Quirky tractors and larger-than-life characters

There’s never a dull moment when it comes to writing about old tractors, and sometimes it is hard to know which are more fascinating, the tractors or their owners!

By Josephine Roberts
Published on May 7, 2021
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by Josephine Roberts
One of the perks of the job is having a drive on somequirky tractors, like this Fordson Major with a Roadless halftrackconversion.

People often ask me how I ended up writing about old tractors. Like most things in life, it came about largely by accident. I’ve always enjoyed writing, but I didn’t receive payment for any of my scribblings until I bought my first tractor in about 1997.

During a search for an old tractor to use on my 7-acre holding, I started buying tractor magazines. I wanted to see what was out there, and what prices the tractors of the 1950s and ’60s were fetching. I noticed that these publications weren’t very inviting for the beginner, and there were no women to be seen anywhere in their pages.

I had hoped for chatty, friendly articles to read, some helpful articles that would tell me how to change the oil in my MF 35, and a sort of glossary that would explain what were to me, at the time, mysterious terms like “live drive” and “synchromesh.”

Frustrated, I took it upon myself to write the editor of one of these magazines to share my opinion. To my horror, said editor actually ‘phoned me up, and said that they would, as a magazine, like to have more female involvement, but that there just didn’t seem to be much female interest in this hobby.

He asked if I would like to share my story, as this would make an interesting story for other beginners. I had no choice but to put my money where my mouth was, so I did. I told my story in glorious technicolour, and I found that I really enjoyed telling the tale. I progressed from there to finding fascinating people to write about, and it became a joy to relate all of the amazing human and tractor stories that they shared with me.

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