Northumberland Vintage Tractor Club

05/07/2026

Next Sunday if you are looking for something to do. Here is your day out for you

Inside info tells me this is going off road this year 😉

03/07/2026

Brunton Rally 17th & 18th October

Our theme this year is The Fergie System in celebration of the 3-point hydraulic linkage system, on its 80th birthday.

But how did the inspirational creator, Harry Ferguson, get to being the biggest innovator of agricultural engineering?

Henry George Ferguson. Born 04/11/1884 in County Down, Northern Ireland.
Fourth son of 11 children to strict, religious parents. Harry had a rebellious and inquisitive nature.
He left school at 14 to work at home on the 100-acre mixed farm. Harry hated farming because he was slightly built and found the physical graft arduous.
Aged 18 he left the farm to go and work as a bike and car mechanic with his brother in Belfast.
At 20 years old Harry was known as the “mad mechanic.” He was also racing motorbikes at this time.

In 1909 (aged 25) Harry had designed and built an aeroplane. On 31st December he became the first Irish person to fly, and the first Irish person to build & fly their own plane.

1911 He opens a car dealership whilst quietly continuing his quest to fix farming methods; a rigidly attached plough for a Model T Ford.
Harry married Maureen in 1913 and they went on to have a daughter.
By 1920, (aged 36) he’d fine-tuned hitching the implement to the tractor rather than trailing it behind method, but it was still mechanical.

In 1926 (life begins at 42), Harry Ferguson filed a patent titled “Apparatus for coupling agricultural implements to tractors and automatically regulating the depth of work.” – the Ferguson Master Patent.
And with that the “Ferguson System” was born; the hydraulic, 3-point linkage system which is still used today – 80 years later.

1933 saw the unveiling of his first designed & built tractor – the Ferguson Black. (Lives in Ulster transport museum). And somewhere along the line, he developed the world’s first 4 wheel drive Formula One car – Ferguson P99).
In 1947 Harry packed up the operations in Ireland and shifted to Gloucestershire to continue his manufacturing.
Harry dies from an overdose in 1960. The coroner recorded an open verdict.

What a bloke.
I think NVTC should have a road trip to Ireland to see the Ferguson Black.
What do you reckon?!

02/07/2026

Brunton Rally 17th & 18th October

Contact us for an entry form for your exhibit.
We have sections for everything…and if we haven’t, we’ll make one! 😁

Tractors. Commercial. Steam. Engines. Cars. Motorbikes. Horticulture. Push Bikes. Caravans. Land Rovers…and lots more.

Entries close 20th September (12 weeks) 😉.

[email protected]

01/07/2026

Things to do and places to go:

This Sunday, 5th July. Chillingham Vintage Rally @ Wooler.
Chillingham Vintage Tractor Rally. Take a camera for the fabulous procession up that hillside.
Car boot stalls. Craft Marquee. Static displays. Nice food. Fab craic and maybe, the newly famous man on the mic will be chatting the tractors round the ring...

Saturday 1st August. New event near Longframlington. Wings & Wheels. There is an event page set up on Facey in that name for more details.

Saturday 8th & Sunday 9th August. Tyne Valley working weekend for all vintage enthusiasts to get out and play with their relics.
Back for the 3rd year with this popular, hands-on weekend.
Ploughing, cultivating, muck spreading, hay making...and more. Lots of activity
The Tyne Valley Vintage and Classic Working Weekend

25/06/2026

Brunton Rally 17th & 18th October

For all of your restoration needs, Tractor Parts.
Easy, fast communication with knowledgeable staff.
Buy the tractor, ring Tractor Parts. They’ll send you the box of spares, you fix it. Done 👏
Thanks for your support, Tractor Parts

24/06/2026

Brunton Rally 17th & 18th October

Rock Estates. Just up the road from our rally home. Staffed with locals. Known by everyone.

They are a large farming operation with the addition of: wood chipping, holiday lets, and recently the addition of a major storage operation.
Secure, dry units with roller shutter doors… see their page for recent videos.

https://www.facebook.com/share/1HAU5H4x1h/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Thanks for your support, Team Rock…

23/06/2026

Brunton Rally 17th & 18th October

Another of our regular, willing & generous supporters is Alnwick NFU.

They already service many of our members and are always happy to discuss insurance options with new clients.
They’re human and patient. Worth a phone call…

22/06/2026

Brunton Rally 17th & 18th October

It’s almost the start of a busy season for combines & all things corn and straw.
The Manners team are ready and waiting.
Thanks for your support Manners family.