Old Pond publishing days

Ransomes and their Tractor Share Ploughs book reprint information

Ransomes and the Tractor Share Ploughs, Anthony Clare. Hardback book 246 x 189 mm, 100 pages inc.120 photographs. ISBN 978-1-903366-12-7. Now available from Old Pond at £15.95.

Aimed at tractor and ploughing enthusiasts, this is the first book to classify, describe and show the wide range of ploughs produced by Ransomes, Sims & Jefferies. It is ‘a requirement for every Ransomes library’, in the words of Old Glory magazine.

After a brief introduction to the company’s history, Tony Clare gives an account of the ploughs which dominated the horse era of farming and were then adapted to be trailed behind tractors and mounted on them. He covers in detail the development of tractor plough design as well as ploughs for special purposes, market-garden use and export.

He deals with Ford-Ransomes manufacturing as well as the rationalisations of the 1960s and the final links with Dowdeswells.

Analyses of plough identification codes, the ‘TS’ classifications and a glossary complete a comprehensive and very usable book for the many people who value their Ransomes ploughs for matches and at work.

Ransomes and their Tractor Share Ploughs was first published in 2001. This 2013 reprint includes a number of minor amendments.

Tractor and farm machinery enthusiast Tony Clare is also the author of The Nuffield Tractor Story Volume One.

Farming Diaries Volume Three new DVD from Tractor Barn advance information

Farming Diaries Volume Three: the last harvest, Stephen Richmond and Jonathan Whitlam (Tractor Barn). DVD, approx 90 minutes. ISBN 978-1-908397-73-7. Now available from Old Pond at £16.95 inc. VAT.

In their third Farming Diaries programme Tractor Barn duo Stephen Richmond and Jonathan Whitlam introduce us to tenant farmer Ted Fenner. Ted has spent a lifetime tending the fields of Bullfinches Farm in East Sussex.

Taking over from his father on the family tenancy, Ted carried on growing a mixture of crops including wheat, oats, barley and, until recently, hops.

We see him tending his crops with his fleet of Massey Ferguson tractors: a 35X, 135, 590 and 390, all two-wheel drive and all used with very traditional classic farm implements.

The programme reaches a climax when Ted gets out his venerable MF 525 to harvest his barley and oat crops. With small three-ton trailers and classic tractors, this scene is right out of the early 1980s. It is completed by a neighbour following the combine with a Ford TW15 and Claas Quadrant square baler.

However, with Ted now in his seventies, this turns out to be his very last harvest. In the rest of the programme we see how a nearby estate takes over the farm and amalgamates it with its own, much larger operation. Ted is able to carry on just long enough to sell his last crop off the farm the following May.

So, life on the land enjoyed by three generations of tenant farmers comes to an end, a poignant story, one of many in which large farming enterprises are replacing smaller family-run operations. It is a fitting tribute to tenant farmers everywhere.

For other programmes by Tractor Barn see here.

Not All Sunshine & Sand new trucking book advance information

Not All Sunshine & Sand: the tales of a UK–Middle East truck driver, Paul Rowlands. Paperback book, 304 pages inc. 44 illustrations by Brian Wales. ISBN 978-1-908397-69-0. Now available from Old Pond at £7.95.

Paul Rowlands takes us into his world as a truck driver, initially around rural Suffolk and the rest of the UK, before embarking on the infamous Middle East run. Here he recalls his hair-raising experiences – some of them humorous, some alarming – and the many friends he made.

The long-distance lorry driver deals with life in the raw, with many hardships and occasional comforts. Run-ins with the locals, dramatic encounters with foreign drivers and mechanical problems may be the norm, but they are tempered by the sheer beauty of mountain passes, lakeside stops and the generous hospitality of the people he meets.

The camaraderie in the trucking fraternity has seen Paul through many a crisis, and he shares the belief that help is always at hand when a fellow driver is facing a problem. Take a ride through foreign lands in the cab of a long-haul lorry for an insider’s perspective on overland travel.

Paul Rowlands was born in The Rhondda, South Wales. His first job was with the Civil Service, but his love for travel led to his becoming a long-distance truck driver. He lives in Ipswich, Suffolk and continues to work as a truck driver/roadie.

Pauls’s book was first published in hardback in 2010. This is the first paperback edition.

Massey Ferguson Farm Implements and Machinery Part 3 DVD is now in stock

Massey Ferguson Farm Implements and Machinery Part 3 1977-88 (DVD) by George French and Dennis Burston is now in stock. Complete details and secure online ordering from Old Pond are here.

This programme completes the three-part set showing altogether a hundred implements and machines and forty tractors. The set is available on Old Pond's offers page.

The Massey Ferguson 35 Tractor Workshop Service Manual new book advance information

The Massey Ferguson 35 Tractor Workshop Service Manual, Chris Jaworski. Hardback, 275 x 215 mm, 208 pages inc. 650 photographs. ISBN 978-1-908397-12-6. Now available from Old Pond at £24.95.

