Tractor & Farming Heritage
April 2005
Celebrating the history and development of the tractor
Welcome
By Editor, Pete Kelly
An uplifting story about the worldwide brotherhood of vintage tractor enthusiasts.
Style - with a capital O!
Pete Kelly braves the February blizzards to visit Ross and Sandra Yeaman at their Coupar Angus home and admire Rosss superb collection of Oliver tractors.
The blooming machair
Polly Pullar visits Ena McNeill, whos been crofting in the Outer Hebrides all her life, to learn how life in this unique habitat has shaped her colourful character.
News - History under the hammer
NOT all of Coventrys heritage was lost during the blitz of WWII, and one place to remain operational was the Faulconbridge Feeds Mill on the banks of the River Sowe in Aldermans Green, which finally closed its doors in 1989.
Triple D magic!
Jerry Thurston is mightily impressed by Dave Pantrys famous blue and orange Doe Triple D as he pays a visit to Haslams Farm near Doncaster, the home of Roadless Tractor Spares.
From pencil sketch to perfection
Renowned Yorkshire artist Trevor Mitchell has just completed the first in a stunning series of John Deere paintings for Danbury Mint. Pete Kelly finds out how it progressed from germ of idea to finished product.
In praise of farm tractor power
In his book The Roar of Dust and Diesel, Mike Teanby describes what life was like working for International Harvester Great Britain and becoming involved with tractor design, build, testing and development - warts and all. In his first feature for Tractor & Farming Heritage, he shares his thoughts on why tractors need to become even bigger and a lot smarter yet.
VAK 1As - the forgotten David Browns?
Regarded by many as just a stop-gap until the famous Cropmaster entered production, the David Brown VAK 1A was still highly regarded by many owners. Leslie Hutchinson trawls through the David Brown archives and comes up with some interesting information about what went on behind the scenes from 1945-47.
Letters
Beach blues!
Overwintering in New Zealand, Roger Hamlin comes across the boat-towing County tractors of Castlepoint, on the Wairarapa Coast.
Funny Farm
Youve heard the saying I used to have one of those but the wheels dropped off...? Well, thats exactly what happened when an appallingly badly-designed Hen Hilton made the journey from garden to donkey field - and the Fordson Major towing it didnt even notice!
Rare Breeds Factfile
Marianne Thomas tells of a sheep breed that sheds its wool naturally, needing no shearing, and is virtually unaffected by flies and ticks - the Wiltshire Horn.
Who said hunting was over?
Alan Barnes catches the scent of another trail of tractor discovery in Scotland.
Farmall triumph!
Recalling the disastrous freak accident that destroyed Albert Cooks much-loved and immaculate 1938 International F-14 in 2003, John Hobbs visits the North Devon farmer to learn the uplifting story of how he managed to reconstruct a fine new tractor from the wreckage.
Farming by the Fireside
We take a look at Modern Farming, a free small magazine published by Boots the Chemist to interest the modern farmer of more than 50 years ago.
Tractor Talk
Including the story of the hot air balloon that came down in a slurry lagoon!
Tested to destruction!
During a visit to Thomas Andrews, of the Cornish Tractor Club, who helps hundreds of people get their tractors re-registered for the road every year, Pete Kelly sees a Fordson Dexta which its makers deliberately tested to destruction, but which Thomas hopes to drive in this years National Vintage Tractor Road Run.
The resurrection men
Clarence Naylor pays tribute to the growing band of restorers who save all kinds of interesting agricultural machinery, particularly horse-drawn, from the scrapheap to remind us of the farming methods of the past.
Tractors all his life
David Bowers meets Sonny Smith, a member of the Cruckton Ploughing Society since 1947, to learn about his years in competition and his collection of Oliver tractors.
Freds Restoration
Problem-Solver
Flapping in the wind
After encountering the friendly scarecrows of Rode Heath, Cheshire, Sue Mills makes some interesting discoveries as she looks into the history of these guardians of the crops.
Cream of the crop!
On the trail of old farming implements, Peter Small comes across a fascinating model dairy farm near Glasgow.
Diary Dates
A Zetor joins the family
In Jos Diary, Josephine Roberts Massey-Ferguson 35 gets to work with a winch, a pony joins the family, theres an appeal for information about Someca tractors and she has a go on brother Bobs newly-purchased Zetor.
Welcome
By Editor, Pete Kelly
An uplifting story about the worldwide brotherhood of vintage tractor enthusiasts.
Style - with a capital O!
Pete Kelly braves the February blizzards to visit Ross and Sandra Yeaman at their Coupar Angus home and admire Rosss superb collection of Oliver tractors.
The bloo....