Any British tractor enthusiast who goes to shows will know Kelsey's Tractor and Machinery magazine stand. This year they've cut back on the number of shows they visit - but they still seem to get to quite a few.
Here's the stand at this year's Barleylands Essex Country Show. On the left of the picture: Des, occasionally known to drink a glass of cider. Handling the money: Paul, who is making a good recovery from a serious knee operation.
We've spent most of the past week at the Suffolk Show, Ipswich, setting up, running our stand and packing it all away again. Plenty of enthusiastic visitors and good to see old friends. Disappointing end to the show when long traffic queues meant that it took hours (literally) to move the van on and off site.
On the Suffolk Horse Society stand there was a nice demonstration of how to tyre a wheel. In the brick circle on the left of the photograph the demonstrators had used wooden blocks - and some paraffin - to heat the metal tyre until it expanded. They carried the tyre over to the wheel and laid it round the wooden rim. They were now watering the metal to limit burning and contract the tyre to a tight fit.
Plenty of visitors to the Malvern Tractor show on Saturday. Not so many on Sunday - perhaps because it was Mothering Sunday.
Best at show was Mr H Dixon's John Deere 1010W from 1962. Serial number 27154.
This is a very partial standholder's opinion of the show. Marks are strictly unscientific and subjective.
Arrival and setting up. We were in the Newark pavilion. This is not the smartest of locations, but it is certainly an easy place to set up. 8 out of 10
Catering and toilets. The usual - long queues if you want to eat good food at a peak time: 6 out of 10
Did plenty of people visit the stand? Yes, visitors were funnelled through the building from and to the red gate when they arrived and left: 22 out of 25
Were they spending? Yes: 20 out of 25
Geographical spread of visitors. Slightly wider than at Peterborough: 6 out of 10
Friendliness of organisers and Saturday evening entertainment. OK: 7 out of 10
Breakdown and getting away. Good: 8 out of 10
For us a very satisfactory show: 77 out of a hundred.
The customer with a big smile in the shaky photograph is 'Howard'.
This is a very partial standholder's opinion of the show. Marks are strictly unscientific and subjective.
Arrival and setting up. We were in the brand-new exhibition hall, and once we got past the builders' vehicles and reconciled ourselves to having less space than we booked, setting up was straightforward with good access: 7 out of 10
Catering and toilets. Catering ranged from the good to the abysmal: 6 out of 10
Did plenty of people visit the stand? Yes, though they looked thinly spread: 20 out of 25
Were they spending? Yes: 20 out of 25
Geographical spread of visitors. Not many from Ireland, Scotland or Wales: 5 out of 10
Friendliness of organisers and Saturday evening entertainment. Good: 8 out of 10
Breakdown and getting away. Excellent: 9 out of 10
The standholder's view in the new exhibition hall, East of England Showground, Peterborough. Brian Bell is behind the counter.
My mark for the show ( which ignores the tractors, auction and other attractions) is 75 per cent.
One other plus point: they used the loudspeakers sparingly.
