FAQ

We would of course like all enthusiasts to join the VHGMC as almost 900 members already have this year. The club offers a terrific amount to members and with a full single membership equating to less than £1.50 per month there’s certainly a lot to recommend it. 

But we do understand that you may have questions about membership and we have detailed the most common questions below. if you have any additional questions then please contact us. 
 
Question: What do I get in return for a VHGMC subscription payment?

Answer: The simple answer is: Quite a lot!  Amongst many benefits membership provides a member with:

  • Website: Access to probably the best vintage-machinery website in the UK and the ability to display and discuss projects and machines online to many dedicated and knowledgeable collectors, restorers, enthusiasts and users of horticultural machinery. 
  • Magazine: A member also receives the club magazine ‘The Cultivator’ which is written and produced by club members and is the only vintage-horticultural publication in the UK. This is produced and printed 6 times per year, sent to a members home address by Royal Mail, and is included in a members subscription.
  • Insurance: Public liability insurance from the NFU is included in the subscription price too. This insurance is essential if a member wishes to take a machine to any event or show in the UK as without insurance an entry would be declined. Insurance covers as many machines as you own. (Insurance excludes 4 wheeled and ride-on machines).
  • Events: You may also attend events and ploughing matches (or even just play-days) where the VHGMC are present. Also members do organize ‘get-togethers’ at various points through the country and these are usually discussed/organized through the club website. 
Question: Why is the trial period only 30 days? 

Answer: Firstly, we will always make available to everyone the searchable VHGMC database consisting of 7,000 topics, 3.3 million words and 14,000 photographs regardless of the 30 day trial. Generally though, 30 days is often beyond the time it takes for a member to ask other members specific questions or find the information they require – this is completely without charge.  We would very much have liked to offer limitless free membership as we have in the past but sadly this is not economically possible. Obviously, we hope that enthusiastic members will see the immense benefits of the small subscription fee and become paid members

Question: How do I join the VHGMC as a paid member?

Answer:  Anyone can join the VHGMC. You can join by filling in the online form along with a Paypal payment, this gives instant access to the club and website. Alternatively print out and fill in the downloadable form and send it to the membership secretary along with a cheque payment. It is also possible to join at any of the events and shows that the VHGMC attend;  payment there can be made either by cash or cheque.

Question:What do I do if I have lost my password?

Answer: It is possible to reset your own password when logging into your account, this is an automated system. Try logging in, if your details are incorrect then the login page will present you with options to reset your details. You will need either your username or email that you created your account with. You will have an email from the VHGMC when you first created your account.

Question: Can anyone join?

Answer: Yes, anyone at all, you don’t need to have any machinery. You may just enjoy reading the articles, receiving the club magazine by post or making new friends and finding the entire hobby fascinating.

Question: I have a joint (or family) membership, can we have more than one account. i.e. one user account per family member?

Answer: Yes you can! Please create and activate your additional accounts (you will need a different email address to your primary account) then notify us of your usernames and your membership details such as name & address, NFU insurance number or your Paypal transaction and we will upgrade your additional accounts to paid – we have to manually link them together. As long as your usernames stay the same then the accounts will be marked as paid in each subsequent year that you pay membership. Note: Single memberships cannot have multiple accounts.