Peter Reade and Ray Galley, Wimboldsley, Cheshire.
Ray and Peter are both relative newcomers to tractor restoration. It all began when Peter's daughter saw the TV programme on the 3 Coasts Run and his family bought him a Fordson Major Diesel for his 60th birthday, so he could restore it and go on the run himself. Peter now has his 70th birthday and we celebrate with a road run from The Harvest Store. Ray joined Peter and rewired the tractor before restoring one for himself. They are now dedicated restorers and drivers of old tractors based at Peter's home at Wimboldesley.
Peter has a Ford and a Nuffield and Ray has restored a nice David Brown, and is now working on a 3cylinder Nuffield.
Peter's wife Marjorie has produced a web site which chronicles their activites and gives some useful tips and highlights the pitfalls of restoration. More information is available on their interesting web site at
...............
Peter Reade .....................................................Ray
and Glenys Galley
July 2001...
.
I visited Paul at Frank Walker's farm at Kelsall.He was between projects and contemplating his next challenge; fitting a Cummins400 6cylinder diesel into a Fordson Major Diesel. Paul thought it not too difficult as this engine is about as long as a Ford engine and will fit easily.
Paul has recently completed his V8 Perkins version of the Fordson. The engine came from a fire engine and a purpose built ring was made to marry the engine to the transmission. The finshed job runs well but is inclined to rear up if pushed too hard. The work took 12 months and it had its first outing at Llandudno in 2001. "I was quite pleased with this one. Its different" said Paul. A modest under-statement for such a great job.
Paul did his first tractor at Duddon when he was seventeen. He had the help of his father at that time. He has since done 14 tractors and intends to continue with his hobby.
We finished the evening with Paul's John Deere imported from Canada in off farm condition. Should he restore? That's another story
.
Oct 2001
Roger Cooke, Middlewich, Cheshire.
Roger Cooke is well known to most local club members but not many will know of his long association with farming and old tractors.
Early memories can have a lasting effect on our interests in life. Roger's first recollection of tractors was at the age of two with his father on the farm at Boundswick near Manchester.. This was to be the start of a life long love of tractors.
Roger now had five tractors, all restored by himself. In order of age they are;
1938..
Standard Fordson ..................TVO
1939 .Allis Chambers B TVO (lease lend)
1952. David Brown Cropmaster....... TVO
1954. Ferguson TE20.......................
TVO
1962 .David Brown 990.................. Diesel
Roger first drove his 990 when it was delivered new to Little Budworth in1962. It spent the first two weeks of its working life rotovating.
" I sometimes think I must be mad" said Roger. But then, we all must be to spend so much time and effort on our old tractors.
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Jan 2002...
David Harrison (Chairman) Hale, Cheshire.
David
farms at Hale (Cheshire) on the banks of the River Mersey. His farm is all arable
on a light easily workable soil. His home county is Yorkshire and each year he
leads an excursion to Whitby and back to Hale. This is the 3 Coasts Run; the worlds,
longest annual vintage tractor road run at 550 miles, taking 6 days, and raising
funds for nominated charities.
David has an unusual and interesting collection
of tractors; they are all big and fast ie. John Deere, Minneapolis Moline, and
Muir Hill.
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Feb 2002...
John Barnes, Davenham, Cheshire
John's
love of tractors goes back many years . Like so many of us he started driving
tractors as part of a weekend job to earn some pocket money , whilst still at
school. On leaving school he left the land and went to drive, lorries delivering
ICI products, until he became a production operator at Winnington
Throughout
this period (30 years) he had other interests until he was reintroduced to tractors
by Allan Davies some six years ago. Since then it has been a passion for "Nashers",
Johns collection now consists of
1941 Farmall A Rowcrop TVO . A neat little tractor
1955 International WD 9
Diesel
1965 International B275 High clearance
1970 International Diesel
1949 Ferguson TE20 Petrol
1954 Hanomag single cylinder Diesel
1954 Fordson
Major Diesel
1967 Ford 3000 under restoration
"
I don't know what it is about Nashers. I suppose somebody has got to restore them"
said John. Not necessarily!
.............
March 2002
Sid Jeffries and Trevor, Cheadle, Staffs.
I met up with sid and his grandson Trevor at Astles Park for the 1000 engines rally. they came with an International which had been purchased from a Tern Valley event some 3 years ago. it was already restored and many of you will be familiar with this small tractor as it is a frequent visitor to shows. Sid also has a 1939 Allis Chambers B which he spent 4 years restoring from a very poor condition.
Tractors are a recent change in direction for Sid, as his early and long lastingpassion has been statioary engines; he has some 25 of these, purchased and restored over 25 years.
His interest in restoration stems from his working life as a joiner. He did some work for Les Oakes, who he describes as a local character, restoring traditional travelling horse drawn caravans and from then on he was addicted to the hobby.
Sid is usually accompanied by his grand son Trevor who shares his interests and is part of future of our club.
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July 2002
Don Gregory, Northwich 1932-2005
Don Gregory will be known to most members as club treasurer. He has life time love of tractors , dating back to his roots on a farm at Holmes Chapel and later on a smallholding at Weaverham. Like so many country lads in the 50,s he left the land and went into the transport industry. This left little time for tractors but his interest was rekindled and it has now become his hobby in retirement.
He has been collecting tractors and engines for fourteen years and now has a collection comprising
............................................1948
Ferguson TE20 TVO
............................................1952
Allis Chambers "B" TVO
............................................1956
Trusty Stead single cylinder Jap engine
............................................1956
Land Rover soft top
............................................Various
stationary engines
Don finds his Land Rover particularly useful at summer events as the whlole family can come along and join in. Don's wife will be known to us for her work at the 1000 engines at Astle Park and various other summer events
Don
died suddenly in May 2005. He is missed by family,friends, and club members from
around the country.
Many of us shared his love of the countryside.
......
November 2002
John Bownes
John will be known to most of us as the third generation of the family to run the family business. Based at Marton for any years, they have now relocated to Swanlow Lane, Winsford and become established as one of Britain's top tractor dealers and exporters.
John not only sells tractors but also has a collection of vintage machines which is the envy of any tractor fan. Pride of place in the collection is aMogul 12-25 built in America in 1915. This is a superb example of of an early American tractor. A 1918 Allday and Onions made in Birmingham is an early British model and some would say this is the more important item. John's collection has about thirty tractors, the newest of which is a 1975 Roadless 4WD now being restored.Some are in off farm condition (as in the photo) while others are fully restored and a few in original mint condition.
January 2003
I met Dave and ?? at Malpas wher they were both enjying a working weekend with various items of cultivatiomachinery.
They had just finished restoring a Fordson Dexter (pictured) and were justifiably proud of their work. I looked closely at the paintand it was difficult to tel whether it was hand painted or sprayed. It was hand painted and then Dave revealed his secret. He is a painter and decorator.
Nov 2003