In the UK between 1957 and 1964 Massey Ferguson manufactured some 380,000 MF 35s, the most popular medium-sized farm tractors of the period. Many have remained in work and if you are lucky enough to own one, it is bound to be one of your favourite machines.

In this book, technical writer and author Chris Jaworski – a restoration enthusiast himself – provides user-friendly, comprehensive information about the Massey Ferguson 35 tractor. Each chapter includes step-by-step instructions illustrated with clear photographs, covering all aspects of the MF 35 3-cylinder, 4-cylinder and petrol/TVO models. The tasks explained range from simple maintenance tests to complex rebuilds.

The Massey Ferguson 35 Tractor Workshop Service Manual covers the following sections in detail:
• Buying and Safety
• Weekly Checks
• Operator Maintenance
• Engines
• Cooling Systems
• Fuel Systems
• Transmissions
• Rear Axle and PTO
• Brakes
• Hydraulics
• Steering and Front Axle
• Electrics
• Bodywork.

With some 650 photographs and a wealth of knowledge about the tractor and its component parts, you will find Chris Jaworski’s book to be an indispensable resource if you are involved in servicing, repairs or restoration.

The World of Custom Trucks new book advance information

The World of Custom Trucks, Ferdy De Martin & Xavier Stéfaniak. Hardback, 210 x 265 mm (landscape), 160 pages inc. 276 photographs. ISBN 978-1-908397-64-5. Now available from Old Pond at £19.95.

In this, your guide to outstanding truck decoration in Western Europe and the United States, you will see a wide range of approaches and styles. Eighteen of the twenty-nine trucks featured are from Europe, eight are from North America and three are from the UK.

In each case you are presented with a number of views of the vehicle to show the overall designs as well as the details of exteriors and interiors. French photographer Xavier Stéfaniak is a trucker and designer specialising in capturing the finest truck photographs. His co-author, Ferdy De Martin, runs www.TOPRUN.ch, one of the most popular internet truck sites. Their text is enthusiastic and illuminating. Main sections are in English and they also provide brief summaries in French.

Among these examples of their work are two from the United States. The stylish black-and-red 1981 Kenworth W900A comes from from Lanita Transport and the cool yellow-and green Peterbilt 351 is from Maggini and Son.

European styles are often more ornate. Hundreds of LEDs and delicate airbrushing cover the Mercedes MP4 ‘Xtar’ tankers from the Finnish Kuljetus Auvinen Oy. The Scania T460 cab interior from Belgian J Peeters & Zn shows a more delicate approach.

Some of the photographs set the trucks in their landscapes such as the English Yorkshire Dales where Fred Greenwood’s Scania R580 gingerly threads its cattle truck along narrow lanes. The final example here is the rarely used violet of Van Dalen’s Volvo FH16 700 ‘Bruce Springsteen’.

The Custom Trucks included in the book are:

Peterbilt 351, Maggini & Son Trucking (USA) -- Volvo FH16 700, Dieppedalle Transports (France) --Scania R730, Nicolo’ (Italy) -- International Lonestar, ‘Bad Habit’ (USA) -- Volvo FH16 600, Ronny Ceusters Transport (Belgium) -- Scania R620, ‘Jo Siffert’, Müller (Switzerland) -- Peterbilt 389, Farmers Oil Company Inc. (USA) -- Scania T460 Longline, J. Peeters & Zn (Belgium) -- Volvo FH16 700, ‘Bruce Springsteen’, Van Dalen (Netherlands) -- Scania R560, P Bjarne Andersen Transport (Denmark) -- Kenworth W900, Lanita Transport, Scott Diller (USA) -- Scania R620 EXC ‘Triple X’, Michel Kramer (Netherlands) -- Peterbilt 379, ‘Disorderly Conduct’, Paul Voigt, CSM (USA) -- Volvo F1220 Globetrotter, Reto Lendenmann (Switzerland) -- Mercedes MP4, ‘Xtar’, Kuljetus Auvinen Oy (Finland) -- Scania R580 Topline, Fred Greenwood & Son (UK) -- Peterbilt 379, Jade Transport Ltd (Canada) -- Scania R620, S-U-P-E-R (Switzerland) -- Peterbilt 379, Ryans Feed (USA) -- Scania 143, ‘Transformers’, AR Keen & Son, Harry Price (UK) -- DAF XF 105 510, ‘Prison Break’, Weeda (Netherlands) -- Scania T580, Longthorne (UK) -- MAN TGA Nightliner, Rubber Technology Weidmann GmbH & Co (Germany) --  Scania CR19, ‘Warrior’, Renax Stängsel AB (Sweden) -- Kenworth K100 Aerodyne, Gaël Gaillard Trucking (France) --Scania Torpedo T164, ‘I Live my Dream’, Håkan Runnheden, Runeborgs Highway Star (Sweden) -- Volvo FM, ‘Vietnam’, Alain Marc (France) -- Peterbilt 379, ‘NorCal’, Ken Drake (USA) -- Scania R620, ‘Ferrari F1’, Markus Schumacher (Austria).

