Following on from the Bourne Bygones Club visit to Gordon Easton's last year, the club this year visited the Kerfoot collection in south Lincolnshire. This visit, however, was very different in that it is not a private museum collection but very much a working farm using mainly classic tractors. What is even more remarkable, though, is that these tractors also form the basis of a contracting business for other farmers and businesses across the county.

The first sight to greet us behind the modest farmhouse was a yellow vintage car, which turned out to be a 1926 Singer with a "dickey" seat behind the hood. With the gear levers etc on the driver's offside, it is best to get in from the passenger side and slide across behind the wheel. Try doing this in a modern touring car with its centre consoles and wrap-around dashboard!

However, there are reminders of an older form of horsepower as there are still two carthorses on the farm, one in her late 20s and another 9-year old, who was very friendly and co-operative in posing for a photo. As a mixed livestock and arable farm, the family also keep sheep and cattle, as well as a range of fowl, including ducks, geese, turkeys and guinea fowl. We were fortunate in that we were visiting right in the middle of calving so there were a selection of calves to marvel at, some only a day or so old. Most of the lambs, however, were out in the field with their mothers, but three "orphans" were being hand-reared in a building behind the house.

The main purpose of the visit was to look around the farm machinery, most of which is Fordson powered. There are examples of both blue (1936) and orange (1938) Fordson "Standards", the former brought from new at a cost of £135, the latter on spade-lug wheels. There is also what was originally a green 1944 wartime Fordson to complete the set, but the owner's father disliked green intensely and immediately had it painted red, which colour it still retains today. The next tractor in the sequence belongs to one of the sons, purchased as a teenager, and is a 1947 Fordson Major, commonly called the E27N.

This neatly takes us on to the New Fordson Majors that make up the majority of the family's tractors. These include 1953 & 1958 Diesel Majors, a pair of 1964 Super Majors and a later Power Major, plus a Fordson Dexta. Several of the tractors now feature Lambourn cabs for contracting work, with others just having safety frames for general farm use. There are two Fergusons on the farm as well, one a 1954 grey TED20 purchased from another local collector a few years ago coupled to a Fergie saw-bench and also a red 1958 MF65 that was parked up with a sprayer attached at the time of our visit.

However, as a stationary engine collector, I was quite disappointed at the lack of engines around the farm. Only one was seen all afternoon and for some reason I expected more. This was an unrestored Lister, possibly an A or B, connected to what looked like a chaff-cutter, mounted on a trolley, perched high-up on the back of a trailer, not easily accessed to confirm its identity. In terms of other equipment, there was quite a collection of implements around the back of the buildings including a horse-drawn Ransomes No.4 potato ridger, and quite a few Ferguson implements.

Also spotted was a small Shepherd's hut on iron wheels, and dotted around the farm were quite a few of the mobile wooden poultry huts, still in use on their iron wheels. Some unscrupulous people have often demolished these just for the cast-iron wheels and axles, which are often used for stationary-engine trolleys, but it was nice to see some still used for their intended purpose. There were several tumbrel-type carts about as well, one with unusual fold-out sides which made a very wide flat-cart for bales or boxes, which from its original painted front panel was new in 1942 to a farmer at St Germans, west Norfolk. This was lacking a piece of iron that secured one side, which we have in our collection and will be given up in aid of the restoration.

We did have some amusement in the form of a hand-turned mangle-cutter, which when one of the ladies was invited to have a go decided to jam up, but with a bit of assistance from a gentleman (well done Derek!) it was soon freed-up and was then easily kept turning to slice the mangolds up for cattle feed. Tea, coffee and biscuits was offered and enjoyed by the visitors. A collection raised the sum of approximately £43, and at the family's request, was donated in aid of cancer research, as a thank-you from the club. All in all, a very pleasant and relaxed afternoon out for the Bourne Bygones Club members.