Old Pond publishing days

The best tractor DVDs two years running?

The December/January edition of Ford and Fordson Tractors magazine contains two fine commendations for our Old Pond programmes.

The review of Ford Tractors 1965-95 concludes: 'Kim Parks feels this is the DVD of the year, just for the implements in action, and I have to agree with him.'

On the following page the magazine says of Tractor Restoration: paintwork: 'this was unanimously voted the DVD of the year (2009) and at a price of £19.95 plus p&p is nothing but jolly good value and thoroughly recommended.'

Ford and Fordson Tractors, the official magazine of the Ford & Fordson Association, is a bi-monthly that has reached issue 40 and is now edited by tractor guru Peter Love. A year's subscription for six issues currently costs £19.44 from Kelsey Publishing on 01959 541444 or online at www.subsdeals.co.uk.

 

Book signings at the Newark Tractor Show

It was another excellent Newark Tractor show this past weekend. On the Old Pond stand we were lucky enough to be joined by Rob White signing copies of Starks' Harvesters.

County enthusiasts were glad to meet John Hull (on the right in the picture) signing copies of The Best Job Ever on the stand and recalling his experiences with the company for which he worked from 1967 to 1983.

Book and DVD offers online

Old Pond has now made its online offers of sets of titles at reduced prices fully compatible with its latest catalogue. The offers can be found here.

New Old Pond catalogues available

This autumn Old Pond has produced two catalogues.

The first is the usual annual catalogue, larger than ever and with news of even more books and DVDs for those interested in the land-based industries. You can see a copy online, download it or print pages on the Old Pond website here.

The second catalogue is a new one devoted to the books and DVDs produced by Roundoak and CP Productions. The majority are on lorries and trucking and they cover material as diverse as Australian road trains and UK Post Office service vehicles.

This catalogue is available here on the Old Pond website.

For trade enquiries or to have either catalogue sent by post, email [email protected].

Perhaps one of the best trucking books ever written

In the November issue of Truck & Driver magazine there's a five-star review of Ashley Coghill's book, The Long Haul Pioneers.

'We can't recommend it highly enough ... our book of the year ... perhaps one of the best trucking books ever written....'

Driver Roger Gool hasn't only read the book, he takes a copy on his travels. In the picture below, the book is checking in at the New Capital Hotel, Doha.

Steelfab DVDs available

Next to our Old Pond stand at Spalding, Julian Carder was piloting three new DVDs, unseen sales films from the 1950s, '60s and '70s.

They show the products of Steelfab which originated in 1935 as Steel Fabrications of Birmingham and moved to Pengarn, Cardiff in 1946. They went into receivership in 1998. Among their products were the Shawnee Poole transporter and the Horndraulic.

The Shawnee Poole DVD includes 'Introducing the Shawnee Poole System', 'Shawnee Poole serviceability promotional film' and 'Shawnee Poole in earthmoving', plus extras. It runs for 81 minutes.

Agricultural Equipment includes 'Introducing the Superbale handling system', 'the Horndraulic loader', 'Steelfab 800 digger working on a farm' and 'the Steelfab 800 digger'. Approx 34 minutes.

Industrial Equipment: 'Introducing the Steelfab 160/180 backhoe loader', 'Power X materials handling sales video', Power X system launch at the factory'. Running time 72 minutes.

Prices are still being established. For more information contact Julian Carder: [email protected]

Rob White signing Starks' Harvesters at the Tractor 2010 October Show

Old Pond's stand at the Spalding model tractor show was enlivened today by the presence of Rob White, author of Starks' Harvesters.

Rob, on the right in the photograph, is about to sign a copy for the customer on the left. Front centre is Charlie Norman who accompanied Rob on his first custom cutting trip in 1979 and went on to harvest around the world. Charlie took the majority of the photographs in the book. Another fan of the late Dale Starks and MF combines, Kevin Clarke, is between Charlie and Rob.

Geoff Lewis's Cranes and Excavators DVDs change hands

In 1998 Geoff Lewis began recording big plant at sites in Wales and elsewhere. He started with Ruston-Bucyrus, the company in which he had served his apprenticeship after leaving Swansea Secondary Technical school.

Eight more programmes followed over the years, offering what must surely be a unique view of draglines, grab cranes, dozers, excavators, scrapers, dump trucks, face shovels and graders at work over the past decade. Nine DVDs - over nine hours of viewing.

Geoff's interests now have changed to scale engineering. He is building a one-eighth working model inspired by the Lima 1201 and Marion 1-11, making all the component parts and finely engineering it in steel. He expects the final weight to be 350-400 pounds.

Geoff has sold the masters and rights in the DVDs to Old Pond which is planning to release the complete series - as well as some extra footage recently edited by Geoff - in one set in February next year.

Geoff (centre) during his Ruston-Bucyrus apprenticeship days.

Model Tractor magazine on the move

Tim Bolton, who for three years has published the quarterly magazine Model Tractor, has announced its sale to Malvern-based Traplet Publications.

New editor Martin Rickatson came from the family farm  to study agriculture at Wye College, Ashford. His journalism pedigree includes a stint on Farming News and seven years with the English edition of Profi, ending as deputy editor.

Martin would welcome contributions. You can reach him on 07595 031217 or [email protected].

However, Traplet doesn't have the field to itself. Andy Ebbage has started a paper version of his models digital magazine under the name Model Farmer.  

Marshall and other tractors at RHS Wisley event

Peter Anderson, author of Old Pond's book Marshall Diesel Tractors 1930-1957, looks after the machinery at the Royal Horticultural Society's Wisley gardens.

He has recently been heavily involved in preparations for one of Wisley's new ventures - their 'Mad about Machines' event which takes place from Saturday 24 July until Friday 30th. For that week the added attraction for garden visitors will be a display of tractors and other machinery.

Peter has made his selection of 28 tractors as colourful as possible with bright examples of David Brown, Fordson, Allis, Massey-Harris and others. Those who know Peter will not be surprised to find single-cylinder models there, although they may be more surprised by the rarities alongside the several Field Marshalls and an early Lanz Bulldog. The very unusual machines are a French Messidor and a German Kramer.

Peter also promises examples from Dusty Miller's collection of lawnmowers, several of which date back to the 19th century. Surrey Rural Life Centre are also displaying agricultural tools through the centuries.

For more details visit the RHS website.