‘For Goodness sake, what has he bought now!’ By Emily Critchlow. A Ferguson Club Member


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on’t get me wrong, I dearly love my Tractor Grandpa but I do have to question some of his purchases! Let us take the latest. He tells me it is stacked on 3 pallets, has no wheels, no front axle, is 120 miles from home and hasn’t run in 45 years! What sort of purchase is that? I have experienced his ‘eccentricity’. Some 11 years ago, my brother and I were invited to spend a few days with Grandma and Grandpa, and to take our overalls. Of course, we did as we were asked but when we came to get into our overalls I had grown out of mine, but Thomas, very gallantly, offered me his; after a bit of adjustment with some baler twine, these fitted just like a glove, or not! Thomas wore a Persil white fleece so was ‘unable’ to work, otherwise Grandpa would have been for the high jump! He took photos.


The task was to remove five tree roots from between the engine and the radius arm on the offside. This was quite hard work, taking a lot of time, but we got it done and Rusty moved on to live another day. Then, of course, there was the saga of his wayward finger which landed him with two very rusty lumps of tractor which he named


‘Neptune’, but probably the less said about that the better!


So, what has he bought this time? I understand he saw the advert in The Farmer’s Guide which read Fergie 35 ex beet harvester on pallet, no front axle, bought from Thurlow Nunn of Elmswell on Solobeet, with rear wheels, not


been in use for over 45 years’. Apparently Grandpa started phoning on the Friday at 7.30am and eventually at 9.30 the phone was answered, and the rest is history. So, now the problem is how to get it home, what with the Covid restrictions; knowing him, I’ll bet he has sweet talked some unsuspecting CEO to bring it home for him.


I don’t suppose you will have heard the last of this ‘tractor’ because Grandpa is pretty jammy and I wouldn’t be surprised to hear that they stuck the rear wheels onto it, the front axle out of Neptune and towed it around the yard and it started. If it does, I will have to eat humble pie! I have had an update and Grandpa tells me it arrived late on


Friday afternoon, the 9th April and the CEO of the Addington Fund did collect it, I told you so! In fairness, he did collect Jill the second tractor Grandpa has donated, who is on her way to Seaton in Devon and Jack, her twin, is at Newark. Jim and Grandpa started work on this latest purchase on Monday 19th at about 9am, and by 10 they had the rear wheels fitted, and by 2pm had the front axle in and wheels on (as I had thought, out of Neptune!). The tractor was then towed to a new more convenient work station.


This could be the very first time she has moved on her own four wheels!


I cannot imagine what’s next, but I will let you know.


Please mention THE VINTAGE SCENE when responding to advertisements


JULY/AUGUST 2021


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