Club News

Ferguson Club AGM and Members’ Weekend 2017

“What an enjoyable weekend”!

This was the most overheard comment at the end of the successful 2017 AGM/AMW

The Best Western Tiverton Hotel at Tiverton in Devon and Mike Thorne’s excellent Coldridge Collection were the centre pieces for this years hugely success weekend. Around 100 Ferguson Club members and their families attended over the weekend of April 7th-9th.

The hotel’s catering was second to none. The Friday evening buffet exceeded all expectations.

Saturday morning started with the formality of the AGM and ended with an excellent talk by Pippa Griffith – Curator of the Tiverton Museum of Mid Devon Life. Coaches took the majority to the Ferguson Coldridge Collection. Others walked to Tiverton’s Mid Devon Life museum.

The evening dinner and entertainment lived up to it’s reputation as being a truly wonderful social occasion. Entertainment was in all forms, from a local female comedy after dinner speaker to the annual raffle and auction. The food again was just excellent.

Sunday morning was a Steam train ride on the West Somerset Railway to Minehead and then coaches to Dunster for Sunday lunch.

A big thank you from all the Committee to John Upfold and Mike Thorne and their respective “teams” for putting on such a great weekend.

Next year Kevin Britton will be hosting the 2018 Annual Members Weekend and AGM. It will be over the weekend of 13-15th April 2018. (Details below……)

Dumfries Arms Hotel, 54 Glaisnock Street, Cumnock, Ayrshire. KA181BY.

01290 429230

www. Dumfriesarms.co.uk

Waspe Funeral

Cortege of tractors tows coffin of Ferguson loving engineer Norman Waspe through streets of Suffolk village

A man who dedicated his life to mending classic tractors has been remembered with a fitting tribute, with his coffin taken by tractor and trailer at the head of his agricultural funeral cortege.

Talented engineer Norman Waspe, 69, from Flempton, died from pneumonia on February 1, with his funeral held on Tuesday. A key part of the Ferguson Club in Suffolk since 2005, Norman restored, repaired and rebuilt hundreds of tractors in his life after starting as an apprentice agricultural engineer at Barclay motors in Bury St Edmunds. Close friend of 30 years Henry Castle, 80, a fellow member of the Ferguson Club, led the procession from St Catherine’s Church in Flempton to the Risby West Suffolk Crematorium. “It was a fitting tribute, it must have been 200 people who turned up,” he said. “I towed the trailer with his coffin from his house to the church and then to Risby crematorium.“I was driving my Massey Ferguson 135 which Norman helped me restore. He has restored five of my Fergies. “He was well known in this part of the world, he struck out on his own as a mechanic and worked for a lot of people in the farming community. “Norman was an incredibly skilled engineer, there is no one like him. He could strip a tractor down while having a chat and put the whole thing back together again without a bearing, bolt or screw out of place. “He had a great sense of humour and was a happy and accomplished man.”

After working at Barclay, Norman moved to Overland Machinery in Sicklesmere before then striking out on his own. The keen sportsman was captain of the Bury Hockey Club veteran team and was heavily involved with the Young Farmers Club. He also enjoyed fishing and shooting. He leaves behind three brothers – Michael, David and Graham Waspe. They grew up at Block Farm, Bradfield Combust, where Norman’s love of tractors began. Michael, 69, said: “He was always messing about with tractors on the farm and our father was a good mechanic, so he ended up taking an apprenticeship at Barclay Motors.

Tractor World

Tractor World – Malvern 2017

The Ferguson Club attended the Tractor World Malvern 2017 Show. Here are a few photos of the Ferguson Club stand……

Thanks go to all Club members who brought their tractors along to the show and helped over the weekend. The Ferguson Club show organiser was Club Chairman Peter Aston.

BJ Tractor Issue

Vintage Tractor restoration experience – warning to all enthusiasts.

A Ferguson Club member has recently had a very bad experience with a vintage tractor restorer. We are posting this letter on the Ferguson Club website to alert all readers of a business which is not performing as advertised.

BJ Tractors of Thistleton, Lancashire is the company in question. Here is a copy of a letter received from the local Police:-

Subject: RE: BJ Tractors (Feb 2018)

Dear Sirs,
I can confirm that during today’s visit to BJ Tractors of Thistleton/Wharles,Lancashire we recovered 3 unrestored tractors that were in worse condition than when they were sent and were subject to formal complaints to Police.
Mr Jenkinson was formally interviewed following the visit in the presence of his solicitor and remains subject of a police investigation.
Enquiries continue into the whereabouts of a 4th customers missing tractor, already subject to a court order.
Mr Jenkinson has been advised to return all customers tractors and restoration fees, and to close the business but that is a matter for him.PC1250 Hardiman
Kirkham Police
Lancashire

Ferguson Workshop

Fergie Tractor Workshop – Edzell – Angus.

