Chailey Classic & Vintage Tractor Club travel miles to give produce to twin town

A Chailey tractor enthusiast group travelled more than 50 miles to France to support town twinning with a Sussex town.
Some of the tractors that travelled the 50 miles south to Gournay-
en-BraySome of the tractors that travelled the 50 miles south to Gournay-
en-Bray
Some of the tractors that travelled the 50 miles south to Gournay- en-Bray

The combined members of Chailey Classic & Vintage Tractor Club and Tinkers Park Steam Charitable Trust drove four vintage tractors accompanied by a support vehicle to Gournay-en-Bray earlier this month.

The convoy of vintage tractors, dating back as far as 1953, made the trip in support of Hailsham town’s Twinning Association.

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The procession was given a formal send off from Hailsham Livestock Market by South East Marts’ Senior Auctioneer, Roger Waters, who rang his 200-year-old auctioneer’s bell to lead the procession into the streets.

The tractors were led by Adrian on a vintage Massey-Ferguson 35, followed by his partner Morna Cox on a 1950s Little Grey Fergie’ and Drew Larkin driving a 1967 ‘Unimog’.

Chailey Tractor Club’s vice-chairman, Peter Olbrich, took his 1965 Nuffield and the team were supported by Howard in a back-up vehicle complete with water, oil, tools and dry clothing should they be needed.

Upon reaching Hailsham’s twinned town, the British contingent were hosted by Gournay’s own vintage tractor club, where more than 100 machines of various makes and models, dating back as far as the war years, were proudly displayed for the weekend.

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On Sunday afternoon, the four English tractors took pride of place having been given the honour of leading the annual procession of tractors through the streets of the sleepy French town, much to the delight of local adults and children alike.

Howard Venters, chairman of the ‘Chigleys’, presented Monsieur Arnoult, president of the French Tractor Association, with an engraved pewter tankard.

Whilst Adrian Vaughan and the rest of the team presented the French club with samples of English dairy produce from Hook & Sons of Hailsham, cheese and cider from High Hurstwood and pints of Harveys best bitter.

Howard said: “Without those who were prepared to drive their tractors through the freezing, albeit beautiful French countryside at 5 o’clock in the morning, we could not have achieved our goal which was to support our twinners.”

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