Barbara Mary Swales (24 Apr 1940 - 23 Sep 2025)

In loving memory of Barbara Mary Swales (nee Robinson)
It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Barbara Mary Swales who died peacefully at York Teaching hospital surrounded by her family on Tuesday 23rd September, 2025 aged 85, only 31/2 months after losing her dear husband Steve.

Barbara was a second world war baby, born on the 24th April, 1940 in Sheffield. Barbara and her Mother, Kath moved to Yorkshire after the Sheffield Blitz, and went to live at Skipwith with her Uncle Albert and Auntie Louie where her mother worked at their pub the Hare and Hounds until the end of the war. When Barbara was 5 she was traumatized when a “black” man came to sleep in her Mothers bed where she had slept for 5 years, he was of course her Dad who had been fighting with the Desert Rats in Africa. One day to gain her affection he offered her a handful of nuts, to which she replied “No tankyou, I don't eat wood.”

After the war they moved back to Sheffield to live with her Granny and Grandad Hall for work, where her sister Lesley was born. Soon after her Dad was offered a job in Melbourne, working for his brother Dick in his garage. They moved to Wigginton for a short time, then moved to Bibbill Farm, Melbourne with her Aunt and Uncle, until they moved into a new Council house in the village (4 Glenn Crescent)

Barbara went to Melbourne school at the age of 7, her favorite memories are of Guy Wilson the head master taking the kids to his house and reading Great Yorkshire Tales in a very broad Yorkshire accent which was like a foreign language to her. She also loved working in his garden, her first taste of farming, which stayed with her for the rest of her life.

After a few years her Mum and Dad bought Bibbill Farm, where her brother Charles was born, whom she raised during his infancy, it was here her love for farming strengthened. Barbara was a great fan of Gone With The Wind, and Bibbill Farm was Barbara’s ‘Tara’ and remained so for the rest of her life.

Barbara went to Market Weighton secondary school and used this opportunity to spend quality time with Granny and Grandad Robinson in Market Weighton. She would often be found at the picture house as she had developed a love for films, since her Mother had taken her to the pictures in York since she was 8 years old. Barbara often told funny stories of her Grandad watching Westerns and calling out to the characters things like “Look out he’s hiding behind that barrel”, and taking his pea shooter to tease his friends in the picture house.

Barbara always helped on the farm until she left school whereupon she went to work at a children’s nursery in York for a short time. Her dream was soon shattered. One morning when she was running a bath for the baby she was caring for, the insensitive Matron walked in and said “ don’t bother Barbara he’s dead”, needless to say she left and never returned. She returned to work at Bibbill and spent the next few years farming and in her Father’s words “with her nose to the ground looking for a husband”.

She married her beloved Steve on 4th June, 1958 and honeymooned in Scarborough. They lived at Bibbill Farm for a short time with her parents, Kath and Charlie and her brother Charles where their first child Caroline was born. They moved to Kexby for a short time, where they had electricity, plumbing and a washing machine, before returning to her ‘Tara’, to the paraffin lamps and outhouse, where their son Antony was born and they spent many happy years. It was also here that her cousin Christine developed a love for farming as they would visit often as children and after she left school she came to live with her favorite cousin Barbara to help on the farm. Bibbill was also where she began supporting her husband Steve showing cattle which they derived so much joy from for many years. Except when the Judge did not judge in their favor, on one occasion she chased the judge around the ring with a stick until he went home. Just a little taste of her sportsmanship.

Unfortunately things didn’t work out at Bibbill and after only 8 years they moved back to Kexby and bought the Post Office small holding where Barbara became the village Post mistress as well as the first responder for the many car accidents on the dangerous bend outside their house. She brought many injured people into her home or comforted them in their cars until the ambulance arrived. One of her claims to fame was petitioning for a speed limit and to have the bend taken out of the A1079, after many years of challenging the Council and involving the MP she eventually won her battle. It was here that Antony developed his love for farming when his Granpop Tom gave him two Jersey cows which he milked by hand. It became very clear to Barbara that Antony’s Destiny was farming so she bought a farm in Holme-Upon-Spalding-Moor whilst Steve was working in Switzerland over the summer, she was a force to be reckoned with…

In 1993 they purchased the land at Melbourne where they built ‘Tara’, Haverland Farm and lived the rest of their earthly lives. Most of their time there was spent supporting Antony farming beef cattle, building his butcher's business and showing cattle at the local shows and as far afield as the Royal Smithfield show in London and Birmingham, winning many trophies. One year they won 19 championships and became well known and respected amongst the cattle showing community. They always looked forward to their grandchildren visiting from USA every summer, as they loved helping their grandparents groom and show the cattle and attracted the attention of the local newspapers. For many years Barbara would often be seen riding her bicycle to Pocklington, whatever the weather.

Barbara loved music and would often drive Steve crazy by playing all her favorite tunes loud and dancing to them. Barbara and Steve were farmers by day and party goers by night, they loved dancing, ballroom and disco, on weekends they could often be found in York either at the night clubs getting jiggy with it, or at the working men’s clubs tripping the light fandango. They loved the quick step and were a sight to be seen on the dance floor. They also enjoyed playing cards and would often pull all-nighters with their friends Steve made when he worked for Ameys, she loved a good game of pontoon, 3 card brag and poker, she was quite the card sharp.

Barbara also loved films and had many favorites which later in life she’d insist on watching over and over much to Steve’s annoyance, like Gone With The Wind, and Dirty dancing she absolutely adored Patrick Swayze, and then some others which he didn’t mind as he also loved Westerns and films featuring Native Americans and the Western lifestyle like North and South, Legends of the Fall, all John Wayne films and many others.

One love they shared was watching football and other sports, horse racing, snooker and darts among many. She would often tease Steve as she had a few favorite singers, film stars and football players, one of her favorites being David Beckham and more recently Saka.

During her lifetime Barbara travelled quite significantly visiting Caroline and her family in the USA many times, she has visited at least 32 States, and has been on many Mediterranean cruises with her dear friend Audrey. Her first taste of travel was visiting her sister and husband in Malta with her Mother in the 1960’s. This was however not a great memory for her son Antony as he pined for his Mother and didn’t eat for days, he would sleep with Cousin Christine and all his plastic animals which would leave indentations in her skin, from their little legs. Antony and his mum had a very special relationship, and shared their love of farming, animals and sports. Caroline remembers that her mother also liked poetry, and had memorized many poems, her favorite being ’The Highwayman’ by Alfred Noyes, which she would recite often to Caroline when she was a child.

Barbara will be remembered for: her love for her family and friends, to whom she was always supportive, her door was always open and she was a cup half full type of person, also for her tenacity and strength. Her love of movies and certain movie stars, sports and sports personalities, travelling, the Royal Family and Native Americans.

She leaves behind her children Caroline and her husband Bez Mazloom, Antony Swales and his partner Gillian Powell, brother Charles and his wife Gillian Robinson, grandchildren Dominique her husband Paul Netherwood, Shaheen and his wife Kristy, Navid and his wife Meera Mazloom and Luke Swales, Jamie and Dale Powell, great grandchildren Jamilah, Cameron and Sasha Mazloom and Niaz Netherwood, Darcey , Eleanor, Lilly and Ryan Powell and brother in law Eric St. Clair. Barbara was preceded in passing by her sister Lesley and more recently her husband Steve.

Family flowers only, please. Donations in her memory can be made to PKD charity, or St. Michael’s Church, Thornton by clicking on donate above.