Tractor & Farming Heritage
Nov/Dec 2003
Celebrating the history and development of the tractor
Welcome
Fresh from his first efforts at combine harvesting, ploughing with a modern four-wheel-drive tractor and even taking the guide ropes of a Clydesdale horse called Roddy, Pete Kelly begins to understand and admire the skills of those who make their living from working on the land.
Big Treats at Little Casterton Noel Bridgeman brings some stunning photographs from the glorious vintage working weekend at Little Casterton, Rutland.
News
Driving a Hart-Parr 18-36
John Stephenson wouldn't have a paintbrush anywhere near his tireless 1928 Hart-Parr - and who could blame him? Jerry Thurston tries it out at John's East Yorkshire farm, and finds that the old tractor still has the heart of a lion.
Stepping Back in Time
James Ham, ton reports from a successful agricultural working bygones event in Sussex.
Jo's Snowdonian Paradise!
Josephine Roberts tells about life with her Massey-Ferguson 35 in the hills of North Wales.
Preserving the Past
Brian Howes traces the long and colourful history of one of Britain's most fascinating fruit farms.
Tractor & Farming Diary
Tractors at the Great Steam Fair
Yet another superb display of vintage and classic tractors was brought together at the Great Dorset Steam Fair at Tarrant Hinton at the end of August.
Cheshire's Pride
Keith Langston visits an outstanding collection of vintage tractors near Winsford, Cheshire.
Earth Stood Hard as Iron
Peter Kelly reviews the highlyevocative images of wintry farming landscapes and animal portraits depicted on a superb range of charity cards for Christmas.
Festival of the Plough
It's a ploughing match, harvest festival and great day out for the family all rolled into one. Pete Kelly visits the 23rd Festival of the Plough near Epworth, Lincolnshire.
Hullava Lot of Tractors...
The August Bank Holiday weekend saw the British attempt at smashing a tractor record that has passed from the South Africans to the Australians and most recently the Irish. Paul Appleton was on hand to witness proceedings.
Tractor Talk
Fond Memories of Hard Labour!
Brian Howes meets a former Land Army girl with wonderful memories of her days at the Hodsock Priory WLA hostel.
The Scottish 'Hervest'
With outstanding detail, David H. Kelly recalls the 'hervest' season in the South-West of Scotland in the late 1940s and early 1950s.
Readers' Letters
Among the subjects covered this month are the transport of livestock by road and rail, and a McCormick horse-drawn mower saved from the scrapman.
The County Set
John Hobbs enjoys a well-organised event for County tractors and other interesting conversions on a glorious early autumn day in Devon.
An Allis-Chalmers Among the Corn
Alan Barnes arranges a photo-session in a highly-appropriate setting for an Allis-Chalmers WC which spent much of its life in the cornfields of South Dakota.
Farming Treasures in Somerset
John Hobbs describes some of the rare historic farming machinery seen at Mike Lawrence's August open weekend at Highbridge.
Fun on the Fens!
Terry Clark visits a great little working event in Lincolnshire.
Robert's Big Bear
John Hobbs comes across a Lanzbased Ursus tractor in Devon.
No Hedges? That's Nothing New!
C. David E gar tells the story of a fascinating survivor from the longlost days of the open field system of strip farming - the village of Laxton in Nottinghamshire.
Lesney's Little and Large
Lesney launched two classic Massey-Harris tractor models in the mid-1950s, and both have now become sought-after collectors' items, writes Brian Howes.
How the DB Seed was Sown
Leslie Hutchinson reveals some interesting details as he looks at the formative stages of the David Brown Agricultural Tractor.
Reviews
Stuart Gibbard's long-awaited book on the history of David Brown and a shepherd's recollections of his working days on Great Whernside come under review this month.
Old 20 Parts Company
Paul Appleton visits one of Britain's best-known vintage and classic tractor spares suppliers.
Welcome
Fresh from his first efforts at combine harvesting, ploughing with a modern four-wheel-drive tractor and even taking the guide ropes of a Clydesdale horse called Roddy, Pete Kelly begins to understand and admire the skills of those who make their living from working on the land.
Big Treats at Little Casterton Noel ....
