Basil Desmond NeameCBE (14 October 1921 – 25 February 2010) was a Kentish fruit grower and farmer.
Life and farming
Basil Desmond Neame was a farmer and fruit grower in Kent, and an active figure in the agricultural industry. He was born in Kilburn, London in 1921 and died in Tankerton, Kent in 2010. He was educated at Cheltenham College and the Royal Agricultural College. He was the first son of Sir Thomas Neame and the British contralto Astra Desmond CBE. He was the nephew of Sir Philip Neame.
Neame was involved in fruit growing activities in Kent and across the South East for several decades between the late 1940s and the 1990s.
Early career
After studying at Cheltenham and the Royal Agricultural College Basil Neame served in the Royal Engineers and Madras Sappers and Miners in India, Burma and Malaysia from 1941 to 1946. He was mentioned in despatches and achieved the rank of Major at Bangalore.
Fruit growing activities
Joining the family farming business in 1947, for the next five decades he was engaged in fruit growing, arable farming and hop growing across a number of farms including Macknade and Westwood Farms near Faversham and Harefield in Selling.
Neame was extensively involved in fruit growing and farming activities beyond his farm, holding a range of key posts in research agricultural training. Former East Kent Fruit Society chairman David Simmons referred to him as godfather to the fruit industry.