Harold Beer

Harold Beer died peacefully at home on 26 January after a brave battle against cancer. His wife Eileen and daughters Jean and Gemma were with him.

He was of course the inspiration and organiser of the much-loved Ferguson on the Farm series of programmes. He was 66.

Harold's coffin was borne from the family farm at Warkleigh, north Devon by Ferguson TE-20 tractor and 30 cwt trailer down the lanes to the Christian Fellowship chapel at Umberleigh.

The leading tractor was driven by Harold's cousin, Ernie Luxton.  The pall-bearers, in Massey Ferguson boilersuits, followed. The two Fergusons were bought new as a pair and have been in the family ever since.

Some 300 people, including friends from Ireland, attended the funeral. Harold, as Mike Thorne has written for the Ferguson Club obituary, 'was a true gentleman in every sense of the term.'

 

Derek Barton of Farming Press

Derek passed away peacefully on 16 January, aged 78. A larger-than-life personality, he was managing director of Farming Press during its great years of the 1980s.

Derek leaves his wife Angela, daughters Julie and Debbie, grandchildren Sarah, Simon and Huw.

Two fifty-pound winners and next year's LAMMA

At Old Pond we are handing out £50 gift vouchers to two lucky people.

The first, sent last week, was to Mr WS of Hull, winner of the draw for those people who returned DVD reply cards to us. 'Thank you,' wrote Mr WS after receiving the voucher. 'It is the first time in my life I've won anything. Maybe I'm going to have a change of luck in old age.'

The second winner is Mr DW of live.co.uk who visited our stand at LAMMA and was one of the people who asked to go on our emailed newsletter list. We pulled his form out of the hat. His response? 'Makes freezing my nuts off at Lamma worth it now.'

The next time we have a prize draw will be at the Malvern tractor show on 2 and 3 March. I can only hope it will be warmer there than it was in Newark last week where we were in the more or less unheated vintage area cut off from the rest of the show by the new marquee 8.

Now that the LAMMA show has filled Newark to capacity it is scheduled to move to Peterborough next year where there is a considerable increase in outdoor space. I attended one of the exhibitors' meetings where I saw few signs of enthusiasm for the move. Typical concerns about the East of England showground were limited access, particularly from the west, limited hard standing for trucks, fewer permanent buildings and a site prone to waterlogging.

Massey Ferguson Farm Implements and Machinery Part 3 DVD advance information

Massey Ferguson Farm Implements and Machinery Part 3 1977-88, George French and Dennis Burston. DVD, approx 100 minutes. ISBN 978-1-908397-62-1. Now available from Old Pond at £16.95.

In Part 3 of this 3-part set we move on to 1977–88, exploring implements and machines closely associated with the 500 and 600 tractor ranges. At the end of the programme we look forward to the 1990s.

From ploughing and other cultivations, manure and slurry handling, drilling, mowing and forage harvesting to combining and baling, this programme has a feast of Massey Ferguson farm activities. They have been re-created by MF enthusiasts using original or authentically restored machinery and tractors.

This programme completes a remarkable undertaking carried out by Dennis Burston and George French, supported by colleagues and family in the south-west of England. Altogether they have assembled a hundred items of MF implements, machines and combine harvesters, nearly all of which have been shown working. The three-DVD series, which covers the thirty years from 1958 to 1988, also includes some 44 different MF tractors operating with the equipment.

The tractors, implements and machines in Part 3:
MF 690 4wd and 41 4-furrow plough • MF 184F 4wd and 38 tiller • MF 590 and 150S 3-furrow plough • MF 595 Mk II and 160 5-furrow plough • MF 2645E 4wd and 24 6ft 6in chisel plough • MF 698 and 24 8ft chisel plough • MF 595 Mk II and 260 3-furrow reversible plough • MF 698 and 265 3-furrow reversible plough • MF 1200 and 39 spring-tine cultivator • MF 690 and 30 drill transporter • MF 690 and 30 4m drill • MF 148 and 70 rotary mower • MF 1130, 200 forage harvester and 200 7-ton silage trailer • MF 690 and 200 7-ton silage trailer • MF 290 and 14 baler • MF 595 MkII and 1450 round baler • MF 525 Super II combine harvester • MF 590 and 80 loader • MF 690 and 900 Rotaspreader • MF 290 and 100 800-gallon slurry tanker • MF 590 and 100 1,400-gallon slurry tanker • MF 2645E 4wd and 262 4-furrow reversible plough • MF 97 and 520 14ft semi-mounted disc harrows • MF 595 MkII and 500 4m grain-only drill • MF 3065 and 510 4m air drill • MF 399 4wd and 4 baler • MF 4235 and 139SB small-bale baler • MF 4270 4wd and 185MB large square baler • MF 20 combine harvester (stationary) • MF 690 and 200 7-ton grain trailer • MF 29XP combine harvester.

For more information about Parts 1 and 2, or to order them online see here for Part 1 and here for Part 2.