A charity tractor fest in Ripon has raised £4,000 for the Leeds General Infirmary Neonatal Unit.
It was organised by Tom Tate after his newborn son recently spent time in intensive care at LGI with a life-threatening condition.
Mr Tate’s partner Sarah gave birth to their son, Freddie, three-and-a-half months ago.
But soon afterwards he was diagnosed with Atrial flutter, a type of abnormal heart rhythm that makes the heart beat too quickly.
Mr Tate said it was a frightening time for the family. He said:
“When he was born straight away we knew something wasn’t right. In a baby, Atrial flutter is life threatening.
“But after two weeks in intensive care at the LGI, they got him right, and they looked after me and Sarah.”
Read more:
Freddie is thankfully now at home and fighting fit, but his dad said he wanted to repay the hospital by raising money for the LGI Neonatal Unit through the Leeds Hospitals Charity.
Mr Tate is a member of West Yorkshire Tractor and Engine Club and around 80 vintage and modern tractors from the club attended F. Tate and Sons garden centre at Studley Road on September 24. It was also attended by the Yorkshire Vet, Peter Wright.
A total of £4,000 was raised, which will be used to transform the corridors in the neonatal ward. They have been renamed the ‘corridors of courage’ and will include pictures and stories to help other families through their hard times.
Mr Tate said:
Union Jack flies high at Newby Hall’s Tractor Fest“I’m absolutely amazed at how the day went. Massive thank-you to everyone who attended and donated, helping us raise a massive £4,000 for the LGI neonatal unit. It’s such an overwhelming feeling to gi\ve a huge amount of money to an excellent cause.”
After two years away, Tractor Fest returned to Newby Hall to mark the platinum jubilee celebrations in its unique way.
Scattered across the famous gardens were an estimated 1,000 exhibitors, including tractors adorned for the occasion.
Hundreds of people ranging from hardcore enthusiasts and novices, flocked to the stately home near Boroughbridge to enjoy an array of machinery, engines, attractions and even some vintage car displays.
Kevin Watson, organiser of the festival, said he was initially nervous about returning after so long away.
The festival was one of many mainstay events in the Harrogate district which fell victim to the covid pandemic in 2020.
Ian Muir and tractor fest organiser Kevin Watson with a golden painted Queens coronation tractor.
Kevin said:
“It has been a while and we wondered if we had done the right thing in making it a three day event.
“But, in the end it feels like we have never been away.”
The return of the popular festival coincides with the landmark platinum jubilee and it would have been remiss of those regular exhibitors not to mark it in their own way.
Read more:
- Village near Knaresborough creates collage to mark jubilee
- JUBILEE LIVE: Parade in Masham, street opera in Harrogate
Among the thousands of tractors was one special exhibit, which stood out with its golden paint and draped in Union Jack bunting.
The golden coronation tractor which was introduced in 1953 is owned by Northumbrian Ian Muir, who had to rebuild it twice to get it into shape to display at festivals.
Marking the jubilee
Elsewhere, engine enthusiasts were also marking the jubilee in their own way.
Tom and Alison Moffat made the three-hour journey from Ayre in Scotland to be among fellow engine collectors.
Tom’s engine was made in 1939 at the outbreak of the war and was used as an emergency lighting plant for Ballochmyle Hospital in Ayrshire.
Hundreds flocked to Newby Hall for the return of Tractor Fest.
The couple have toured the exhibit around various festivals, but today they decided to flock our their stall in red, white and blue.
After learning they were going to be at Tractor Fest over the jubilee weekend, Alison borrowed some of her parents flags which had also been used as part of the silver jubilee celebrations in 1977.
She said:
“I borrowed them from my parents, who had also used them to celebrate. We felt we had to mark it.”
Mervyn Hoyle with his vintage car at Newby Hall.
Those who brought vintage cars to the festival were also in on the celebrations.
Mervyn Hoyle bought his 1933 Austin Seven deluxe saloon 42 years ago and prided himself on keeping it in good condition ever since.
He and his sister draped the car in red, white and blue for the occasion and his fellow collectors even set up a picnic table for the weekend.
To top off the day’s entertainment, a Hawker Hurricane took to the skies above Newby Hall.
While people filled the streets and bunting adorned buildings across the Harrogate district, the Tractor Fest marked the occasion in its own way.