[hdtrust]

Yes the Stoic, I can remember from my apprentice days, made a good job on normal lengths of grass, but never try using one on thick grass in whip areas, or it will spend more time in the workshop than on the grass! To stop the engine having serious damage, there was a small aluminium slide pin that would shear on the flywheel, which would have to be swapped, a right pain, I can tell you, We even had a time for it, in our bonus books on the Council (somebody mention bonus!)

[hdtrust]

Yes the roofs of the marquees are hung up to dry for a few days before we can pack them away for the next show, good job we have very large barns where we store our show equipment

[hdtrust]

A nice example, I would say late 1930’s, these were sold by The Army and Navy Stores from their catalogues via their Victoria branch London

[hdtrust]

A very interesting photo. Yes the mower in the back ground is a Leyland Steam Mower of 30 inch cut.
I know this photo well. The date of the photo is 1894 and it was taken at the first season at Woolerstone Cricket Club at their match against Colchester Garrison. In 1894 Woolerstone Hall was the seat of Charles Hugh Berners, High Steward of Harwich, Essex.
Charles Hugh Berners is the gentleman in the photo second from the left. His Son John A Berners is on the right in cricket flannels. In 1899 the England team played the Woolverstone team, at the Hall. In 1904 J.A. Berners played for Middlesex.
In 1937 Woolerstone Hall was sold. Was purchased by Lord Nuffield as an investment for Oxford University, in WW2 it was taken over and known as HMS Woolerstone, in the 1950’s it became a school and today its a large wedding venue!

[hdtrust]

Hi, Yes there was talk at Ransomes pre war over the Minor but as a lot of things did not leave the drawing board to much later, Your mark V1 overlaps the period. The true Minor which is styled differently started production in January 1951 and ended production in November 1955, This was classified as a mark 6.
You have to remember the war was 1939 to 1945, but the displacement of men and materials and rationing went on a lot longer, I’m afraid people forget with time, all the nasties in life!

[hdtrust]

Hi, just got back from a hunting trip in the West Country!

The ident on your plate is not straight forward. The Mark 4, 14 inch Ransomes mower started manufacture in March 1938 and ended in August 1951, but production stopped during world war 2.Your machine T9714 dates to August 1949. Spare parts for your machine became obsolete on 31st of May 1966.
I hope this information proves helpful to you, However I did notice you asked elsewhere for help, with no one answering your quest, this is the site for honest answers

Andrew Hall
Archivist
The Hall & Duck Trust

[hdtrust]

Hi Angus, the best way is to get hold of some Agricultural creosote, brush it onto some timber, then lay the timber on the floors close to your concrete walls. The smell will deter most vermin to include Badgers, without hurting them.

[hdtrust]

The Royal Warrant, is not what it seems, just by selling a product or working within the Royal family will not cut it.
For a start you have to pay for it! So you could say a money spinner, but the fore’s out way the losses.
Obviously there are rules, the office which deal with it, is called the Board of the Green Cloth and has offices in Palace Street London.
Your paragraph with Greens and 1894 is interesting as the warrant for the Queen would have course been Queen Victoria and His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales would have been Prince Edward, who later would have become King Edward V11.
The Hall & Duck Trust also houses a Green’s Silens Messor which was given to Queen Victoria for her Golden Anniversary, and was used at Osborne House on the Isle of Wight.

[hdtrust]

Hi Angus, just found your reg number, your machine was made in July 1957 and according to Ransomes records that we hold the engine should be a Villiers 98 cc code BCH 363 Mk 2 spec

[hdtrust]

Angus what does it say on the registration number, it should be prefixed with either one letter or two
Regards Andrew

[hdtrust]

Yes looking for more smiley faces for this years event, those of you who go to Dorset are welcome too. I wont cramp your style like that event!

[hdtrust]

Hi Charlie
The photo comes from an official Atco promotional shot. What you are looking at is the Atco Power Scythe, this was introduced in November 1934, the 2 stroke engine powering the power scythe is a villiers “Mar – Vil”
This Villiers engine was introduced in February 1934, the engine is a single cylinder horizontal 2 stroke, and develops 0.6 HP at 1750 revs per minute, having a range of speed of 1200 to 1800 rev’s.
The ignition is by a water proof and dust proof flywheel magneto, which has a special control for regulating the speed of the engine, the carb is a suction feed from the fuel tank which is beneath and also acts as the base of the engine.
The Patent for the Power Scythe was passed on July 6th 1931 by The Johnson Motor Company of Illinois, of which Lloyds of Letchworth introduced their version in August 1934
From the archive library of The Hall & Duck Trust.

• This reply was modified 3 years, 3 months ago by hdtrust.

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[hdtrust]

Yes I had the same problem on the air compressor for the brakes on a brand new Bedford TL coming out of Windsor SALTEX one year. The problem was solved by sprayed new paint which had got into the non return valve, so releasing the air pressure. Unfortunately to get to the answer was extremely expensive, as the lorry fully loaded with exhibits from The Hall & Duck Trust, did not stop at a roundabout writing off 3 brand new cars! At a test track the following day the Police took the lorry through its paces and wrote off a brand new squad car, yes the lorry failed to stop! It was only when they stripped the compressor in the Police workshops that they found the problem. Due to the way we packed the lorry we had no breakages! The insurance bill at the time was astronomical, which the hire company for the lorry had to pick up. My license was fortunately clean, the best news of all no one was seriously injured.
The moral of this story is never trust anything brand new!

[hdtrust]

Got mine, what a cracking picture on the front cover of two extremely rare cultivators, just goes to show there are survivors out there still, I wonder who the owner is?

[hdtrust]

Before going any further on this subject, is it worth asking the validatory of this report, Although Old Glory may have a far better way of reporting than the internet, they are still subject to media mistakes or not listing a balanced view!
As The Hall & Duck Trust we have to apply to the letters of the law, when releasing items listed in the Trust. They are stringent to say the least. The very same rules apply to the Science Museum,
The release by the Science Museum of I believe 5 items, does not equate to the immediate closure of Wroughton!
However I do think questions need to be asked and tabled at the correct levels to how and why this situation has come about. Without stating in depth the correct way of disposing of artefacts from accreditation lists. As far as I can see there was plenty of legal ways that could have been found without the sale by auction to the public.
Andrew Hall
Trustee The Hall & Duck Trust

[Author]

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