Meddo2012 The Orange Revolution

The World is Orange

Meddo 2011

It started in the Hotel at Winterwijk on Saturday morning, we got down to breakfast early because we had to be on the showground to help Emiel move tractors and get our own Fordson Tractor Pages small display set up.

As we sat drinking our fruit juice, (orange juice of course), people kept looking at us in a strange but happy way and on getting up to fill our plates with bacon, eggs, ham and cheese along with the wonderful range of breads that are standard fare at the Hotel Frerikshof, people kept coming up and asking if we were wearing “Orange for Holland”.

It was, of course, the Fordson Tractor Pages polo shirts that Ann and I were wearing. They certainly were a hit among the guests at the hotel.

On arrival at the field we made our way through the security gates in Cougar and were soon setting up the tables we had bought at the local camping store, our intended table and chairs were still in England along with Dotty, and sorting out the pictures and information for the display. This proved quite a task as, although the day was bright and sunny, there was a strong wind blowing and we had to tie the cloth down with bungee straps from Cougars boot.

When Mr Tiemessen arrived with the motor home, we gratefully placed the table in the lee of the camper to break the wind and prevent the pictures and cloth blowing across to Germany.

Emiel arrived with the tractors on his big trailer along with a couple of friends who were also going to show tractors on his stand so we all walked over to the park to collect a tractor to bring onto the showground.

Now the orange theme really begins to heat up, Emiel is wearing his ftp polo shirt and has brought an orange tractor, a Case. Guess who was appointed to drive it to the stand. With Ann driving Emiel’s Dexta, it did not matter that the sun hid behind the clouds because the whole showground lit up as we paraded to our joint stands. I felt really proud to drive the lovely Case and stood on the footplate all the way. It is a very long time since I drove a Case LA with a hand clutch and this one had a “Marshall” style gear selection too. Soon the tractors were all lined up and we spent a little time with a cup of coffee and the tractor and wildlife pictures I brought back from Australia.

We were very disappointed not to have Dotty on the stand and although the Cougar was a good stand in, I was quite unhappy as I had not had time to clean it before we left. Rover and Dotty were highly polished but Cougar still showed the signs of standing in the yard most of this year, there was a coat of lichen in every crack and crevice in the bodywork. The air here in Norfolk is very clean, so they tell us, and lichen grows very quickly.

Ford did not sell Cougars in Holland so she was a rare sight and I was secretly pleased on being able to leave the Mercedes far behind in the fast lane on the Autobahns. They have a habit of sitting in your boot at around the 80 mph mark when you are overtaking slower traffic and trucks. If you stay in front and do not pull over, this causes flashing lights and horn music, even though there is a limit of 130 kph. It was nice therefore to see them disappear in the mirrors as you just gave Cougar a little more throttle. Even better was the surprised look on the faces.

Looking around the showground on Saturday it seemed a little bare, there were plenty of caravans with exhibits but there were large spaces where, in previous years tractors had stood. The trade stands seemed to be doing good business and a display of owls and hawks attrackted a large crowd. This was set up very close to the entrance and it seemed people came in, watched the birds and did not move further. Our end of the field seemed a bit deserted at times.

At the end of the day we made our way back to the hotel and after a change of clothes and a shower, it was off to meet Emiel and Hanneke for a rather special Chinese meal at a local restaurant.

Our Holland trips allow us to meet our friends in their homes and I must say how beautiful they are. This trip we saw three different styles of furnishing and decoration in Dies and Addies home, Henk and Janneke's, and finally Emiel and Hanneke. All different, very striking and welcoming, any one could be used for an advertising campaign, not like ours. We are still finishing a project we started to rebuild 26 years ago.

Another highlight of this trip was I got a long cuddle with Janneke, who we had not met for nearly two years, and with Hanneke. When you get to my age, you look forward to embraces with beautiful ladies! Mind you, I have not forgotten the cuddles with Tina, Dawn and Bev over on the other side of the world; they helped to keep me going.

Ann and I were woken early in the hotel by the steady thump of tractor engines as the Lanz contingent made their way from Germany via Winterswijk to Meddo. When we arrived on the show ground it was packed with tractors, a far cry from Saturdays show. Every space had tractors, trucks and cars of all types; there was also a grand display of stationary engines popping away. By lunchtime the showground was heaving with people.

We spent most of the day wandering round talking to people, only sheltering in the car or Emiel’s awning as a passing heavy shower ran through. There were not many of these though and by late afternoon it was a beautiful, calm late summer evening. This meant all the tents and canvas stalls got put away dry for next year. We left the showground and made our way to the trailer park to load and say our goodbyes.

One thing I must mention about Meddo, is the way people line up and cheer you off the field. I have never seen that done at any of the shows I have visited over the years. It makes you really want to return next year.

Our thanks go out to Emiel and Mr Tiemessen who helped and arranged our stand and provided coffee and relief from the wind on Saturday. Between us we really showed off our ftp shirts!

The Fordson Tractor Pages stand with pictures of Petrol Dextas from all over the world plus data sheets,sales leaflets and a copy of the Register. We have nearly 60 tractor on it now.

Cougar Deputising for Dotty.

Emiel and his ftp shirt.

Some of the owls and Hawks on show.

McCormick Binder. This was running unattended, with an unguarded PTO shaft, with the public able to get in and touch it. In England this alone would have closed the show. Think we here have gone Health and Safety mad, in Holland the public saw the dangers and stood back.

There were two threshing sets at work, both powered by IH tractors. The older one being this McCormick Deering. These chaps really worked hard over the two days.

Case on Emiels stand.

French Orange SDNCE (I think, please correct me if I am wrong).

SAME, Italian Orange.

German Orange. Unimogs.

More German Orange Fahr.

British Orange. Nuffield 10/42. The one on the trailer had come a fair distance to the show but it was securely strapped on, as long as the floor of the trailer and the steering drag link held.

And now, this years IH contingent:

One that stood out for me as I had never seen one before. This is tailored for dairy farmers.

My Guldner was not there this year but this report must always have one somewhere!

Just for Oscar because he likes lots of levers! A Hurliman.

Another Swiss tractor.

An Algaire popping away quietly.

I wanted to buy this potato planter but Ann vetoed it!

Might have had something to do with the seat!

Tabrants were all around.

This IH D214 twin cylinder diesel is still for sale.

A Massey 1080! Used to love demonstrating against these underpowered, overweight chunks of iron with a 7000. We were under instruction never to trade one in unless it came at a very low price as even the trade did not want them.

This Surge- Melotte milking setup brought back many memories for me. Many are the times when I have used one in my early teens when helping father milk.

We were visiting the stationary engine displays when it started to rain. I have never seen plastic covers come on so fast! Just like Lords Cricket Ground!

WE spent more time this year looking at lorries. (Trucks for Barry, even my d**n spell checker does not recognise the word “lorry”, must be Australian).

A leaping Orange Kangaroo? Is this an omen for next year?

This ones got Roo Bars already fitted!

This owner has too much time on his hands!

And this one goes down as the engine I would most like to see fitted in a Super Major! A straight 8 Scania. It sounded absolute heaven.

Hanomag.

A Display of Eichers.

Schulter. The only tractor I have ever seen “Power Hop” when ploughing!

A very nice E27N with a Perkins L4

An early Fordson badged as a Model F but I was unsure with this mag and these rear wings.

And finally the Lanz.

Many thanks once again to Emiel and his father who made us very welcome. Next years show will be just before we fly out to Australia again and it will also be a few months before my 70th birthday, so lets see if we can make it a big Fordson Tractor Pages Party!

Oh, and something I have always wanted to say!

My other one is a Porsche!