[alan]

Thank you for first post and also for the video, too.

It’s great that you’ve taken the time and energy to make a film and explain everything. Photos are useful but video is even better and it’s good to see or hear the people who are doing the work.

Of all the things I’ve owned I’ve never had a Westwood…yet! I do have the brochures including the one for the white fronted W11 Gazelle that you have.

Keep up the good work!

P.S. Has anyone ever come across the Westwood Rotodynamic Cultivator that fits the Westwood tractors? I’ve never seen one apart from in the brochure…

https://vhgmc.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Westwood-Rotodynamic-Cultivator.jpeg

[alan]

Clive, Your memory of the colour was far far better than mine originally was! I was thinking orange and it turned out to be maroon!

[alan]

I have found an image!

The mower is a Valor Ironcrete.

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[alan]

Andy, now that you mention that maroon colour I do recall something about it being that colour.

I’ve had a look and cannot find my photo, but I did find that there was both petrol and battery models that were about in the late 1960’s and in the 70’s.

[alan]

It does remind me of the Valor Ironcrete mower from the late 1960’s onwards, called the ‘twelve plus’ or something. I have a photo somewhere, though I recall that my photo shows an orange mower with a Valor decal on the corner of the grassbox. They possibly made a battery version in the 1980/90s which might have been the orange one…?

Valor Engineering LTD, Birmingham.

Whether or not it’s a Valor, it’s a pretty standard machine of the time of which others made similar machines, monetary value not massive but a tidy machine if in working order.

[alan]

Excellent photos, many thanks for posting those.

The Barford with the sawbench is a nice display.

[alan]

What appears to be the matter? It’ll cost you a pork pie.

[alan]

And then I have an image sent which is of the same Wheelhorse model in 1960 in France. Apparently sold by a company called Champion.

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[alan]

The ploughing section is at:

Ploughing

Also there’s some paid member downloads at:

Ransomes MG Downloads

[alan]

That’s an interesting and possibly rare piece of equipment, you really must give it a try!

I’ve found a piece of text from 1953 which explains it:

“The Fairlawn spreader is made by the Fairlawn Company, Fairfield Works, Buxton, Derbyshire, to fit any normal wheelbarrow and enables accurate distribution of small repeated doses of artificial fertiliser”.

It could spread weedkiller, lime, sand etc at a rate of 1/2 oz to 1lb per square yard. Simple controls and satisfaction guaranteed. Cost was £9/10/0 carriage paid in 1956.

A company called Fairfield International Spreaders were also based at the Fairfield works in 1954.

Interestingly the Fairfield Works have had many uses including the Buxton Mineral water Co. in the late 1800’s.

[alan]

I think it’s a Flymo DM rotavator with 3hp Briggs engine. Introduced in 1978 and sold for many years.

[alan]

The earliest reference and advert I have to the Grassmaster is 1951, so it could well have been several years old by 1969.

[alan]

I’ll add a closeup if I can…

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[alan]

Actually I cheated and searched the website via Google.

To search the site from the Google search bar on the Google homepage type site:vhgmc.co.uk followed by the search wanted

e.g. site:vhgmc.co.uk landmaster 150

The search includes images too and I see there’s some photos of the engine amongst them.

[alan]

Also an 1960 advert for the L150 – I assume this is the machine in question, but it doesn’t mention the engine.

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[Author]

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