As a child, a special treat for me would be to be taken onto the footplate by my grandfather who was a ‘steam’ driver. This started off my hobby which has now almost turned into a religion. Every weekend, from March to October, I load my own little bit of nostalgia onto a trailer and drive as far afield as Cheshire and Lincolnshire showing vintage farm threshing, along with other old working machinery..
To actually see them working is of major importance to me especially as I get most satisfaction out of reproducing the atmosphere of the ‘old days’. My machines include a Corn Mill, a 1910 Potato Lifter, a Turnip Cutter and lastly, my pride and joy is a 1920’s mini Threshing Drum from Finland. All are belt driven by either a 1954 David Brown Tractor, a 1927 Petter Engine or a 1950 Lister Engine and all have been restored to their original condition by myself over the last three years. When I say original condition, that’s really what it needs to be. I spent about three months stripping down the Corn Mill and repainting it to result in what I thought was a job well done. I took it with pride to an agricultural show and the first person to see it discreetly mentioned that it was the wrong colour. Back to the drawing board and it is now in fact light blue instead of green.
.To actually see them working is of major importance to me especially as I get most satisfaction out of reproducing the atmosphere of the ‘old days’. My machines include a Corn Mill, a 1910 Potato Lifter, a Turnip Cutter and lastly, my pride and joy is a 1920’s mini Threshing Drum from Finland. All are belt driven by either a 1954 David Brown Tractor, a 1927 Petter Engine or a 1950 Lister Engine and all have been restored to their original condition by myself over the last three years. When I say original condition, that’s really what it needs to be. I spent about three months stripping down the Corn Mill and repainting it to result in what I thought was a job well done. I took it with pride to an agricultural show and the first person to see it discreetly mentioned that it was the wrong colour. Back to the drawing board and it is now in fact light blue instead of green.
A lot of interest is shown by young people who can’t understand why people actual
ly needed to grind corn when we now take it for granted to simply pop into the shop and buy a bag of flour. The older generation who may remember such machines when they were used on the farms also show great interest. The latest additions to ‘my fleet’ include a 1936 chain driven Concrete Mixer and a Brick Crusher both of which were made by Frederick Parker of Leicester. As a side line I am restoring a 1937 Austin A10 Cambridge Saloon Car and a 1929 Austin Chummy Van. I hope to be able to show these when they appear to be more up to scratch.
ly needed to grind corn when we now take it for granted to simply pop into the shop and buy a bag of flour. The older generation who may remember such machines when they were used on the farms also show great interest. The latest additions to ‘my fleet’ include a 1936 chain driven Concrete Mixer and a Brick Crusher both of which were made by Frederick Parker of Leicester. As a side line I am restoring a 1937 Austin A10 Cambridge Saloon Car and a 1929 Austin Chummy Van. I hope to be able to show these when they appear to be more up to scratch..
The type of shows that I frequent vary tremendously from the large agricultural shows to village fetes and working weekends organised by my local club which is the Rutland Group of the National Vintage Tractor and Engine Club. At the working weekend, we have a competition which involves making and baking bread. The corn is cut by a binder in the old way, threshed, ground and made into dough and then cooked in the field by a paraffin heated cooker. The record is about 40 minutes. I wonder if Mothers Pride can beat that. I find the showing aspect very rewarding ev
en if a little risky when having to rely on the English weather so much. I can certainly certainly recommend the restoration of barn engines and farm machinery as a hobby especially when I consider it as doing my own little ‘bit’ to help preserve our heritage. 
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