A Toy For All Seasons
Living in a rural area for most of my life I’ve seen my fair share of farming implements, particularly tractors and trailers of all shapes and sizes. During my childhood years I spent most weekends and school holidays on my uncle and aunts’ farms and I remember travelling many times with my uncle at the wheel of a red Massey Ferguson tractor along the country roads riding in a trailer that usually transported livestock between Dale Farm in Medbourne and Valley Farm in Slawston. Here we see him driving over Packhorse Bridge in Medbourne en route to Slawston towing the very trailer I often travelled in as a youngster.
All so exciting for a lad who came from Leicester. Incidentally, this image also shows the controversial footbridge that was erected in front of the ancient Packhorse Bridge that also spanned the brook. Thankfully it has since been removed following numerous objections from residents of this picturesque location who wished to restore and preserve the original scene that had been enjoyed by inhabitants of Medbourne over the centuries.
Years later my aunt and uncle, Nancy and Bernard Palmer, bought a sturdy, heavy and durable red plastic replica of the tractor and trailer, that resembled the real thing, for their grandchildren. These items in turn were passed down to my own children and are now enjoyed by my grandchildren. A true ‘test of time’ for a toy that has been played with by at least three generations of boisterous children and hopefully will continue to delight others in years to come. I believe that the tractor and trailer were originally bought second hand by my aunt and uncle so I am sure they would have a few tales to tell from over the decades. With the trailer either having a child being transported in it or being filled with all sorts of paraphernalia from cuddly toys to soil and stones from the garden.
It’s good to know that, in spite of having various owners and being in continuous use, the hooter situated in the middle of the steering wheel still works
Glyn Hatfield
Letter: Marsh Drive – is it a cut through?
