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Thursday morning saw us up at Jonathans, loading up for the 250 something mile drive down to Malvern. Four on the wagon and trailer, and three on Jonathans trailer behind the Range Rover. Leaving at about 12-30pm Jonathan and I arrived about 6-30 - 7pm, with Richard with wagon right behind us. Got all unloaded, then off our respective hotels with Richard setting out for Southampton. Friday saw us setting things up. Banner, balloons, posters, photo's from various parts of the world also. New arrivals where show where to park their exhibits. All arranged in age. Exhibits that is, not exhibitors. So few photo's below, mainly taken before the punters arrived. Fergies don't have to be grey. This black one has a V8 fitted. Gareths (Sg1) very good display. I thought Jonathan was going to do a moon, but he was just flashing his nice, new overalls with Ransomes on the back. The lovely Mrs Jarrett looks on. A motley crew. A nice S1 with period trailer. Yes please. 1941 International. Loaded for home, Monday morning. After unloading at Jonathans, I finally pulled into my yard at 8pm. It was a good show, spent in very good company which I enjoyed greatly. The icing on the cake was 137 getting best in show and also the stand. Made all Jonathans hard work really worthwhile.

You can say muck spreader if you want James, you would be wrong though.. Which idea is that Norm? Nope, not a BBQ Chris, but it's coffee holding capability's have been tested Sorry for the lack of updates Guy's, although work has been happening I've just been too shattered to type about it.... Saying that, have an update They say there is a first time for everything, for me stripping an oil drum down to bare metal was certainly a first.. Hopefully a last as well as it wasn't fun! Of course once every last bit of paint has been removed, out comes the red oxide and a coat or two of paint goes back on.. You may of noticed Nigel in the above photo actually doing something , he was painting the center of the wheels red.. What follows red oxide? International Harvester Red of course Have an arty shot of the inside of the barrel. Red on the outside if a little blurred.. A detail shot of one of the trailer wheels, it just needs a red pinstripe to match Horse Gut. The almost finished rig, we just need to find a shovel and get some "poo poo collector" decals made to go on the back.. Expect a PM Mark And to finish off this update.......

Great photos Norman. Glad you don't have any of me at the awards I got all of a fluster and a big lump in my throat ( what a wuss ). I certainly would not have made it without your help. I might have been the front man but there are a number of people who really deserve a thank you for helping to make it happen. Anthony and Laura for helping with inspiration sorting key parts such as MERL and Trevor and a super effort to bring 4 machines to fill the gaps, Rhys and Carlo ( aka Rhys's Dad) helping to set up and take down the backdrops and banners. Trevor Hopkins for the absolutely amazing display of leaflets and literature ditto Joe Paget for the boards on the back display. Neil and Paula for the effort involved in bringing along the spares and Welsh cakes, The staff of the Museum of English Rural Life for the archives and videos,my wife Janet for making up all the name badges, the seat for my ITW and putting up with grumpy me when things went wrong,and suggesting the absent machines photos. Alistair for bringing along that lovely two furrow plough which he forgot to put on my trailer along with the other plough, Anne for baking some lovely 80th cup cakes and the sponges featuring Alistair. Lastly and by no means least I would like to thank every single person who dug out their MG and brought it along some with superb effort Ashley and Ian Dennis were still refurbishing their lovely MG2's the night before they left from Truro I am amazed that the paint was dry. I am so glad that so many people were inspired to dig them out and bring them along to make a superb celebration of these wonderful machines. I do hope that all the overseas owners of machines that sent me photos are pleased with the results it was fantastic to show machines in Australia, New Zealand ., South Africa, U.S.A. Canada, Ireland and distant parts of U.K. A special moment for me was meeting up with David and Jean Gant and their sons Kevin and Barry, they brought along a gorgeous ex BR I.T.W complete with rail man's torch. David and Jean have been Ransome's enthusiasts for many many years and between them they have a superb collection of 13 machines. David went blind some years ago and yet he still gets involved in machine restoration and embarrassingly for me takes great delight in his son's reading out to him my postings about my projects. So enthusiastic are they all as a family that Jean showed me a photo album of a recent event where they had had a family picnic in the shed with all the Ransomes machines up and running round about them. A pleasure and a privilege to meet such lovely people as it has been with everyone who brought along a machine. I have been asked if we could repeat the exercise at Newark Show in November, I am up for it let me know if you are !

Can I have some time to think about it? OK!

Evening chaps, progress on WN has been very slow of late, but that will change on Thursday when progress will suddenly be very fast I've been playing with headlamp positions, bearing in mind if I do decide to fit them they will have much better looking "hot rod" curved brackets.. So the question is.... Do the lamps make WN look all "toy Town" or not? So why will progress start going very fast Thursday?? Well, today this happened.. WN being winched onto the big bench.. Thanks for your help Nigel Thursday is strip down day, I feel a time lapse video coming on I might have a few machines to move out the way first mind

Ime still cracking my neck James

Malvern was the first time I had seen this machine in the flesh and I have to say that it is absolutely superb the attention to detail and the effort involved in building it is amazing and to think that Rhys is a lad of 20 years old it is superb positively restores my faith in the youth of today. Well done Rhys you should be very proud of yourself. When are you going to deliver it to me !!!!!

Winning the award at Tractor World was the icing on the cake for 137 but the most important thing was that the man who asked me to restore it (Ted Pratt ) was absolutely delighted. When I started unloading today I noticed that the tracks are taking paint off the body sides, before it gets any worse I am going to re set the tracks to wide position and sort the paint so back in the workshop.

Evening all progress has been a little slow as late with work and family but I have managed to do a few things ! With me now making it six wheel drive I now don't need to have the rear axle articulating this does two things , makes me able to strengthen up the load bed , and makes it less likely for the chain to slip off , I have plenty of articulation on the front axle so it should be ok ! I have also put the bonnet on and I have to say it sits nice and tall such I love !

if i had more room i would've been given 2 more

PICTURES!!!!

Stuart Cox another Ransomes enthusiast kindly copied an article from an old magazine detailing a collector in Godalming that had a skimmer in complete order along with a dumper, his name was Dave Smith does anyone know him? Skimmer performed well at Malvern engine started very well until I took it off the wagon last night when the fuel pump packed up, my own silly fault as it seemed to work ok I left it alone when I fitted the engine. Stripped it down today to find it was full of crud that must have been disturbed during transport. Sorted it now and just about to refit so that I can start moving stuff around the garage.

hi all, this year i am holding a meet and greet at brogdale fruit collections in faversham. it will be the 16th october at their apple festival which will have music, displays and trades, yes its a show but meet and greet format, ie it would be great for you to bring a machine along but not compulsory , also the time is from 9.30-5 but you will not be held to this, all i ask is you stay as long as you can, preferably with a machine. some kind of feed back would be good as i would like to get an idea of interest. many thanks

Some photos from today More photos to follow when home in the week and downloaded the camera

Probably not, but I do have a stove Also now have a water supply, at a sensible pressure...

Heres a few photos

Just back from a long road trip... Nice to meet up with the gang Here's a few interesting pics from the auction

Oh good a BBQ, now you can make your own coffee

I wonder where that idea came from. South Cumbria maybe?

I'd say muck spreader ??

Got a big mouth hasn't he Nope.. Another nope.. Correct Koen, but you don't win anything for getting it right other than the smugness of knowing James and Norm got it wrong Now part of the puzzle... A bit of trimming of a large yellow object. Yep, that's right.. It's going to be a trailer.. A rather special trailer too As with all these projects, some contemplation is needed, so Nigel and I put our thinking Cups on