Old Pond publishing days

Know Your Cats book by Jack Byard is now in stock

In 2008 Bradford pensioner Jack Byard came up with the idea for a little handbook on sheep breeds. He wanted to prove to children that there were more than two types of sheep: the white ones and the black ones.

Know Your Sheep was an instant success, not just with children but with walkers and novice enthusiasts of all ages. More than that, it has spawned a growing list of titles - eighteen to date - all pocket-sized with 40-45 clear pictures and concise text. Eleven of the Know Your books are by Jack himself, these are all animals based from ducks to donkeys. The other seven are by specialist machinery authors from trains to tractors.

Today sees the publication of Jack's latest: Know Your Cats, with photographs sourced from a wide range of breeders. Among them is Damian Weed of the Just Cats Veterinary Hospital, Stamford, Connecticut whose Scottish Fold 'Taco' is one of the stars of the book. Taco is even going to hold a pawtograph signing - when we get details we will put them up.

If you would like more details of Know Your Cats or to order online securely, see here. Access to all the titles in the series is here.

Country Calendar on Horseback in New Zealand DVD advance information

Country Calendar on Horseback: a special collection, TVNZ. 2-disc DVD approx. 4½ hours. ISBN 978-1-908397-83-6. Now in stock at Old Pond at £17.95 inc. VAT.

New Zealand offers plenty of scope for horse enthusiasts. Over the years ‘Country Calendar’ has featured some great examples, twelve of which have been selected here. Most of the characters involved are also farmers and we see how they combine the two parts of their lives.

Endurance competition, trail-riding, rodeo, harness racing, jumping and flat racing are all included along with the Aupouri wild horses. New-style natural horsemanship and a Kiwi horse whisperer help celebrate the equestrian world.

DISC ONE

On Track Top harness racing driver Ricky May also runs a mid-Canterbury farm.

Riding to the Limit A small Manawatu community hosts the endurance riding national champoinship.

Ride ’Em Horses are Blaikie Moore’s life, up in the Otago hills and on the rodeo circuit.

Triple Jump Olympic medallist Tinks Pottinger’s family: three generations of horsewomen.

Horse Sense International eventer Kate Hewlett opts for a new style of natural horsemanship.

Horse Whisperer A Kiwi ‘horse whisperer’ works his magic to put riders and their mounts at ease.

DISC TWO

Winner’s Circle Success meets glamour in horse racing – a profile of David and Karyn Ellis.

Hard Hill A Hill Country farming family who use horses for work and pleasure.

Horse Heaven The Wilson sisters teach horse-riding skills to others.

Riding On A family passionate about horses for work and sport.

Head for the Hills A family mixes farming with adrenalin-filled outdoor adventures.

The Last Ride An aging cowboy rides with a herd of wild horses one last time.

Praise for Farming in Miniature Volume 1

Farming in Miniature Volume 1 continues to be praised. This time it is by the Collectors Gazette, November 2013 issue:

"A real treat ... absolutely jam-packed with information and pictures ... most striking throughout is the wonderful photography. There are almost 1,000 photographs and each will take you on a trip down memory lane. We can't wait for volume two!"

New annual catalogue now available from Old Pond Publishing

Yes, Old Pond's annual catalogue - our sixteenth - is now available and being mailed out to our customers.

You'll notice a change this year because for the first time we have increased the format to just under A4. With more books and DVDs dispayed on each page you should find it far easier working your way around the contents.

Altogether you can choose from over three hundred books and DVDs, all of them aimed at people with working boots, enthusiasts for the land-based industries from animal breeds and tractors to trucking and earthmoving.

We have already been asked where you can buy the tractor on the cover. This Crescent model Agricultural Tractor is part of their run from 1949 to 1961. We don't have any for sale. We just think it is a beautiful image from Farming in Miniature Volume 1, the subject of the previous post.

You can find a pdf of the new catalogue online here. If you would like a catalogue to be sent but are not on our mailing list, email [email protected] or phone 44+ (0)1473 238200.

Farming in Miniature Volume 1 book now in stock

At a price of £49.95 a book has to be very good indeed to justify the cost. We think that the new Farming in Miniature Part 1 won't let you down if you have a serious interest in farm models. It is a large-format hardback, filled with 970 generously sized photographs and has an authoritative text that took its expert authors five years to prepare.

