Old Pond publishing days

Know More Sheep - forthcoming new book from Old Pond

Jack Byard's third book in the 'Know Your ...' series is due for publication in April by Old Pond Publishing. Know More Sheep contains photographs and brief descriptions of 40 breeds to be found on British farms.

This companion to Jack's first book, Know Your Sheep, deals with rarer breeds as well as some of the first-cross Mule breeds that you will commonly meet with on hill-farming land.

Know More Sheep, a postcard-sized paperback, 88 pages. ISBN 978-1-906853-00-6. IN STOCK at Old Pond Publishing, £4.99.

Contents

1 Balwen Welsh Mountain
2 Berrichon du Cher
3 Bleu du Maine
4 Boreray
5 Brecknock Hill Cheviot
6 Cambridge (photo: top right)
7 Castlemilk Moorit
8 Charmoise
9 Charollais
10 Cheviot Mule
11 Clun Mule
12 Corriedale
13 Cotswold
14 Est à Laine Merino
15 Exmoor Mule
16 Friesland
17 Galway
18 Gotland
19 Hebridean
20 Highland Mule (cover photo)
21 Icelandic
22 Ile de France
23 Manx Loaghtan (photo: middle right)
24 Mule sheep
25 Norfolk Horn
26 North of England Mule
27 North Ronaldsay
28 Ouessant
29 Portland
30 Rouge de l’Ouest
31 Roussin
32 Scotch Mule
33 Scottish Greyface
34 Soay (photo: bottom right)
35 Texel
36 Vendeen
37 Welsh Mule
38 White Faced Woodland
39 Wiltshire Horn
40 Zwartbles

Britains Farm Model Balers and Combines - new book

Dr Pullen's first book Britains Model Tractors (pub. Old Pond) was excellently received. David has now produced a companion book on balers and combines.

David describes all the baler and combine models produced by Britains since they were first added to its product range, and provides details of their development. As well as the standard models he gives details and photographs of rare and prototype ones.

The history is complemented by a catalogue describing the main features, differences, issue dates and codes of each model produced. Each is illustrated with six colour photographs showing the model from different angles and the issue packaging.

Britains Farm Model Balers & Combines 1967-2007, David Pullen. Hardback book, 176 pages inc. over 400 colour photographs, publication November 2008 (Veloce Publishing). NOW IN STOCK at Old Pond. £16.99

The Moon & the Sledgehammer - new DVD

Aptly described as 'bizarrely entertaining', the 1971 documentary The Moon & the Sledgehammer gave glimpses of a family cutting itself off from the world nearly forty years ago.

Mr Page and his grown-up children Kathy, Nancy, Jim and Peter lived in six acres of woodland at Gun Hill near Heathfield, Sussex (south of London). Water was from the well. There were no electricity or gas.

While the girls embroidered, gardened, skivvied at home - or escaped to the coast - the men immersed themselves in machinery, including two steam traction engines. One moment Mr Page was building a submersible iron boat; the next he was shooting rabbit and pigeon for the pot.

Director Philip Trevelyan drew out the conflicting ideas and fantasies of each of the five characters. The men's distrust of technological advance beyond steam has a resonance today.

Filmed in colour, sombrely, without artifical lighting and with plenty of large close-ups, the images build up to what could be something rather nasty in the woodshed - but isn't quite.

Pirated versons of the programme have been shown over the years but this is the first good, legal print to be in circulation, distributed by Vaughan Films Ltd.

The Moon & the Sledgehammer, approx 65 minutes, directed by Philip Trevelyan, produced by James Vaughan, available from Old Pond Publishing at £19.95. NOW IN STOCK.

JCB's Backhoe Loader: workhorse for the world - forthcoming DVD

Three years ago Old Pond started filming examples of the machine that together tell the story of the development of today's JCB backhoe loader. Tim Starkey-Smith has selected examples that are either still in working condition or have been authentically restored. His knowledgeable script describes in detail the development of the machine from the Mark 1to today's Project 21 4CX. The JCBs come from a range of enthusiastic owners. Filming is completed and the programme is now close to release.

JCB's backhoe loader: workhorse for the world, Tim Starkey-Smith, DVD, approx 100 minutes, £17.95, NOW IN STOCK.

