The season has got off to a cracking start, since Tractor World the Club shared a building with the Tivetshall Old Ram Tractor Club at The Eastern Counties Tractor and Heritage Spectacular,the show turned out to be a huge success particularly for a debut event and it looks set to become a permanent fixture in your diaries.

At the same time the Kent Heritage Show was held, unfortunately one can only be in one place at a time. You will find a breif report of both of these events below. For full reports & photos of these shows, go to the 2012 shows section of our website.

 

Several of our FFA Area Reps have sent information about themselves or events that they will be attending and proudly waving the FFA flag, so do go along and see them. I should be pleased to hear from any member who would like to air matters of interest relating to our hobby. So please contact me preferably by email or post and I will do my best.

 

Email: Pat Pawsey

By Post: P.Pawsey (FFA Chairman), Upper Farm, Ovington, Sudbury, Suffolk, CO10 8LD

 

Introducing Kenneth & David Ford who are FFA Area Reps. for Gloucestershire and Wiltshire: 

Firstly some background to our life with Ford and Fordson Tractors, you may say that they are 'in the blood.' Ken and I can remember being told by our father about the work that he had done, ploughing and general farm work when he had a new Fordson major in the early 1950's.

A dealer that is no more, called Victory Motors of Cheltenham supplied this tractor new. Several years later he had a new Power major form the same firm that he drove until November 1961 when he left farming. He them moved to Tetbury where he worked for Blanch Lely of Crudwell for many years.

About ten years after that Ken and I started helping out on a local smallholding of 31 acres where we learnt to drive an International tractor, at that time we used to borrow a Ford 2000 for haymaking from a neighbour also another 2000 which was fitted with a SteelFab Horndraulic loader up until 1979 when at a local farm sale he bought a 1965 Ford Super Dexta 3000 also fitted with a loader the registration was EDF771C I wonder if this still is around? 

 

In 1986 due to a change in farming policy we left. Since then the list of tractors including our own includes Ford 2000, 3000, 4000 and 5000's together with some newer 600 and 10 series.  In mid June 2008 we took over from Julian K Smith who was the rep for Gloucestershire, since then we have taken over Wiltshire as we only live 2 miles from the Wiltshire Border.

Words by Kenneth & David Ford

 

Brothers Kenneth Ford and David Ford tell me that they will be attending all the shows below, full details of which are on this site in the SHOWS & EVENTS section, and would be pleased to meet members old and new. Why not go along and meet them better still take a tractor as well and join in the fun.

 

June 9th and 10th Wiltshire steam Rally Oare Nr Marlborough,SN8 4HZ.

 

June 16 & 17th Lister Tyndale Steam Rally at North Nibley,GL13 9QL.

 

June 23rd and 24th Banbury Steam Rally at Bloxham,OX15 4HD

 

July 21st and 22nd West Oxon Steam Rally, Ducklington,nr Witney,

      Oxon,OX29 7YL

 

August 3rd, 4th, & 5th Stroud vintage transport rally at South Cerney, GL7 5QD. (Gloucestershire Steam Extravaganza) They are having a Ford and Fordson Weekend all welcome

 

August 18 & 19th Fairford Steam Rally, Fairford GL7 4LG

 

 

Living in Norfolk we never seem very near to the NVTRR venue, that is except for 2010, when we hosted it, and this year was no exception.

 

My old Ford Cargo was relegated from front line duties and a modern Volvo FH12 was hired to transport the TIVETSHALL OLD RAM TRACTOR CLUB away team the 350 miles to the 2012 venue at Kirkbride, West of Carlisle.

 

Two tractors length ways and four smaller ones crossways made up the load, however, I must admit there were no blue ones!

 

Arriving at the venue, Kirkbride Airfield, on Saturday morning, the sight of acres of hardstanding was wonderful, trucks and grassy fields don't' mix.

Once unloaded the tractors were then parked in the customary lines to await the start on Sunday. . . . . . . View website for Full Report & Photos

 

 

Kent Heritage Show - Kent County Show Ground, held at The Kent County Show Ground, Maidstone, Kent on Saturday 31st March 2012 and organised by The Kent Agricultural Society. The show grows every year, this year there were about a third more Tractor, Vehicle & Commercial exhibitors here and just over 5,000 visitors to the show.

The main Themes for this years show were Maidstone & District and East Kent Bus Company Club celebrating its Diamond Jubilee, the 50th anniversary of the MGB Roadster and the Massey Ferguson 35X as well as celebrating 100 years of AEC buses.

Free vintage bus rides with stops positioned around the showground, were a fantastic sight to see, there was even a period dressed conductor who rang the bell when all were aboard. .  View website for Full Report & Photos

 

My thanks to Ernie our website wizard for this report and pictures.  This is an abridged version, the whole report with many interesting pictures can be found on the website.

 

 

The Eastern Counties Vintage Tractor & Heritage Spectacular is a new show to arrive on the vintage calendar and was held on the 31st March/1st April 2012 at the Norfolk Showground.

 

The FFA attended with the stand being manned by a joint Norfolk and

Suffolk combination of your committee. Our customary hospitality was dispensed, many beverages and biscuits were consumed and members were able to sit a while and engage in tractor chats.

 

Members provided a varied selection of Ford/Fordson models, however E27N's did seem to dominate. There were awards for the judge's favourite tractor in each make . . . . . . View website for Full Report & Photos

 

FFA - Devon Area:

 

Andrew Green Writes: The Devon branch of the FFA had a fascinating evening at Whiddon Down on 24th February when we were very fortunate to have Peter Love / FFT Editor to come & speak to us.

It was decided to attend as many Shows as possible & I will fly the flag at the following events :-

 

Devon County Show - 17th to 19th May

Mid Devon Show - 28th July              

North Devon Show - 1st August          

Honiton Show - 2nd August         

Okehampton Show - 9th August

 

I would like to see as many as possible of you please to keep me company. It's good fun, you meet some interesting people & you also get free entry!

 

I would like to invite you to bring a tractor, stationary engine, motorcycle or vintage car to my own village Fete of Coldridge in Mid Devon on 14th July. I do have an entry form if you are interested!  Please do get in touch.

 

If you would like to attend one of your own local events & you would like to borrow our own FFA banners & displays to help promote the FFA, please do contact me so that we can arrange this.

 

Finally, I must repeat my plea for contact information for members who have not yet been in touch. Communication by post is no longer possible. I want to hear from you PLEASE! Follow our Devon activities on www.ffadevon.co.uk or contact me on 01363-83791 or 0780-903-1177 or email - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. If you personally don't have an email address, you most probably have family or friends that do & could receive messages for you. So, please do get in touch.

 

 

Margaret and Derek will be attending both Newby Hall and Welland on the Club's behalf. 

 

Its time to get your entries in for this years Expo VIII at Swavesey, all are welcome but remember the theme is Jubilee tractors so if you have one please do bring it. View our website Expo VIII section or click Expo VIII logo at top of this Newsletter page for more details. You can download / print the Entry Forms here aswell.

 

The closing date for entries to the FMPS rally at Long Melford is 30th May I shall be there, bring your tractor and have it on the FFA stand, remember to mark your form FFA.

 

I have booked to go on the P & J Tour's trip to Basildon it is very reasonably priced and I am looking forward to meeting some of you there.

 

Well I think that's quite enough for now, so it's back to my shed where I've nearly got my Nuffield back together, heresay you may say but I think that  'a change is as good as a rest'.