Angus and Kincardine Ferguson Tractor group are kicking off their 2017 workshop weekends from Saturday the 11th of Feb at 1pm at our workshop near Edzell.
If you have an issue with your tractor or just want to find out more about Fergies you can bring your tractor along and the group will help you and teach you how to repair and maintain your tractor.
If you would like to come along please get in touch; e-mail Sharon; shr2119@aol.com

Ferguson Club Milestone

Ferguson Club Membership Milestone Reached

It is with GREAT JOY I have to tell you all…….

We have 2025 fully paid up members and still growing….

I wish to thank each and everyone of you who’s put in time and effort for the Ferguson Club.

I well remember sitting at a committee meeting and the then membership secretary saying we have 530 members, we’ll not get many more now ! oh yee of little faith.

Please watch out for the next Journal (due out any day now) you will see the first of many changes starting to come through that the General Committee have launched.

I feel very humble being the General Secretary and also very very proud to being part of such a great Club.

Alan Dunderdale General Secretary. December 2016

If your not a member, sorry for taking up your time reading this, though you could join the Best Ferguson Club in the World!

Tractor Run in aid of McMillan Cancer Support

Tractor Run in aid of McMillan Cancer Support (Scott Brenson)

On 16th October 80 plus tractors supported this charity event. It was in aid of Scott Brenson (To support a valued long serving employee, Scott Brenson, who was sadly diagnosed with terminal lung cancer 18 months ago, ATBone&Sons a Hertfordshire based family farming business organised a ‘tractor run’ and bbq from their premises near St Albans on 16th October (Scotts 47th birthday).

A fabulous sum was raised – at least £12000 for McMillan cancer support through the event which far outstripped our expectations. The organisers are really grateful for everyone’s support. Scott had an amazing birthday sharing it with everyone. Photos and videos of the day can be found on the facebook event page ‘Scott’s tractor run’ hosted by Becky Bone.
Thank you again
Jacqui Dawson

Tractor World – Newbury

The Ferguson Club was very well represented at the 1st (Autumn) Tractor World at Newbury. Club Chairman, Peter Aston and members had a successful few days with many visitors.

Club member 17 years old Connor Jones wins prize for youngest restorer with his MF 130. Further pictures follow….

14th Annual East Anglian Ploughing Match

They came from all over East Anglia and the South East. One ploughman came all the way from Dorset. This was the 14th annual ploughing match run by the EAST ANGLIAN branch of the FERGUSON CLUB. The match was held by kind permission of the Turner family of Ampton Hall and Mr A long of Hall Farm ,Fornham St Martin,Bury St Edmunds.

In all 40 vintage and classic tractors took part ,including members of the Ford Fordson Association and 2 lady drivers. Each tractor driver received a plaque kindly sponsored by Silver Fox tractor spares and the winners of the various classes a cup or plaque by the Ferguson Club.
The event was organised by local members of the Ferguson club,Henry Castle and Don Sapsford. Ploughing conditions were perfect and the Society of Ploughmen judges said that some of the plots were of a very high standared.
A donation was sent to the East Anglian Air Ambulance.
Results
Lady Champion. Gemma Arbon
2nd Sara Tween

Ferguson Champion.Richard Welham
2nd Steve Arbon
2nd
Novice Ferguson driver.Joe Payne

Classic mounted Ferguson.Don Sapsford
2nd. Dick Birch
Best restored Ferguson tractor. Frank Pettitt
Vintage mounted. Brian Upchurch

Prizes were also awarded to the “Open classes” winners and to the Ford Fordson Association

Gemma Arbon receiving her prize from Henry Castle

The Ferguson Club 30th Anniversary Working Weekend

The Ferguson Club 30^th Anniversary Working Weekend…

was held at Crow Tree Farm, Spalding Marsh, on 17^th-18^th September 2016 by kind permission of Lincolnshire Field Products. We had static displays; set ‘potatoes’ and picked them; spread vegetable waste; set up the Cultivation Square for people to try; drilled and dragged; and ploughed, using all things Ferguson or Massey Ferguson. Not everything was vintage! Chandlers very kindly supplied some modern equipment and we were allowed to use the tractor and plough alongside its predecessors. This really put a smile on visitors faces.

On Sunday two ploughing matches were held. The European T20 & GP Ferguson Ploughs Match, and a Massey/Ferguson Class. We had 12 entries for the T20 class and 9 entries for the MF/Ferguson class. Plus, many people just honed their skills on the designated ploughing areas.

Charlie Roberts of Leicestershire won the European T20 Class and John Sharpe the MF/Ferguson Class.

We had around 100 visitors on Saturday and many, many more on Sunday. There were around 70 tractors on site and many implements, with participants coming from Yorkshire, Lancashire, Norfolk, Suffolk, Gloucestershire, Cambridgeshire and all corners of Lincolnshire. Thank you to you all, without you we would not have had such a successful working weekend.

The donation tubs resulted in £250 being collected and sent to Spalding and Holbeach Macmillan Cancer Support.

The winner of the European T20 class was on plot 11 and by some fluke I (Judy Jeffries) actually took a photo!
Also, there is a photo below with John Sharpe in too. JJ is dragging in the square and Mickey Smith driving the tractor spinning the potatoes out with Paul Beecham picking. (Lots of us had a go at this!! and setting too.)…..