Are we missing a trick?

[roatavator]

Having attended Marsham show yesterday as a spectator, a thought came to my mind. Standing next to the stationary engines (which were running for most of the day, and surrounded by a fair number of visitors looking and listening), were the horticultural machines, which sat silently all day like so many lumps of dead metal, with barely a single person looking at them.

I have seen similar situations at other shows. Now, I know the club organises working days, but these tend to mainly be attended by club members. There are only a few other shows/events where working areas are provided. At shows where our machines are just on display, they are nearly always silent. Is this because the owners are all looking at the other exhibits/in the beer tent/consuming pork pies etc?

As a kid I always gravitated towards the machines which were running. I reckon we could generate more interest in our hobby if the machines on display were, where possible, started up regularly during the day and run for a few minutes. There must be lots of the general public who have never heard a Villers or Jap running, and who can fail to be impressed by the sound of a SIMAR? People like to look at the method by which the machines are started, and it wouldn’t take much effort to put a notice up saying there would be a variety of the machines on display started up every hour on the half hour, or whatever. In my experience our machines tend to be put on the outer edges of the showground, a SIMAR running for a few minutes would announce our presence!

Maybe we would get a few more new members signing up. What do you all think?

[oddhatuk]

A very good idea, running machines will attract attention.

[vhgmcbuddy]

Couldn’t agree more. I came to the same conclusion when visiting Newby Hall. My favourite show of the year is The Festival Of The Plough at High Burnham, Lincolnshire. Certainly does not have the number of exhibits that the mainstream shows have, but a large proportion of what is on display is actually running.
There’s nothing like the smell of two stroke exhaust first thing in the morning!!!

[vhgmcbuddy]

Down in Cornwall we also try to get any small tractor and walk behind machine into the ring with the ring master giving a short description of the machine and owner.

[charlie]

A very good point. If there is a ring parade we try to take part, have even tagged on the end of tractor display before. An ideal set up would be one of our machines with a saw bench attached and working. Another good way to attract interest is to have a ‘workshop’ area and let people see some members working to get a machine going, nothing better than an engine that wont start to attract a crowd.

[martin-ellison]

totally agree owners should be seen and engines should be running
not take a item free ticket for show a lot do we run in rain at newby hall cos paying public was about
i have 5 atco vintage lawnmowers when showing we have at least one is running the 1920s 2stroke sounds lovely on tick over we have display information boards for all mowers and me or my wife always about to talk and answer questions
this is why our display very popular with public
rocketman of darlington

[vhgmcbuddy]

when people are coming to any show they are interested in what is on offer ,so if you have an exhibit get it working as there is no interest in a static display. this year I have exhibited a stationary engine and a cotton cake crusher and have been making sure it was working all the time besides meal breaks and toilet stops. the public where glued to the working display like I never imagined so that gave me great pleasure and them a short talk of machines history etc.

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[vhgmcbuddy]

Would not like to leave an Allen Scythe running for show!!!

[hortiman]

Several of our machines are able to run static equipment from PTO pulleys etc, dynamos, tarpenflex implements,saws, soil shredders etc, if they are well guarded and behind rope/fence I can see that it would be even more interesting than just a stationary machine and more interesting than a stationary engine with no equipment being driven.
Chris

[vhgmcbuddy]

The last time I exhibited at an outdoor show was Abergavenny a few years back. As allways I had been put in the stationary engine pen. A lot of the engine people started moaning that my exhibits were not running so I started a few of my rotavators up. I did get a lot of interest from the public, however the stationary engine people then started moaning that my machines being high speed air cooled were making to much noise so shouldn’t be run! You just can’t please some people!

[stevewoollas]

Hello Roatavator and all–I think this is an excellent idea as the periodic starting of different machines and as Hortiman suggests coupled with a working attachment would make a novel attraction at any event. It is not something the club or committee can really arrange or control because the club only has organisational input to a very small number of events. I think the way forward for those who wish to display in this manner approach the organisers of their local events and arrange such a feature.
From an insurance point of view such a display of running engines and/or attachments must, like oil engines be fenced off from the public with only insured operators within the fenced area.
We have done a little similar at some events where I do the ring commentary. For instance last weekend at Lincoln Steam a Tarpen hedgecutter attachment was demonstrated on a Autoculto, the tipper ability and tight turning circle of a Wriggley Autotruck demonstrated, the hydraulic operation of a Ransomes MG dozer blade and various tractor lifts. Not quite the same but we were making the equipment work in front of the public.
A few years ago club member Alan Thacker organised a start-up feature in the ring, commentating on different methods of starting different types of tractor, ie Marshall with a cartridge, John Deere B with a flywheel flick, Tractor with a starting handle, one with a rope pull, Ferguson gear lever start, Catapiller with donkey engine etc which was received by the public very positively.
Talk to your local rally organisers and see what you can arrange–Steve

[jim-beacon]

At the two small ralliesI’m involved with, we encourage horticultural machines to go into the parade ring. Due to the small number of machines, this is usually with the tractors, but it seems to be appreciated by both exhibitors and the public.
Unless you have a really good commentator, you need provide commentary detail, or interview the owner as they go past.

[charlie]

One of the shows I attend has a horticultural machine ring parade and the commentator gets owners to say a few words.

[will-haggle]

This looks like a good topic for the Cultivator. We sometimes have a repair area at Semington where non-runners can be worked on by Charlie and Trustybloke but always put a sheet down…
Pic. 1. John Philips’ British Holder being worked on..
Pic. 2. Success! Holder running!

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[vhgmcbuddy]

the above was taken at tractorfest in kent

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