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Marathon Plough Raises Over £12,000 for Prostate Cancer Charity

l-r Fred Mottram, Ian Bulkeley and Garry Walker prior to the start of the ploughathon (photograph: Jonathan White)

Article and Photographs: Jonathan White

A fundraising marathon vintage tractor ploughathon took place at Aston, near Wrenbury, in Cheshire over the weekend of Saturday 23rd April & Sunday 24th April 2022.

l-r Fred Mottram, Ian Bulkeley and Garry Walker prior to the start of the ploughathon (photograph: Jonathan White)

The ‘3 Men and a Furrow’ 24 hour vintage tractor ploughathon started at Saturday midday and finished at Sunday midday.

l-r Ian Bulkeley, Fred Mottram and Garry Walker by their tractors prior to the start of the ploughathon (photograph: Jonathan White)

Three friends – Ian Bulkeley, Fred Mottram and Gary Walker – raised funds for Prostate Cancer UK. Prostate Cancer UK aims to stop prostate cancer being a killer – a disease claiming the life of one man every 45 minutes in the UK.

Fred Mottram and Garry Walker plough with their tractors during the ploughathon (photograph: Jonathan White)

The men and their vintage toys ploughed a 250-metre-long field owned by farmer Neil Goodwin on Pinsley Green Road/Wrenbury Road. The vintage tractors used were a Fordson Major, Fordson Super Major and Fiat Super 1000 DT.

Ian Bulkeley ploughs with his tractor during the ploughathon (photograph: Jonathan White)

The 24 hour period was started via the loud whistles from a steam traction engine and two miniature steam traction engines.

Steam traction engine and two miniature steam traction engines on display (photograph: Jonathan White)

There was a display of new and vintage tractors, along with a children’s fairground ride, a raffle and an opportunity to win a children’s John Deere ride-on tractor.

Plough wheel painted for the ploughathon (photograph: Jonathan White)

Refreshments were available on both days with Ploughman’s lunches on Saturday and bacon baps on Sunday.

Owner inspects his miniature steam traction engine (photograph: Jonathan White)

On Sunday the Malpas Charity Tractor Road Run of over 70 tractors did a lap of honour of the field as part of their rally.

Thanks are given to the sponsors for their generous support of the Ploughathon: RLH Print, Joseph Heler Cheese, NFU, LLM Vets, HJ Lea Oaks, Phillip Posnett, Barnett Cooke Jones, E Nield & Partner Ltd, Barbers Auctions, Garratts Scrap Metal Ltd, Harbrook Engineering, U store all Ltd, Baldwins Top Soil, Bidlea Dairy, Baker Wynn & Wilson, Malpas Tractors, Geoff Hadfield, Reaseheath College, Cornthwaite Group, Beam Heath Trust, Nick Brookes Group, Leisure Surfaces Cheshire, TG Builders Merchants, MJR Pressure Washer Services Whitchurch, Geoff Hadfield Clarke Metal services, James Willis, Jackson Property Services, Nantwich Veterinary Group Equine Centre, Alistair Broadwith Services Morris Oils, Charlesworth Family Smeaton Wood, Blue Loos, Charles Blake Malpas, Stamford Agricultural Services, Matthew Baldwin Plant Hire, Brad Rushton Agricultural Equestrian Buildings, Haughton Honey, Clarke Metal Services, The Nantwich Show, Broxton Gates, Tyres & Tubes.

The ploughathon raised an incredible £12,500 of much needed funds for Prostate Cancer UK.