Contents

Trencher (stills)
JCB Mark 1
Hydradigga
JCB 4
JCB 4C
JCB 1 Gravedigger (2 examples)
JCB 1D Dumpers (2 examples)
JCB 3
JCB 3C I
JCB 3C II
JCB 2D II
JCB 3D II
JCB 4D
JCB 3C III (2 examples)
JCB 3D III
JCB Project 5 3CX
JCB Project 6 3CX Turbo Sitemaster
JCB Project 7 3CX
JCB Project 8 3CX
JCB 2CX 2nd version Streetmaster
JCB Project 12 3CX Contractor
JCB Project 21 3CX
JCB Project 21 3CX 60-year machine
JCB Project 21 4CX

Photographs from recent filming are shown in our blogs dated 29 October 2007, 16 April, 5 May & 12 June 2008.

Massive Earthmovers Part 3 DVD - advance information

The third in Old Pond's 'Massive Earthmovers' series deals with just one mine - but what an exceptional mine it is. Boliden's Aitik copper mine, north of the Arctic Circle in Sweden, is a hole 3 kilometres long, 1 kilometre wide and 400m deep. There are some photographs from it in our Blog of 18 May.

The filming has been organised and scripted by Steven Vale, European Correspondent of Earthmovers magazine. Steven shows the massive equipment and skilful organisation needed to extract 43 million tonnes of material per year. Several of these machines are the largest of their classes to be found working anywhere in Europe. The programme also contains an outstanding blasting sequence.

Massive Earthmovers Part 3: Aitik copper mine, Steven Vale, DVD approx 75 minutes, £15.95, NOW IN STOCK

Contents

Bucyrus 495B11, 1200 ton electric shovel (only one in Europe)
Caterpillar 980G wheel loader
Caterpillar 793D and C series trucks (only ones in Europe)
Bucyrus drill rig
Blasting 1.2 m tonnes of rock
Komatsu PC5500-6 electro-hydraulic excavator (first one commissioned in Europe)
Caterpillar D10N dozer
Caterpillar 16H motor grader
Control room
Caterpillar 994F mechanical wheel loader
Caterpillar D10T dozer
P&H 4100A electric shovel (only one in Europe)
Lectra Haul MT4000 diesel-electric truck (made by Unit Rig) (only ones in Europe)
Gyratory crushers, rock grinding and primary copper extraction and despatch.

Peter and Pauline at Hollyhock Farm - forthcoming new book

In this facsimile reprint of a book from 1951 nine-year-old twins go from the city to the farm - where they find buried treasure! However, before the treasure they first encounter two grey Ferguson tractors and all the implements with which they work. They're taught about the revolutionary Ferguson system and the genius of inventor Harry Ferguson, for this book was first published by Harry Ferguson Ltd as a promotional item.

It is beautifully produced, with evocative colour pictures, a gem for Ferguson enthusiasts everywhere.

Peter and Pauline at Hollyhock Farm by R A E Linney, hardback book, 48 pages with 35 illustrations, ISBN 978-1-905523-94-8, £12.95, NOW IN STOCK.

Little Bit O' Nonsense about Sheep - forthcoming Brewis compilation

Henry Brewis remains Britain's funniest farming writer and cartoonist. Personally I think you have to go back as far as the 19th century, to RS Surtees (Mr Sponge's Sporting Tour), to find an author who created so much humour while being an insider in rural England.

Old Pond has drawn on eight books by Brewis to collate his writings and drawings about sheep and shepherds. On the right-hand page a cartoon; on the left a written snippet or verse. The pairings reflect each other as they go through the principal farming events: buying sheep - keeping them in the paddock - dipping, worming and tupping - shearing - lambing - sheep health (lack of) - mortality and the market.

Little Bit O' Nonsense About Sheep by Henry Brewis, Paperback, pocketbook size, 96 pages. ISBN 978-1-905523-97-9. Now in stock, £4.99.

Know Your Cattle - new book advance information

Jack Byard is following up his extremely popular Know Your Sheep booklet with a companion on cattle breeds.

Know Your Cattle is a 96-page paperback by Jack Byard. ISBN 978-1-905523-92-4. NOW IN STOCK. £4.99.

The book covers the 44 breeds you are most likey to find on British farms or in farm parks. Some, like the Holstein, are well known; others, such as the Wagyu, more exotic. For each breed Jack gives a full-page photograph, usually supplied by the breed society.

Facing the photograph is a description of the origin, development and current status of the breed in Britain. Rare Breed Survival Trust categories are included to show whether the breed is endangered or not.

