I was watching a programme on the BBC last week about the Hebrides, and the presenter was going on about the old book written by Frazer Darling about his times in the Summer Isles during the Second World War.

Then a collection of stamps came up with selected pictures from the book, and one of them caught my eye because it was a Trusty being used by the well-known Tractors (London) employee, Pat Murphy. This tractor had been purchased by the Darlings, but had been dropped by the boatmen when it was being unloaded and was quite unusable. When John Reach heard about this he made a point of going up there with Pat Murphy to put matters right (no doubt he fancied a holiday as well!) and this photo is evidence that they got it working.

The tractor is an early, long chassis version with the “chimney” exhaust on a JAP 5 engine. The drawbar is the early type of swinging drawbar with what we now call the “Diamond Frame Plough” fitted.

I understand the book has been out of circulation for some years but is about to be re-issued, so watch out for it!