[alan]

Clive,

Many thanks for the extra info on Ginge machines. I would never have found all that! I’ll update the Ginge article in due course.

The name J. T. Lowe does appear quite a lot with various machines, but I’ve not come across the GardenFlex name linked to Ginge before.

The link to the Liberallawnmowers website is really interesting. I see the mowers are in Pakistan. I looked at the copy of the Webb mower they have and thought it looked brilliant. Sadly postal charges might be high, though.

[alan]

When I wrote the article that Wristpin has kindly linked to, I think I got to about 1980 with research on Ginge in the UK, but then things get a bit sketchy. There’s been quite a lot of Ginge branded items over the last 40 years but sadly I have nothing to link items to such as brochures, adverts or an importer.

My notes say that Ginge did make the ride-on mower, but I don’t know when so never included it, but I guess it’s beyond the 1980’s. However didn’t Alko buy Ginge eventually? The Alko 620 (and the 700 model too) have a similar tubular method of construction to the Ginge ride-on although they have a different overall design ( I may be incorrect – but see how my thoughts wander!)

I’ve just seen a 1980’s UK Ginge brochure for sale on’t internet, it doesn’t have a ride-on mower listed in it, yet that doesn’t mean it wasn’t here then, it may just have had it’s own brochure.

[alan]

I’ve had a good search to see if there’s any mention such as reviews from the time the conversion was available – I’ve found absolutely nothing! I thought that there might have been a photo of the machine being tested in one or another magazine but sadly not. Does anyone have anything?

The question still remains; is there a Howard Holttum machine out there? Would be great to find one.

For anyone doing future research on this manufacturer, I did find where the Cherryhinton factory was on a 1945 aerial photo map, image attached. Typically, it’s now a housing estate.

Also the original Willingham premises where the Trustys and Rotehos were retailed from is shown on an aerial photo of the time on the Britain From Above website – cannot show it here ’cause of copyright etc.

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[alan]

I have a magazine mention for Holttum in 1954, this shows the name spelt with one ‘t’. In this advert I think it was perhaps just a simple spelling error. Photo attached.

I have found a 1961 article detailing the life and retirement of Mr Holttum, which mentions Trusty tractors. He was also the designer of many of the items they manufactured.

“A very well-known figure in the garden machinery business, Mr H. B. Holttum, has now retired. He was chairman of H. B. Holttum & Co. Ltd, 408, Cherryhinton Road, Cambridge, for many years and has had strong links with the Agricultural Machinery & Tractor Dealers Association.

After working first in an engineering factory in Birmingham, being apprenticed later to a fruit grower in the Wisbech district, and then doing general farm work for about five years, Mr Holttum started on his own account in 1926, growing fruit and flowers at Willingham, Cambs.

In 1941 he bought a horticultural sundries business in Willingham (was Berrycroft Stores Ltd in 1961) and started selling mechanical aids to market growers, being “Roteho Gem” and “Trusty” tractors. In 1945 he sold the sundries business and bought the Cherryhinton premises. A limited company was formed in 1949 when new works premises with 7000sq ft floor area and two new houses were built. Extensions were made to the company premises in 1957.

Implements manufactured are largely of Mr Holttum’s own designs and are approved attachments for various makes of motor cultivators.

Mr Holttum joined the A.M. & T.D.A. in 1947. He formed a horticultural section for it and remains the chairman of the horticultuaral section (in 1961).”

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[alan]

I’ve just had a look for the Holttum-Howard 700 and I can only find one online magazine article mentioning it. The article is just a short mention in 1959 but does have prices.

“A third wheel attachment for the Howard 700 now converts it into a three-wheel light tractor. The attachment has been developed by H. B. Holttum and Co Ltd. of Cambridge The third-wheel unit is available as an attachment to an existing Howard 700, or alternatively as the Holttum-Howard 700 three-wheel tractor complete. Estimated retail price of the complete unit is £260. Conversion unit is £60, plus driving wheels, wheel extensions and bumper bar. A special drawbar will retail at £8”

The company ceased trading in early 1963 so that gives a short timeframe of only a few years, that is assuming that Holttum was manufacturing them.

Interesting their address in Cambridge at the same time is the same as the Dorman Sprayer Co. Ltd.

[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.

[Author]

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