.

After retiring just over two and a half years ago, William found himself embarking on an unexpected new chapter. Having devoted four decades to farming, he decided to step away from the industry after his children chose different career paths, giving him the opportunity to start this new and exciting journey.

Family has always been at the centre of William's life and has played a significant role in his writing journey. From penning poems for loved ones to receiving the encouragement to publish his work, their support gave him the confidence to turn a lifelong hobby into a book.

“I’ve always enjoyed writing silly little poems for my family over the years, but I never dreamt of doing or going any further with my notebook and pen.”

William Bingham returns to familiar surroundings with a copy of his debut poetry book, inspired by a lifetime spent in agriculture.

placeholder image — William Bingham returns to familiar surroundings with a copy of his debut poetry book, inspired by a lifetime spent in agriculture.

“Written silly wee funny poems just for family around Christmas time or about, about different members of the family. So I've always done wee snippets of things like that, but this is a completely new venture for me, you know.

My cousin who had actually published a poetry book a few years ago, encouraged me to go ahead and go for it because at that stage I said, I've written a few poems. And he said, “go on ahead, those are good enough.”

“Costa Coffee was the birthplace of my literary journey, as I waited for my daughter to complete her driving lessons and with a milky coffee (with plenty of sugar) the created juices started to flow.”

William's humour and down-to-earth personality is something which shines through in every poem.

William Bingham is celebrating the publication of his first book, 'From Piglets to Poetry – A Farmer's Perspective'. Inspired by 40 years as a pig farmer, the book will raise money for two charities close to his heart.

“I have always been one for light-hearted and I just enjoy a good laugh and I suppose writing something that rhymes just does appeal to me. It’s just quite enjoyable, now I suppose it's quite unusual for a farmer to write anything but, that's just me. I'm just unique.”

Drawing on his experiences of life on the farm, William's poems capture everything from unpredictable weather and livestock to everyday rural life. While rooted in farming, he believes the collection has something for everyone to enjoy.

William hopes the book will appeal to readers of all ages, describing it as “a really good gift for anybody young or old”.

“My musings include virtually the whole kaleidoscope of farming subjects and situations, some personal and some more descriptive and reflective."

“The book is, I suppose it's both descriptive and it's just told from a farming perspective. There's all types of farming included in it. Some stories that have happened to me, things that have happened to me and just things that I've noticed over the years. Things that are descriptive, something that anybody can enjoy, not just farmers, but anybody can laugh at it or enjoy it and appreciate it.”

Although sharing his poetry is important to William, helping others was always at the heart of the project. Every penny raised from book sales will be divided between Rural Support and the Ark Community Gardens, two charities that hold a special place in the hearts of William and his wife.

Rural Support provides confidential guidance and support to farmers and their families, helping them manage both the demands of running a farm and their personal wellbeing. Meanwhile, the Ark Community Gardens is a community charity that helps people of all ages build friendships, develop new skills and grow in confidence.

“As a Christian, my main emphasis on this escapade was not to make money for myself, but to help others, so I chose, quite aptly, Rural Support, for their work to help, engage and maintain the mental health and well-being of farmers like myself.

“Over the last five or six years, my wife and I have volunteered at The Ark Community Gardens in Newcastle. This has been a real blessing and tonic for us to see those who perhaps are recovering from mental illness, trauma, have autism or some other sensory disability treated and valued like they should be, as all God’s children. It is a wonderful, joyful place to work. Most Thursdays, you’ll find me work boots on, gardening, painting, chatting and quite often doubled over in laughter, always with a smile on my face because the people in The Ark Community truly have become like family and so I believe it’s a worthy cause of the proceeds of this publication.”

Beyond writing, farming and volunteering, William and his wife have spent many years fostering children in need, welcoming them into their home and sharing the experiences that come with life on a working farm. For many of the children, it was their first opportunity to connect with rural life, learning practical skills while developing confidence, responsibility and a sense of belonging.

“My wife and I have foster kids, this last 11 odd years or so and we have found it to be really good and therapeutic for any kids that have been with us, because you can take them up onto the farm, teach them animal skills and life skills. It's been good for them.

“It's actually been good for our own children as well to see that they are very privileged and that they're always less fortunate than themselves.”

Saturday 25 July marked an important milestone for William as he launched his first book, an occasion that brought both encouragement and recognition to his writing. More than 60 people attended the event, with many leaving carrying copies for themselves and loved ones, making it a memorable and encouraging milestone in his writing journey.

“I sold a fair number of books just on the launch night and everybody there was very positive.

The evening also created new opportunities for William, with invitations already arriving to share both his poetry and his personal story with the community and farming groups.

“There were a lot of people who bought two copies, three copies. There was one man who actually bought 10 copies. He said he was going to go back to his own church, he was very enthused.

“He has invited me to do a talk in another month or so and you know, and actually include our fostering journey as a family as well as reading a few poems.”

“Something that might spin out of this might mean that maybe I will go and talk to a few farming groups, and just read a few poems telling my journey through farming and through fostering and wherever all else.”

From Piglets to Poetry – A Farmer's Perspective is available for £10 from selected Fane Valley stores across County Down, the Ulster Farmers' Union office in Lisburn, Rural Support and the Ark Community Gardens.

Although William's days of farming may be behind him, his passion for sharing the stories, humour and realities of rural life continues through his poetry. More than simply a collection of poems, From Piglets to Poetry reflects a lifetime of memories while supporting causes that have become deeply important to him.

He added that it is “a step into the unknown for me and yet I hope you get as much enjoyment from reading it as I did in writing it.”