Archive Article: 1997/12/12
From Arthur Staniforth, Summertown, Oxford
The first tractor I drove was a Fordson "red-spot". It was fitted with spade lugs and belonged to the Somerset War Agricultural Committee.
A student at Reading University, my holiday job was to go round ploughing up grass fields that had been scheduled by the War Ag. I had the old road menders caravan to live in and steel bands to put round the tractor wheels for road travel.
It was good tractor and pulled a two-furrow Ransome plough. Petrol was used for start up with TVO being switched to when it had warmed up. Starting it in the morning was the hardest part – it took some swinging and had a kick like a mule: Never put your thumb round the handle.
By present day standards the seat was incredibly uncomfortable and I spent most of the time when ploughing standing up – there was just enough room for that.