The 44 breeds: Aberdeen Angus  - Ayrshire - Belgian Blue - Belted Galloway - British Bazadaise - British Blonde - British White - Brown Swiss - Charolais - Chillingham - Devon (north) - Dexter - Friesian - Galloway - Gelbvieh - Gloucester - Guernsey - Hereford - Highland - Holstein - Irish Moiled - Jersey - Kerry - Limousin - Lincoln Red - Longhorn (English) - Luing - Meuse Rhine Issel - Montbeliarde - Murray Grey - Parthenais - Piemontese - Red Poll - Salers - Shetland - Shorthorn - Simmental - South Devon - Sussex - Vaynol - Wagyu - Welsh Black - White Park - Whitebred Shorthorn.

International tractors at Doncaster - forthcoming DVD

Founded in 1902, International Harvester of Chicago formed its British division just four years later. The acquisition of the Doncaster site in 1938 was the first step in establishing a UK manufacturing base, but it was not until 1949 that the first British Farmall M tractor rolled out of the Wheatley Hall factory.

International at Doncaster: British production 1949-75 DVD by Stuart Gibbard runs for approximately 85 minutes. Now in stock, Old Pond Publishing. £15.95.

Stuart Gibbard's programme focuses on the golden years of British production, covering all the principal wheeled and crawler models built at Doncaster and its satellite Bradford plant up until the early 1970s when the worldwide range was phased in. The tractors are seen in action with a variety of implements throughout the seasons.

The featured machines, both restored and working examples, have been selected to display the diversity of the marque - from the actual first Farmall of 1949 to the last McCormick CX model to be made at Doncaster before the factory closed in 2007. This is a magnificent tribute to the glory of the British International years.

Stuart Gibbard is author of many tractor books and DVDs. He is editor of Old Tractor magazine.

The machines shown in the programme: Farmall M (first production tractor) - Farmall M (1950) with International 8-A plough - Farmall M (1951) with Bettinson trailed cultivator - Farmall Super BMD with International 8-A plough - Coronation Super BMD with seed harrows - BTD-6 with Massey Ferguson 30 drill - Super BWD-6 (1954) with McCormick Deering 8C plough - B-250 with Howard Rota-Cadet - Super BWD-6 (1957) with International 8-A plough - BTD6-40 with harrows - BTD-20 with Bullgrader attachment - B-450 with McConnel S-12 backhoe - B-275 with International B-23 mower - B-450 Farmall with Dorman trailed sprayer - TD-8 (82 Series) with disc harrows - B-414 with Vicon Acrobat - B-614 with Browns pan-buster - B-64 trailed combine with International B-414 tractor - BTD-5 with spring-tine cultivator - 434 with Massey Ferguson 34 grain drill - 634 with International cultivator - 276 - 634 'Four Wheel Drive' (Roadless) with backhoe - TD-8 Bullgrader - TD-6 with trailed Leverton cultivator - 354 with Pettit 3-ton trailer - 474 with Quike loader - McCormick CX105 Diamond Edition - McCormick CX105 Xtra-Shift.

Marshall Diesel Tractors 1930-1957 - forthcoming book

Peter Anderson's book, prepared with the help of the late Jeff Bloom, is aimed at owners, restorers and potential buyers of Marshall tractors. Peter deals with the following models: the 'Colonial'; Model E (15/30); 18/30; 12/20 and M; Field Marshall Mark 1 and Series 2, 3 and 3A; MP4 and MP6; the Track Marshall; the Fowler VF and VFA and the Gainsborough loading shovel. The book includes 280 photographs.

Peter gives a potted history of the development of each individual Series and Mark. Wherever possible he offers current or potential owners a Buyer's Guide for each model. This describes areas of likely wear and tear or specific checks to be made before purchase.

At the end of each chapter Peter gives a specification sheet with details of general dimensions, capacities, optional equipment, production numbers and areas of distribution. He completes the book with chapters on preventative maintenance and trouble-shooting. Restorers are well served by Peter's knowledgeable discussion of what might or might not be counted as authentic.

Peter shares with the late Jeff Bloom a deep-rooted enthusiasm for Marshall. He is author of Three Decades of Marshall Tractors and numerous articles about the company and its products.

Marshall Diesel Tractors 1930-1957 by Peter Anderson, hardback book, approx 220 pages inc. 280 photographs. ISBN 978-1-905523-88-7. £24.95, Old Pond Publishing. NOW IN STOCK