Old Pond publishing days

In the Driving Seat - new book advance information

Forty-four years driving for a living have given Alex Heymer a wealth of stories ...

In the Driving Seat by Alex Heymer. Paperback book, 264 pages including 8 pages photographs. ISBN 978-1-905523-96-2. IN STOCK at Old Pond at £9.95.

Alex always wanted to be a driver, like his father, and learned at a very young age. During his national service he drove for the RAF, and then went on to trolleybuses for London Transport. He returned to London Transport later to drive RTs and Routemasters. He has lots of tales about driver shenanigans on the trolleybusus and buses.

Seasonal coach tours were another important part of Alex’s career. With Galleon he took parties to Scotland, Wales and the west of England, entertaining his passengers with light-hearted banter and a few historical facts. Misadventures included a nasty slide off a collapsing road.

For nearly thirty years Alex drove tankers for Gulf Oil. This was a period rich with anecdote including scams, spillages and oil-drenchings. Even in retirement Alex has kept his hand in with casual driving work.

Once a driver always a driver – at least, when you love the profession as much as Alex Heymer does.

Alex with his Dad – and his International truck - outside their house in Stratford, east London, in about 1937.

Alex drove for London Transport when RTs were giving way to Routemasters.

Seasonal coach tours brought Alex a lot of fum - as well as some mishaps. He covered Scotland, Wales and the West of England.

For nearly thirty years Alex drove for Gulf Oil.

Know Your Trucks - new book advance information

Following his immensely successful Scania at Work book, Patrick W Dyer has turned his attention to preparing a pocket-sized title in the Know Your ... series for novice enthusiasts.

Know Your Trucks, paperback book, 96 pages including 45 illustrations. ISBN 978-1-906853-19-8. IN STOCK at Old Pond at £4.99.

As Patrick writes in his Foreword - 'Trucks (or lorries) are all around us. Virtually everything that we eat, drink, wear, ride, drive and, in many cases, live in has at some time been delivered by a truck.

'Trucks form the backbone of industry, feeding the factories with the raw materials and components which enable them to create the end products that are then collected by trucks to be delivered to the shops, dealers and end users. The world economy is dependent on trucks to keep the goods moving, allowing trade between countries to flourish.

'With its origins in the early part of the last century, the truck has developed over the years into a highly specialised tool with a staggering range of variants to fulfil a multitude of tasks. Stringent regulations ensure that trucks are now some of the most efficient and cleanest vehicles on the road.

'As a book of this size could not adequately cover the variants of just one model range from just one manufacturer, we decided it would be better to explain to you the purpose of some of the more common types of trucks that you will see every day on our roads.'

The 44 types shown in the book include flatbeds, box vans, refrigerateds, curtainsiders, sliding canopies, container artic, oil tanker, diesel artic, bulk powder artic, vacuum tanker, machinery carrier, low loader, car and bus transporters, tipper trucks, skip trucks, glass carrier, furniture van, logging trailer, concrete mixer, refuse truck, horsebox, road/rail truck, heavy haulage example and recovery truck.

Patrick accompanies each picture (the majority of which are from the manufacturers) with a clear description of type, a guide to typical use and some engineering details. These are reinfoced by a cutaway and diagrams at the end of the book.

Among the manufacturers who contributed pictures to the book are Isuzu Trucks, Mercedes-Benz UK, Iveco, DAF and Volvo.

We Waved to the Baker - new book by Andrew Arbuckle advance information

We Waved to the Baker: tales of a rural childhood by Andrew Arbuckle, hardback book, 144 pages with illustrations by Graham Lang. ISBN 978-1-906853-16-7. IN STOCK at  Old Pond Publishing at £12.95.

'We boys scuttled down.... Having had our tea, it was not really hunger that drove us on such foraging expeditions, but the sight of a large bowl of Mum’s trifle....'

We Waved to the Baker is an evocative and heart-warming collection of stories from Andrew Arbuckle’s youth in Fife. Through the fresh gaze of childhood, he depicts the rugged hard work of life on the farm, while capturing beautifully the essence of growing up in a boisterous family and a close rural community.