The book is now in stock at Old Pond. Customers ordering before 1 November will receive a bookplate signed by all the authors as well as a voucher for a discount on next year's Volume 2. For full details or to order securely on line see here.

The American Dream new DVD is in stock

New in stock from Tractor Barn is the tribute they have prepared on behalf of the Clarke brothers to Dale Starks in particular and American harvesting in general. For more information about ths new DVD, The American Dream, or to order online securely from Old Pond, see here.

A unique trucking gathering and drive-past to celebrate Martin Phippard's 70th birthday

There was a very special occasion on Saturday to mark the 70th birthday of Martin Phippard.

Some 88 trucks gathered at the BP Services on the Warminster by-pass, Somerset.

Many of the trucks and drivers represented Martin's customers. Others came to show their respect for a great trucking enthusiast and journalist, the co-producer of the CP Productions series of trucking DVDs filmed all over the world.

The police closed the by-pass for a few minutes so that the trucks could parade in the Salisbury direction past Martin who observed the procession and the air-blasted greetings from a strategic layby.

Heavily involved in the organisation was Martin's co-producer, Pete Connock (second from the right in the first photograph). All Martin's family were there too.

It was a wonderful occasion, fit for a king of trucking, to which the following photographs are unable to do more than scant justice.

A strong recommendation for the Hymac book from Graham Black of Earthmovers magazine

Graham Black, editor of Earthmovers magazine has written a very positive review of Jeremy Rowland's new Hymac book. Here is what he says:

‘I thought I knew a thing or two about Hymac, but Jeremy’s book has opened my eyes to the full range of equipment they produced. Cranes, re-handling machines, long-reach excavators, truck-mounted backhoes, demolition rigs – the list is almost endless. It is not just the basic concept of the 360-degree slew – the configuration that is still used today – that put Hymac at the cutting edge of muck-shifting machinery design. Even today, some excavator manufacturers would be hard-pressed to develop such a range of special adaptations in-house.

‘The hundreds of photographs provide a fantastic glimpse of construction sites in times past. As you may have gathered, I strongly recommend this book as an ideal Christmas present for the muck-shifting machinery enthusiast.’

Earthmovers magazine, November 2013, page 96.

Tracks, Tyres and Skid Units new DVD on Ford Tractor Conversions from Tractor Barn advance information

Tracks, Tyres and Skid Units: The Story of Ford Tractor Conversions Part One – Evolution 1917-1964, Steven Richmond and Jonathan Whitlam (Tractor Barn Productions), DVD, approx 90 minutes. ISBN 978-1-908397-85-0. Available from Old Pond end October at £16.95 inc. VAT (This does not appear in the new Old Pond catalogue.)

For advance orders or further information email [email protected].

Ever since the first Fordson tractor appeared in 1917 other companies have used the basic tractor skid unit as a power source for different agricultural and industrial machinery.

Steven Richmond and Jonathan Whitlam of Tractor Barn Productions give a chronological account of these conversions showing them with the actual tractor model they are based on. In this way we see how the various machines from Roadless, County, Muir-Hill, Doe, JCB and Matbro, to mention just a few, were developed and sold alongside each other.

The programme is based on footage from many events, both large and small, across the British Isles, showing the machines at work wherever possible. The Tractor Barn duo have also blended in archive film.

This fascinating glimpse into machines built between 1917 and 1964 includes examples of the following:

Trackson Model F full track – H&P Model F half track – Roadless full track N – Roadless half track N – Roadless Major half track – Roadless Model E – County CFT – Roadless J17 – County Four Drive – Roadless-Manuel Major – Power Major and Super Major – Doe Dual Power – Doe Triple-D – Matbro Mastiff 6/100MT – JCB Hydra-loader – Muir-Hill Major shunter – County Super Four – County Super Six – Roadless Ploughmaster 6/4.

Ransomes & Rapier book needed

Another gap in manufacturing history (see previous post on Hymac) that we would dearly like to see filled is Ransomes & Rapier. Is anyone preparing a book on the company?