bigbear Posted August 6, 2010 Share Posted August 6, 2010 Hi everybody, bigbear here! I'm new to the board so thought I'd introduce myself. I started driving tractors when I was about 11, on a farm in Wiltshire where I grew up. Now aged 55 and after many travels, I'm now living in Devon and make do with collecting tractor models and visiting as many old vehicle shows as I can - Mrs Bigbear says I can buy a proper tractor if I sell some of my other projects, so still no tractor... . My Dad used to buy me Britains toys when I was a boy and that's what I still focus on today. Does anybody out there know if there is there a good collector's checklist, encompassing all of Britains farm toys, please? Looking forward to some interesting posts. Cheers, M'Dears! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Posted August 6, 2010 Share Posted August 6, 2010 Welcome to FTF John. In terms of collecting resources, there are 3 books by Peter Baron that discuss Britains items, with one of them having a very informative index. There is also 4 books available from David Pullen. 3 cataloging Britains tractors and implements, and one is essentially a collection of original catalogues. Amazon, WHsmiths or a google search should show you where to get these from. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BC Posted August 6, 2010 Share Posted August 6, 2010 Welcome aboard John. From Devon and like vintage shows...so you will be attending the Dorset Steam Fair will you ??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Ferguson Posted August 6, 2010 Share Posted August 6, 2010 Can't help you on the book front John... but I can welcome you aboard and congratulate you on making your first post an award winner.... two letters and an exclamation mark has to be the smallest topic title to date.. right then.... lets get those 'other projects' sold and a new tractor in the shed.... although, hang on just a cotton-picking minute... 55 years old... 'Mrs Bigbear says' .. are we really going to allow Mrs B to choose your hobby 'weapons' oh sorry, hang on a minute.... Yes dear I have cleaned the bathroom Yes darling I have put the washing machine on... You what dear ? .. oh the dishwasher needs emptying I'll come back to this at a later date John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigbear Posted August 6, 2010 Author Share Posted August 6, 2010 Thanks for the pointers to the books - I shall be heading Amazon-wards shortly! Mrs Bigbear has an awful lot to say about my hobbies in general... Glad I'm nogt the only one who is responsible for the dishwasher! The Dorset Steam Fair has been on my list for a visit for donkey's years, but one of my incomes comes from playing in a folk dance band and the DSF falls right in one of our busiest periods, so... One year I shall make it, I promise myself! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BC Posted August 6, 2010 Share Posted August 6, 2010 Palying in folk band what do you play John...let me ask first before me Lordie does because we are a nosey bunch on here ;D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigbear Posted August 6, 2010 Author Share Posted August 6, 2010 I play the guitar with "The Lucy Lastic Band", a trio who work with a variety of callers for dances all over the SW. I've been with them for 11 years now and one of the perks is that we get to visit a LOT of farms to do barn dances, etc. and barns = farm machinery! You can google us if you are REALLY interested... I've ordered one of the David Pullen books, which seem to vary tremendously in price from dealer to dealer! I bought the one one on balers and combines and got it for just over a tenner, including postage from the book depository. It looks as if this one has more odds and ends in it as well as the main themes than the tractor one did. I have a feeling that this is going to be expensive... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Ferguson Posted August 6, 2010 Share Posted August 6, 2010 Oh indeed John... brace yourself is my advice to you.. and more importantly.. be VERY nice to Mrs B as you may well need 'brownie points' galore in the near future Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tractorman810 Posted August 6, 2010 Share Posted August 6, 2010 welcome to ftf john ,now its time to sit back, strap in and enjoy the ride ;D ;D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BC Posted August 6, 2010 Share Posted August 6, 2010 If you are looking for stand in members for the band I would help but I'm a bit far away in Aberdeen. You might get Marky on the triangle and Sean on the tamborine though ;D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Ferguson Posted August 6, 2010 Share Posted August 6, 2010 And Bill is pretty wicked at working the fiddle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tractorman810 Posted August 6, 2010 Share Posted August 6, 2010 here i can play the drums i have you know, thats what comes from a old man who was in the rm band, as a drummer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BC Posted August 6, 2010 Share Posted August 6, 2010 Er yes Mark ...but keep that quiet...my dad's side of the family were musical and his younger brother Jim played accordion and dad the fiddle and they used to do concerts etc at local school halls etc...but no longer since dad is 80 and brother is 78. The only fiddling I do is cooking my own books ;D But I'll bet my cotton socks he still has that fiddle up in his loft I really must learn to play "The Northern Lights of Old Aberdeen" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1kw4B88Yfg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BC Posted August 6, 2010 Share Posted August 6, 2010 Ok fellow FTF members we could almost form an FTF band