We follow the young Andrew as he deals with the trials and tribulations of school, older brothers and plucking chickens, while throwing into the mix as much mischievous play as possible.

Andrew Arbuckle comes from a Fife farming family which, like many others, could trace their roots back to the west of Scotland. The third son of a tenant farmer, Andrew went on to farm with his father in the 1970s. The farm was mainly arable, growing malting barley, seed potatoes and, before the closure of the local refining factory, sugar beet. The tenancy of the farm was given up in the late 1980s.

During his farming, Andrew contributed to a number of farming magazines and this interest developed into full-time agricultural journalism with the Dundee Courier where he was farming editor for fifteen years.

A short spell as a member of the Scottish Parliament followed between 2005 and 2007. Over the past twenty years, he has been a councillor in Fife. Nowadays, he is a freelance journalist, combining this with agricultural public relations work.

In 2009 Andrew’s first book, Footsteps to the Furrow, was published by Old Pond: ‘An excellent book for anyone interested in Scottish farming’ (Fordyce Maxwell in the Southern Reporter).

Britain's Massive Miners Part 2 - new DVD advance information

In the second of his two programmes looking at the dedicated machinery working in Britain's surface coal mines (and also a quarry), Steven Vale has found the largest hydraulic excavator working here. As in his other acclaimed DVDs, Steven Vale supplies plenty of information about the machines in his enthusiastic and detailed script which is narrated by David Holt.

Britain's Massive Miners Part 2, Steven Vale. DVD, approx 82 minutes,  £15.95 (inc. VAT). IN STOCK at Old Pond Publishing

A Northumberland surface coal mine is the setting for the hydraulic excavator which is currently the biggest in Britain and the biggest Terex model in Europe – the Terex O&K RH 200. It works with advanced noise- and dust-suppression technology to load nearly 50 tonnes a time with a 26 cubic metre bucket.

At work in a Yorkshire limestone quarry is the largest excavator Caterpillar currently has in Britain. Only four of these 5130s were ever  brought into the country.

A Scottish coal mine yields examples of the R 9350, Liebherr’s biggest excavator in Britain, working with the country’s largest fleet of Terex TR 100 dump trucks and a big Cat 834H wheeled loader.

Other highlights of this exciting programme are a 340-tonne O&K RH170, the only one in Britain, and an old 480-tonne O&K RH 200 loading Cat 789 trucks. There is even a quick look at Chevington Collier, a decommissioned Bucyrus-Erie 1260W walking dragline.

The main machines in this programme (See blogs of 17 & 28 June, 12 & 20 July for pictures)
Terex O&K RH 120-E hydraulic excavator
Terex TR100 dump trucks
Liebherr R 9350 hydraulic excavator (face-shovel and backhoe)
Cat 834H wheeled dozer
Cat D10T tracked dozer
Bucyrus Erie dragline
O&K RH 170 hydraulic excavator
Cat 785 dump trucks
O&K RH 200 hydraulic excavator
Cat 789 dump trucks
Cat 385 hydraulic excavator
Cat 5130B hydraulic excavator
Terex O&K RH 200 hydraulic excavator

Britain's Massive Miners Part 1 - new DVD advance information

Britain's surface coal-mining industry continues to contribute to our power supplies. This year, Steven Vale has been looking at some of the enterprises flourishing in south Wales, Lanarkshire and Northumberland. He has uncovered hydraulic excavators and haul trucks of a significant size by European and even world standards. His results are to be seen in two companion DVDs, of which this is the first.

Britain's Massive Miners Part 1, Steven Vale, DVD approx 79 minutes plus extra, £15.95 (inc. VAT). IN STOCK at Old Pond Publishing

Komatsu and Hitachi star in the first of Steven Vale’s films about the hydraulic excavators to be found at work in Britain’s surface coal mines.

In Wales, Steven recorded a couple of 250-tonne PC 3000s, the Dash-6 currently being the biggest and newest Komatsu excavator in Britain. They dwarf the Cat 777F dump trucks they are loading with overburden. Not far away a Demag H185S also loads overburden.

