Lawrence Jamieson – Ferguson Club Membership Secretary 1996-2007
Here are just a few reminiscences of a remarkable man who achieved so much during his lifetime – the establishment and running of Michael Thorne Construction, which for over 30 years built many farm and industrial buildings, the creation of the marvellous Coldridge Collection, which so many members of The Ferguson Club have visited over the years and in particular the beautiful seven-sided tractor shed he designed and built. He wrote several excellent books on Ferguson and Massey Ferguson tractors as well as many interesting articles in The Ferguson Club Journal and his involvement in sympathetically restoring traditional Devon buildings.
My late wife Jane, younger son Hamish and I first met Mike when we visited the Coldridge Collection in the early 1990’s. As described in Mike’s excellent book The Tractors in my Life (which I can thoroughly recommend) the Collection at that time comprised a wide range of interesting tractors of many makes, before Mike rationalised it to concentrate on Ferguson and Massey Ferguson. Mike welcomed us, turning up in a well used Land Rover and, as it was a lovely summer’s day, wearing just shorts and working boots – Mike was never one for formality! He made us very welcome and showed us round the Collection taking time to explain items of particular interest. Hamish had fun trying out the wheelbarrow conversion of the TE20 transport box!
Mike and I shared a deep interest in the Ferguson System in particular and unusual engineering in general. Living at the opposite end of the country our friendship developed through phone calls, the exchange of post cards (usually showing either Ferguson tractors or another interesting or unusual vehicle!) and letters. Highlights were seeing Mike at Ferguson Club meetings, and AGM’s, three of which were held at the Coldridge Collection.
Mike visited us in Sutherland when on holiday in the Highlands and he had us to stay in Devon. My partner Anne appreciated Mike’s warmth and friendship and feels that these quotes from the 19th century Arts and Crafts Movement founder William Morris, precisely mirror Mike’s approach to life.
“If you want a golden rule that will fit everything, this is it: have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful”. “The true secret of happiness lies in the taking of genuine interest in all the details of daily life”.
An example of Mike’s enquiring mind is his response when Anne and I sent him a tea towel of the blueprint drawing of the last turntable ferry still operating in Scotland from Glenelg over the sea to the Isle of Skye. Within days, Mike was on the phone to find out more about these ferries which operated on many short ferry crossings in the Highlands until the 1980’s.
We told him there was a book about these ferries and weren’t at all surprised to hear next time he phoned, that he’d bought the book and how fascinating he’d found it! The AGM’s held at the Coldridge Collection bring happy memories and in 2008 an example of Mike’s generosity. Jane and I had travelled to Devon by train and on hearing this, Mike offered us the use of his Morris 1000 pick-up (beautifully restored and finished in BMC Limeflower green, the corporate colour of Michael Thorne Construction). A real treat for me who learned to drive in a Morris 1000 Traveller!
I’ll always remember Mike for his generosity, shown in so many ways – be it his time taken to show countless admirers of the works of Harry Ferguson round his unique Coldridge Collection, his interest in others and how he freely shared his knowledge and contacts with them, or his kindness when my son Hamish bought his first Land Rover and Mike sent him a workshop manual.
Mike had a lovely sense of humour and could do a very good impression of the local accent spoken in his part of Devon!
One of the last things he sent me is the cartoon of a can of WD-40 embellished with – “Helps Achy Parts”, “Relieves Aches and Pains” and “Loosens Stiff Joints” and the caption – “you’re not old, you just need a little WD-40”!
Mike was a real one off, a great friend to me and to so many people involved in preserving and celebrating the works of Harry Ferguson. Farmer, engineer, writer and book-lover, craftsman, designer, excellent cook, environmentalist and great company – in Scots, ‘a man o’ pairts’ – I miss him greatly.
Lawrence Jamieson, published in Club Journal No.110, Autumn 2024
