Old Pond publishing days

Thank you BigLorryBlog for your rave review of Looking at Logging Part 1

Thank you, BigLorryBlog for today's excellent review of the DVD Looking at Logging Part 1.

"Logging truck videos don't come much better! Martin, Pete and Old Pond have done it again says Biglorryblog!

"Calling all logging fans! They've only gone and done it again? Who has? Well trucking video 'mavins' Pete Connock and Biglorryblog's very own 'Keeper of the Flame'  Martin Phippard  together with the folks at Old Pond Publishing, have come up with another winner!

"'Looking at Logging Part 1' is an absolute belter, filled with great moving images of logging lorries from around the world and there's some real treats in it too including Sisus in wintery Finland, Classic Pacifics, big Kenworths in Canada, Tasmania and New Zealand and bringing it all back 'full circle' a super section on Dai Williams' new FMX logger in action in Wales. There's tidy ... and flipping 'tight' too on some of those roads! There's even a short bit on heli-logging featuring a Sikorsky Sky Crane...how much better does it get?

"All of it backed by an expert commentary from Martin too..."

Hitachi, Iveco and Fiatallis at Carrara

In the blog of 4 September we showed some Liebherr machines recorded in preparation for Steven Vale's next DVD Massive Wheeled Loaders. This is due from Old Pond late spring 2012.

The first image is of Colonnata, a quarry village high above Carrara.

The machines and trucks shown are: Hitachi 800H prising out a 400-tonne marble block; Hitachi ZW 550 loading a block and waste; hedge Magirus Deutz; a loaded Iveco Trakker 440, and a Fiatallis FR 20B working deep underground in an excavated hall.

The Maize Silage Campaign new DVD by Chris Lockwood is now in stock

Chris Lockwood's new DVD featuring the 21st - and last - last year of contractor Robert Self's maize harvesting is the 83-minute programme The Maize Silage Campaign. It is now available from Old Pond Publishing at £16.95 including VAT

Alan Spillett's new book of truck paintings Roadscapes II in stock

Roadscapes II: Landscapes of the Road by Alan Spillett. Hardback book, 160 pages with 180 illus. ISBN 978-1-906853-99-0. Now in stock at Old Pond Publishing at £24.95.

We also have a very limited stock of Alan's first book, Roadscapes I at £24.95. Enquire at (0)1473 238200 for this book.

Looking at Logging Part 1 DVD by Connock and Phippard now in stock

Pete Connock and Martin Phippard of CP Productions have now completed their 90-minute DVD Looking at Logging Part 1. It is available from distributors Old Pond Publishing at £16.95 inc. VAT. Details and purchase here.

Ipswich the changing face of the town new book by David Kindred in stock

David Kindred's latest book, Ipswich the changing face of the town, hardback, 176 pages including over 300 photographs, is now in stock at Old Pond Publishing at £19.95.

The Classic Tractor Review new DVD advance information

The Classic Tractor Review, Stephen Richmond and Jonathan Whitlam (Tractor Barn). DVD, approx 100 minutes. ISBN 978-1-908397-07-2. Now in stock at Old Pond at £16.95 inc. VAT.

Just what is so special about classic tractors? To provide an answer Stephen and Jonathan show us a wide range of machines built from the 1960s to the 1990s at work on farms. Among the great names here are Ford, Massey, County, John Deere, Case IH and David Brown.

Special features include a farmer’s hay harvest using classic tractors from the 1960s, ’70s and ’80s. There is also a tour of the 2010 National Ploughing Championships where many classics were in action.

Classic tractors belong to the golden years when manufacturers competed keenly to keep pace with advances in agricultural equipment and machinery. At the same time, tractors became more stylish and comfortable – a pleasure to work with. Although technical sophistication increased it was still at a level where owners felt able to resolve problems themselves rather than relying on a specialist. The rewards for the producers of successful models came in their buoyant sales to farmers at home and overseas.

A final test of whether these are true classics is whether they have stood the test of time. So many of the tractors in this programme have, and in the process gained an iconic status.

The models shown are: Massey Ferguson 35 • Massey Ferguson 135 • Ford 4000 (6X) • Ford 4600 (7A1) • Ford 4600  (7A2) • Marshall 804  • John Deere 6400  • David Brown 990 Implematic • David Brown 780 Selectamatic  • Ford Force 5000 (6Y) • Ford 6600 (7A2) • International Harvester 956XL • County Super Four • County 1184TW • County 974 • Roadless Ploughmaster 75 • Roadless 118 • Massey Ferguson 3630 • Ford 8630 • New Holland TS115 • New Holland 7840 (late example) • Ford 7610 II (AP) • John Deere 4020 • Case 1594 • Case IH 1594 • Leyland 384 • Same Jaguar 100 Export • Lamborghini Formula 135 • Ford 7810 II • Massey Ferguson 390 • Massey Ferguson 8130 • Many different classics from the 2010 National Ploughing Championships • Ford 5030 • Ford 7840 SLE • Massey Ferguson 362 • Case IH 1056XL • John Deere 2450 • John Deere 4850 • John Deere 7810.

More programmes by the Tractor Barn duo Stephen Richmond and Jonathan Whitlam can be found here.

Colony Xia at the Suffolk Punch Trust

Spent a really pleasant afternoon at the Suffolk Punch Trust today. Good weather, plenty of Suffolk horses grazing and an informative visitor centre. Back in August this year you can see a blog about the orphaned Suffolk foal Colony Xia and her foster mother Lil. Today's visit was so that we could catch up on Xia's progress. She is still suckling and due to be weaned in January at six months of age. The stallion shown in this group of pictures is her sire Besthorpe Achilles.

Walking with Giants and The Working Horse Manual - new books in stock

Walking with Giants: Europe's Massive Earthmovers, hardback book by Steven Vale is now in stock at Old Pond at £29.95.

The Working Horse Manual second edition, also newly available from Old Pond, is a softback edited by Diana Zeuner, price £24.95.

Tractor Barn's new DVD on International Harvester tractors is in stock

International Harvester Tractors, DVD by Stephen Richmond and Jonathan Whitlam is now in stock at Old Pond at £16.95 inc. VAT.