The biggest Hitachi excavators currently at work in the UK are the EX 1900s which Steven also recorded in Wales. They come in at 190 tonnes.

Among the face shovels and backhoes at work in Northumberland are the O&K RH 120-Cs, still going strong after twenty years. Some of them feature industry-leading noise- and dust-suppression technology. These popular workhorses are joined by the very first Cat-powered 120-Es in Britain.

The main machines in this programme (see blogs of 17 & 28 June, 12 & 20 July for pictures)
O&K RH 120-C hydraulic excavator (face-shovels and backhoe)
Terex O&K RH 120-E hydraulic excavator
Cat D9T tracked dozer
Cat 785 dump truck
Demag H185S hydraulic excavator
Cat 824H wheeled dozer
Komatsu PC3000 Dash-1 hydraulic excavator
Komatsu PC3000 Dash-6 hydraulic excavators (face-shovel and backhoe)
Cat 777F dump trucks
Komatsu PC1250 Dash-8 hydraulic excavator
Cat 16M grader
Hitachi EX1900 Dash-5 hydraulic excavator
Hitachi EX1900 Dash-6 hydraulic excavator

Destination Doha - new DVD advance information

Destination Doha, produced by Tony Salmon for the BBC 'World About Us' series in 1977, double-DVD set, approx 98 minutes. IN STOCK at Old Pond, £17.95 (inc. VAT).

Doha, capital of Qatar on the Arabian Gulf – five thousand miles from London with 11 countries to travel through and 23 Customs posts on the way. Blizzards in Austria, sandstorms in Syria; broken-down trucks to repair and bogged-down trucks to dig out of the sand.…

 
The exciting, gruelling life of drivers on the overland run to the Middle East was captured by the BBC’s World About Us series in 1977 and transmitted in two parts.

In Part One, ‘The Easy Bit?’, we meet British drivers Frank Hook, John Williams, Dave Poulton and Dick Rivers. We follow their mixed fortunes and tyre changes across Europe, into communist Yugoslavia and Bulgaria and then to Turkey where bureaucracy was a way of life.

Part Two’s ‘Difficult Bit’ leads through chillingly dangerous roads to Ankara and over the Taurus mountains. Then through Syria, Jordan and Saudi Arabia – each offering a different challenge to the drivers and their Scania and Leyland trucks.

This double-DVD set contains both parts of the original programme. You’ll see that for these Astran International drivers their work was more than just a job – it was a way of life with a sense of adventure, winter and summer, ice-cold and desert-hot.

The photographs have been kindly supplied by Ashley Coghill whose own book, The Long Haul Pioneers, telling the full story of Astran International will be published in 2010.

More DVDs from Stephen Richmond and Jonathan Whitlam - advance information

Tractor Barn Productions has an ambitious list of new releases this autumn. The DVDs will be available from Old Pond as soon as they are in stock.

David Brown Tractors: a power on the land 1939 - 1988 presented by Stephen Richmond.

This programme tells the story of the famous David Brown brand and features most types of machine to bear the name. These include the VAKI, the Cropmaster, the 25 and 30 machines and the Implematic range. Later models include the Selectamatic range and the popular 885, 995 and 1212 models. The 90 series in 1979 was the last to carry the David Brown name.

DVD, approx 90 minutes, released September 2009
ISBN 978-1-906853-29-7 £15.95 IN STOCK at Old Pond

Working Combines Volume One presented by Stephen Richmond.

Watch classic and modern combine harvesters hard at work gathering a variety of different crops and shown in their full glory. Stephen Richmond tells us about each of the combines, which include Massey Ferguson, New Holland, John Deere, Case IH and Claas. Special features include a glimpse into Tractor Barn’s extensive video archive.

DVD, approx 75 minutes, released October 2009
ISBN 978-1-906853-28-0  £9.95 IN STOCK at Old Pond

Leyland Tractors: a Power in Farming 1969-1982, presented by Stephen Richmond.

Leyland tractors were built in Scotland from 1969 until 1982. This programme tells the story from their Nuffield tractor heritage to the blue tractors that followed and the successful Synchro range and Golden Harvest models. It includes the designs which were later produced under the Marshall name.

