Country Gentlman's Association

[vhgmcbuddy]

I recently e-mailed the contact address on the CGA website to see whether they had any information regarding the year they first started their Price Lists and when they finally stopped. As many of us know these are an ideal source of information/prices/adverts for displaying machinery.
I spoke to a chap by the name of Peter Corbett who said:

“We have annual price lists books for the years between 1953 and 1973 plus two or three odd ones from between 1923 and 1951. The 1923 one looks quite well established so may not have been the first but when that was published I can’t say. And on the front and back covers there’s a note which says ‘All Previous Lists’ cancelled which kind of confirms that. Interesting that through that issue members could buy Burrell steam engines, wagon and even road rollers as well as single row horse hoes, rick poles and cloths and a sewage purification system! Fascinating!
I don’t know when the list books stopped being produced though I would imagine it wasn’t long after 1973. By that time, the products listed had become less agricultural and more horticultural/gardening and domestic. There is a later member’s product guide which is even more oriented that way.
we’ve just had donated an early sixties reprint of the 1894 Country Gentlemen’s Catalogue. This was apparently the second one – the first was published as you might guess the year before – so it looks like there’s been a catalogue since the very start. Indeed there’s a suggestion in the foreword to the book that the association may have sprung from the catalogue rather than the other way around though it’s my belief they were launched together.

The catalogue is full of fascinating ads for all sorts of horticultural and agricultural equipment. If I can add any information to what you might already have about kit from this date, let me know – any excuse to browse this fascinating volume! ”

It doesn’t appear that he’s had a proper look through past issues and mainly deals with the associations magazine. Which leads me rather nicely to a request from him ….

He is quite interested in our organisation and has asked whether they could run a feature on the VHGMC. The Telegraph article was quite interesting and machinery was offered (I managed to get hold of a derelict Trusty)

I think this is possibly a job for Charlie/Alan ?? Maybe the Telegraph article could be revamped.
I’ll e-mail Peter when I get back to work on Monday to see what sort of page sizes / space we could have ….

[charlie]

Great news. The website ‘about’ page (partly hidden by logo on menu bar) should give a good starting point for any article with additional information, photos etc. He can contact the club directly at vhgmc@btinternet.com

[charlie]

A quick search of the MERL library catalogue shows they have the 1894 reproduction, 1939, 1940 and 1961 year books.

[hdtrust]

The RHS Lindley Library in Russell Square London has the complete year runs, to enter the Library you have to be an RHS member. They also have copies of the Cottage Gardener as well.
For lawn mowers we have every page copied from every British periodical which was collated over 20 years ago.Makes me feel old even thinking about it!

[will-haggle]

Fascinating, good contact, Richard, I must pay a visit to Merl…

[charlie]

I am visiting MERL on Wednesday, donating some old bw 16mm films, looking through some of the Geo Monro items in collection and if time permits a look around the museum. Might make an article for The Cultivator.

[will-haggle]

Thanks, Charlie, would be much appreciated….

[Author]

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