50Years of the NVTEC Notts Group May1971 to May2021
The first official joint meeting of the Notts and Lincs groups of the National Vintage Tractor Club was held 24th May1971 at The Royal Oak ,Collingham, near Newark where 23 members attended. These meetings continued jointly every month until the Lincs Group held their own inaugural meeting on the 4th Sept 1972.
The Notts group continued at The Royal Oak until 15th Dec 1975 when a move was made in 1976 to The Fox & Hounds at Kirton ,where it stayed quite a few years until the club outgrew the room. It was during this time the NVTC became the NVT&EC incorporating the engine collectors. A further move was then made to the "Blue Tit" at Boughton where meetings continued for many years until refurbishment loomed and another move.
Again we had to move to various venues until the Group settled at the Walesby Social Club where it still operates from to-date. Under non Covid- 19 circumstances there are 8 "In" meetings and 4"Out" meetings held annually
From 1971 to 1975 an autumn working day/weekend was held in the Newark area mainly on land near Brough crossroads. Then from 1976 to 1980 we moved the event to Spittlemoor Farm ,Bothamsall by kind permission of our now Vice-President Philip Warrener ,and they were a roaring success hosting two Fordson Magazine rallies in those years incorporated into the Bothamsall Working Weekend as it was known
In 1981 it was decided to have a summer rally at Thoresby Park and this event continued very successfully until July 1998 when the rental was substantially increased ! For the next 3 years the summer rally continued at Thaymar Ice Cream Farm Haughton ,near Bothamsall by kind permission of the late Thelma Cheetham but sadly these did not prove as popular as Thoresby Park so the idea was dropped.
The group continued with an autumn ploughing match and working weekend initially from September 1981 for a few years at C F Banks Ltd Haughton Warren near Bothamsall by kind permission of Judy & Tim Banks. The first vintage tractor roadrun started from here in June 1988 raising £500 for the newly opened Bassetlaw Hospice in Retford.
The ploughing matches and working weekends then moved around the county for several years including J Bealby at Edwinstowe , R Bowring at South Forest and Wilisons of Cuckney (1997) followed for a few years incorporating a show at Rockley by kind permission of James & Elizabeth Bradshaw and a number held at Gamston by kind permission of Michael & Linda Bowness others were held on land owned by Tony Strawson, Bob Bennett & Geoff Williams. Latterly the event has been hosted by John & Jenny Woodcock at Haughton Hall Farm.
It must be mentioned that the late Tony Bennett was secretary and treasurer from May 1971 to October1992. Probably the highlight of the 50 years has to be the late Eric Ducksbury's idea of "Fordson 500" along with support from the Lincs group, Platts Harris Group and New Holland (now a 25th anniversary in its own right!!) where we amassed 1002 Fordson tractors and derivatives on Newark Showground in June 1996 which achieved an entry into the Guinness Book of Records watch this space for a joint 50year and 25 year celebration if the Covid-19 pandemic allows -we look forward to seeing you all.
updated on 1st Jan 2024
©NVTEC Notts Group 2024