East Anglia: Tractor extravaganza to take place at the weekend

Graham Baldry is arranging the Eastern Counties Vintage tractor & heritage spectacular at the Norfolk showground. (Image: Archant © 2012)

About 350 tractors, including many pre-1930s, have been entered for the second Eastern Counties Tractor and Heritage Spectacular on Saturday, April 20, and Sunday, April 21.

Suffolk farmer and contractor Roger Desborough, who has a collection of more than 80 machines, has jointly organised the event with fellow enthusiast Graham Baldry, of Bungay. They have been supported by most of the country’s leading tractor clubs.

The organisers plan to have a big show of early tractors and some steam cars, especially dating from the first three decades of the last century. There will be examples of Peterboro tractors, which were built by Peter Brotherhood at nearby Eye in the early 1920s.

Mr Desborough, of Church Farm, Wenhaston, near Halesworth, is bringing another gem. It is another early tractor, the Saunderson Universal Model G, made in Bedford in 1917.

He is bringing the only surviving 1929 Caterpillar 60 tractor, which was used to build the giant Hoover Dam. A leading contractor, Henry J Kaiser, which was building the dam in Arizona and Nevada between 1931 and 1936, wanted four heavy-duty diesels from Caterpillar. Weighing 12 tons, this giant was also used to build the New Orleans levees, said Mr Desborough.

Other rarities include a 1920s British Wallace and a Garrett 4L2, which was built in Leiston, and is one of only 10 survivors, and a 1916 Overtime.

A display of heavy horses and equipment is also planned and there will be working demonstrations in an enlarged ring throughout the day. Enthusiasts will have working displays of stationary engines and horticultural equipment.

Inside the Norfolk Showground Arena, there is a programme of cooking displays.

Entry from 10am to 4pm. Adults £8 on the day, children free. Details – galbdry@hotmail.co.uk or telephone 01986 895133.