now...we better get some practice in if we want to enter for Simon's " Britain's got talent" as a tribute band to the "Wurzels" performing I've got a brand new combine harvester and I'll give you the key.... :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigbear Posted August 6, 2010 Author Share Posted August 6, 2010 Oi! You lot. Steady with the fiddling jokes! I was glad when the 19 year old girl who used to play the violin with us (note the careful phrasing there?) left and I could safely say that I was happy to have a grown man fiddling with us... Actually, perhaps I should keep quiet about that too! All triangle players - triangulists? - welcome at our gigs, as it'll disguise the ringing in my ears caused by the volume we play at! Move over you heavy metal chaps, REAL folk music is here to stay! Anyhow, Having spent the afternoon browsing my bookshelves, (holidays are wonderful things...), I found that I already have Peter Baron's "Toy Tractors from Britains" hiding among my reference books. Also a price guide by toypriceguide.co.uk which may or may not be very accurate? Any comments there? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deere-est Posted August 6, 2010 Share Posted August 6, 2010 Howdy there bigbear, why the name then? My Dad used to play in a folk band called 4x4 I think they were called. When he was asked what he played, it was 'a stick'. . . Puzzled? A lagerfone.... Still puzzled? A 4ft tall stick (not sure what brand of tree!) split into three at the top with a tambourine on top. All down the straight section were beer bottle tops secured with four inch nails. It was played with another 'stick' which was ribbed to produce a jingly sound, I don't think jingly is a musical term mind! Where in Wiltshire does thou hail? I live in Westbury as of last year. Before that it was Market Lavington for 28 years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigbear Posted August 7, 2010 Author Share Posted August 7, 2010 Hah! Now you're taking me down memory lane! We called it a Zob-Stick and it was as you described, but with a boot fixed to the bottom and an old bedspring attached to the heel, for added bounce! Ah, they don't make 'em like that any more... I originally hail from a small village between Marlborough and Tidworth. Middle of nowhere, but a place and time when an 11 year old boy could drive tractor and trailers for corn and bale cart all summer long... I seem to remember going to a YFC annual get together at Market Lavington sometime in the 1970's... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigbear Posted August 7, 2010 Author Share Posted August 7, 2010 Oh yeah! I'm "Bigbear" because that's what my kids used to call me when I was grumpy when they were little! How's that for a total lack of respect for one's elders? They're in their late 20's now, but still have a laugh at their poor old Dad and his toys... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbo Posted August 7, 2010 Share Posted August 7, 2010 Oh yeah! I'm "Bigbear" because that's what my kids used to call me when I was grumpy when they were little! How's that for a total lack of respect for one's elders? They're in their late 20's now, but still have a laugh at their poor old Dad and his toys... Hi John, I know exactly what you mean about the kids, I am a similar age to you and mine just shake their heads and make twirling movements around their temple, it's almost a grubby family secret, hey Dad is regressing to childhood don't tell the neighbours. [ What is it about folk bands that makes them choose such strange names, my brother in law is in a band on the Midlands circuit called "Maurice and the Minors"? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deere-est Posted August 7, 2010 Share Posted August 7, 2010 That's a great name, Mike. Not too far away at all then, I did a bit of grain carting up that way, can't remember the name of the place but on a lane between that main road and Crofton Beam Engines. YFC in Lavington? Blimey, it's all but died a death locally although Devizes is said to be growing and Trowbridge reformed after an absence. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigbear Posted August 7, 2010 Author Share Posted August 7, 2010 Kids, eh! At least my daughter is showing signs of taking after her old man, with a growing collection of biplane models... The YFC down here in Devon seems to be hyperactive, with their latest disco pulling in around 430 of 'em last week! Hard to imagine what went on, as the YFC were a lively bunch even when I was a member!!! Crofton Beam engines... I used to fish the canal right next to that! Do you mean the road between the A4 and Crofton, or the A whatever it is between Burbage and Crofton? (God, I hope the kids never see this message, it IS getting a bit, er, 50-ish... Still, happy days spent sitting beside the canal, watching the trains roar past and just watching the world literally drift by... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deere-est Posted August 7, 2010 Share Posted August 7, 2010 It was actually here: http://maps.google.co.uk/?ie=UTF8&ll=51.386807,-1.64752&spn=0.011355,0.038581&t=h&z=15 The farm which is home to the horse place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigbear Posted August 8, 2010 Author Share Posted August 8, 2010 What a small world! I used to spend a lot of time around there, due to the alure of a certain young lady... The walk along the Grand Avenue was a favourite place on a Sunday afternoon! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlexMF Posted August 9, 2010 Share Posted August 9, 2010 hiya, see you're fitting in well! enjoy your stay! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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