DVD, -- minutes, release February 2010
ISBN 978-1-906853-26-6  £15.95

Modern Tractors: The First Decade of the 21st Century presented by Stephen Richmond.

The tractors of the 21st century are very sophisticated machines and in this DVD Stephen and Jonathan review some of the main features of these modern machines. They look in particular at the revolution in transmissions represented by CVT technology as well as the clever GPS self-driving features and the ingenious suspension systems.

DVD, -- minutes, release December 2009. ISBN 978-1-906853-27-3  £15.95 SEE ALSO BLOG 4 NOVEMBER

Photographs of the Suffolk Heritage coast - new book advance information

Bells Beneath the Sea: photographs of the Suffolk heritage coast by Carl White. Paperback book, 240 x 240 mm, 120 pages including 102 b&w photographs. ISBN 978-1-906853-15-0. IN STOCK at Old Pond at £19.95.

Legend has it that if you put your ear to Dunwich cliff on a stormy day you can hear the long-submerged bells of the town’s churches, ringing under the waves. Such is the rich, haunting quality of this coastline, whose past resonates strongly in its present. For twenty-five years Carl White has studied the area intimately for his photographs. From Lowestoft to Felixstowe he has explored the evolving character of the land, sea and sky, juxtaposing modern industry with continuing traditions.

This book offers both a portrait of Suffolk’s best-loved coastal landmarks and sights, and a historical document of its change. From the drama of a hailstorm at sea taken from Minsmere cliff to the grand promenades of Aldeburgh and Southwold, the photographs capture their subjects with artistic sensitivity and technical skill.

I Love My Tractor - new double DVD for children - advance information

I Love my Tractor: the adventures of Massey Ferguson, 2-DVD set, approx 133 minutes, IN STOCK at Old Pond at £9.95.

This animation series from New Zealand is designed for pre/young school children to show them life in the countryside and encourage them to learn respect and appreciation for their surroundings.

The cartoons are based on a small farm near the New Zealand town of Kumara Cove where a little red tractor called Massey Ferguson lives.

At home with Massey on Ferguson Farm is a fun-loving family of vehicles including Beaut the Ute, Max Tractor, Gracie the 4WD farm bike and Mrs Milk, the milk tanker.

Massey may be only a small tractor but he's big on resourcefulness, problem-solving and pluck.

The King of the Norfolk Poachers - new book advance information

“If I had my time to come over again I would still be what I have been—a poacher. So I remain, Gentlemen, The Ex King of the Norfolk Poachers.”

These are the concluding words of one of the most remarkable British books about the countryside, I Walked By Night, edited by Lilias Rider Haggard and first published in 1935.

The poacher went un-named in the book. The title page just reads 'by Himself'. Now, spurred on by a belief that she lives in a lodge once occupied by the mysterious poacher, East Anglian writer Charlotte Paton has researched his life and written his biography.

The name of the poacher was Frederick Rolfe. The true story of Rolfe’s life is just as remarkable his original tale, although it was embroidered and he glossed over some of his less pleasant actions, particularly where his wives were concerned.

In the course of her research Charlotte Paton has discovered a manuscript that throws light on Rolfe’s family life: an account by his daughter Emily. This is published for the first time as part of this book.

Charlotte Paton captures the social conditions in which Rolfe lived. There is plenty of background about magistrates’ courts, poaching practices, the life of the rural poor and attempts at the reform of agricultural labour.

Frederick Rolfe was already in his seventies when I Walked by Night was published. Charlotte Paton has unearthed much new material about his declining years and his unexpected end.

This is the story of a complex man who went his own way, often stirring up trouble on the wrong side of the law. He could inspire devotion and he created one of the most remarkable accounts of our countryside.

The King of the Norfolk Poachers by Charlotte Paton, hardback book. 224 pages inc. 16 pp photographs, indexed. ISBN 978-1-905523-89-4. IN STOCK at Old Pond at £19.95.

The real Frederick Rolfe (right) was photographed at about the time of his book's publication. The painting on the front cover of Charlotte Paton's book is 'The Moon Lighter' by Lawson Wood (Lynn Museums).