Down Memories Furrow
We have been taking photographs of tractors and machinery since 1984 and in this new series of Down Memories Furrow we will be looking at Jonathan's photographic collection starting right back in the summer of that year and then moving onwards in time. Back then neither of us had expensive camera equipment - the first were taken by a Polariod Instamatic camera that was given to Jonathan by Stephen's grandad! Next came a very old 35mm Agfa camera bought from a jumble sale for 15p complete with bike lamp! Most of the pictures were taken around the village of Gisleham in Suffolk focusing on three farms in particular and then further afield as time went on.
We stay in 1985 and the Lamborghini tractor fleet is once again mobilised to gather in the rye grass harvest with an 854DT on the mower, a 955DT on the JF FCT110 forager and another 955DT on trailer duties. Meanwhile the 1356DT arrives complete with Krone plough to turn over the harvested field ready for sugar beet planting. Later in the year winter barley is harvested by the farms Lely Victory and Claas Dominator 106 combines.
Meanwhile the neighbouring farmer had alkso started the winter barley harvest but 1985 turned out to be a very wet year and the crop ended up being rather lodged. Not to be deterred the farms Massey Ferguson 515 and Claas Dominator 106 combines coped admirably with the conditions and were followed closely behind by a Ford 6600 and Claas Rollant 62 round baler. A Massey Ferguson 135 and loader and a Massey Ferguson 575 then picked up the bales and carted them back to the farm.
Two balers get the straw in quicker! The Leyland 272 is using a Welger square baler together with a McConnel packer which puts twenty square bales into one large pack. The Lamborghini 854DT is round baling with a Krone KR150 machine and a Coventry Climax and Leyland 472 are in charge of collecting them up. Meanwhile with the onset of some dry weather - at last - the potato crop needs irrigating and a Ford 4610 and Wright Rain hose reel irrigator are shown in action.
