THE POLYMER ADVANTAGE WHY MODERN GATE HARDWARE IS REDEFINING PERFORMANCE
THE LIFE OF A ‘FENCING WIFIE’
It’s said that marriage is a partnership where boundaries are often tested. In the case of Scottish couple, Margaret and Gordon Nobes, boundaries are frequently created!
Margaret, who has established an online identity as ‘the fencing wifie’ through her presence on Instagram, has been working at the coalface on the ‘fence line’ with Gordon for almost fifteen years.
She took up the story: “Gordon started the business around 2008 and I did the paperwork. We had two very small children then and going out fencing was the furthest thing from my mind.
“As the children grew older and started out at school, I would then help him on the odd job here and there if it was practicable around the school runs.
“In 2021 Gordon had a run in with a sheep which resulted in a ruptured bicep! Post surgery, he was told to have complete rest for a minimum of six weeks. That was akin to having a toddler in the house again and trying to stave off boredom was a challenge!
“As the six weeks were coming to an end I decided I would go back to work with him for a few weeks and do the heavy lifting to ease him back into it. A few weeks passed and I am still here working full time…and I couldn’t be happier.”
The couple divide their time between Aberdeenshire in the east and a croft on Benbecula in the Western Isles, a combination of places that straddles the width of Scotland!
“The croft in Benbecula is the family croft,” added Margaret “and the house where my father was born in is now used as a byre. We own three crofts and have sublets and grazings on others on the island. We use our shares of the fertile machair land on the west to grow crops and have apportionments in the moors to the east for rougher grazing.
“We keep both sheep and cattle. My father is a crofter, stonemason and also a fencer. This year we put up some new boundary fencing. I absolutely adore being back home and working with Dad.
“I try to get over to the island every month and I am so very fortunate that, being self-employed, I am able to do this.
“Gordon and I plan our jobs to suit so that while I am away, he is doing the jobs that are easier for one person and it works well. Some people think I take a lot of holidays but I am always grafting hard when I’m over in the west.
“We are both from farming and crofting backgrounds and understand the struggles of the agricultural industry. We always champion farmers.
“We are always happy to work with our customers and come up with solutions that work for them. It is great when you get a lovely long straight stretch to fence but I also love working on the jobs where we are reusing old material on awkward terrain trying to keep costs down and really helping people.
“That strikes at the heart of what we do and why we do it. We want to help folk out! We have looked over hundreds of metres of old wire, cutting out bad sections and rejoining it and have gone through piles of old posts selecting the ones that are reusable. Our customers really value that and, more often than not, get invited back to build new fences for them.
“The majority of our work comes from repeat customers so we must be doing something right.
“We focus predominantly on stock fencing with the odd bit of post and rail. I make no secret of the fact that I am not a fan of doing post and rails jobs…and don’t get me started on wooden gates!
“Gordon and I work really well together. It is certainly a good way to test a marriage! I am often told by others that they could never work with their other halves. Of course, there are the occasional disagreements but when it comes to planning jobs we really do work well when it comes to working out the best solutions for tricky sections etc.
“I started the @the_fencing_wifie Instagram account in 2023. It’s more about me than just solely the business but I do like to watch other fencer’s videos. Personally I have no plans to start setting up cameras to film myself working but I do try to remember to take pictures of the work when it’s done and I tend to ramble on a bit about what I’m up to.
“I’ve met some great people through it which I think is the best take away from it!” concluded Margaret.
The teamwork displayed by Margaret and Gordon, whether that’s out in the field or within their domestic lives, is an example to all. Boundaries tested and passed with flying colours!
@the_fencing_wifie
