by Helen Mayne
Enthralling, amazing, entertaining, fact-filled - all adjectives well worthy of the evening talk provided on Wednesday night by Peter Love of Tractor and Machinery magazine. Invited as a guest of the Traction Engine Club of Ulster, Peter certainly did not allow his audience to go home disappointed.
Addressing an audience of over 150, including a coach party who had travelled from the Donegal Vintage Club, Peter gave a whistlestop tour of vintage scenes and rarities of the past season from across the world.
Vintage Club who
attended the talk
His talk and excellent slide presentation was interspersed with live interviews with the owners of some of the machines featured in the slides. This certainly enhanced his presentation and gave the audience the opportunity to glean a deeper knowledge and understanding of what exactly is involved in the many aspects of tractor restoration. From prize-winning ploughmen to those who specialise in vintage restoration work, paintsprayers to enthusiasts, young and old - all were interviewed. Each told their own stories, with some even divulging a few of their own special tricks of the trade!
Starting off the year at the Mullahead ploughing event, County Armagh on a snowy day in February 2002, the show featured many of the tractors and the tractor pulling event held there. The slide show then progressed to tractor competitions and concours events throughout England, Scotland and Wales. Peter lauded the high standard of restoration carried out in Northern Ireland and congratulated all who spend the many hours on their machines in order to achieve the splendid end results.
All of the events were marvellously chronicled by a superb slide show and unparalleled commentary.
The climate changed dramatically when the audience were next whisked off to the Sandstone Estates, Eastern Free State, South Africa for the "Great 400 Working" in April 2002. The sheer enormity of the event layout was again captured by some magnificent photography - covering everything from steam trains and engines to crawlers, tractors and even vintage aeroplanes. Peter displayed the extent of his knowledge of all things vintage when here, he described all these types of transport both authoritatively and accurately in a way only a person with his passion could. The celebrations as this event, with over 700 working vintage pre-1930's tractors, which broke the world record were captured on film. As Peter said however, they realised that it would probably not be long until the record was challenged. The next slide allowed those gathered to see that indeed his words were to ring very true.
On August 4th 2002 even Peter - who has seen many amazing sights worldwide had to admit that the field at Cooley was a sight to behold. Mucky the field certainly was, but it did not deter the high spirits of all gathered on the day. As the record was well and truly broken it was another memorable chronicle in the impressive career of Peter Love to date. Touching on the Wade Farm Tour Irish adventure this summer, Peter then whizzed through the Mountstewart rally, County Down, Moynalty, County Meath and a number of private collections around the country.
After telling the audience about the Tractor and Machinery Holiday Club and some of their outings, Peter then featured one of these as he moved to another continent. Here he introduced 'Big Bud' - the biggest tractor in the world, in Montana, USA. Some spectacular scenery and very unusual machines were viewed - putting the American scale of machinery into perspective.
One of the final areas visited in the slide show was Switzerland, where the world ploughing championships were experienced.
Noone could leave after the talk without feeling totally in awe of this man. His knowledge of everything he spoke of - all without a note or prompt, is unparalled. To talk constantly for over two hours, with only a very short break and to hold an audience's undivided attention for that time is quite a feat.
Many had heard of Peter Love, some from Northern Ireland may have met him in the past, but of those present on Wednesday night, no one will forget him - a truly amazing individual.
club thank Peter Love for a very enjoyable evening