Peter Roat aka "Roatavator"

Hi mac
My only real requirements are for a fuel tank, miller cover and tines. I assume these are all corroded out on yours?

Peter

Tease!

Hopefully here they are!

Would have liked to see the mysterious something, Andy! What was it?

Here’s another clip

Selection of horticultural machines at the event today. Sorry, need to downsize photos, will post later.
Meantime, here’s the videos of the A5 working. Seems to run very rich, someone at the event suggested it might be due to the carb having the set up for paraffin, so rather than adjust carb I might try some. However, working produced a few…[Read more]

I’m a bit of an anorak with loads, Chris. Straps fore and aft, wheels chocked, machines in gear. Anyone would think I’m on a real mission, not going 6 miles down the road! But I’d hate the M saga to happen to me, better safe than sorry.

As you will have gathered, I got the date wrong in the heading!
Anyway, all loaded up for tomorrow.

Well, good luck with that one Charlie. Have to say, the advantageof the Commer with the dropsides is you’ve got reasonable height protection all round, and its easy to secure the straps at variuos points round the machines. I also make sure they are in gear and wheels chocked. The front 2 machines I sandwich up against the back of the cab. May be…[Read more]

Thats tragic. My sympathies to the new owners.

Funny you should say that, Andy. The 700 is actually one of the other machines I would like (I lied when I said one other above). Have to be one with the Hirth diesel though – I know, they’re a lot of trouble compared to the 2-stroke, but I operated a Hirth as a kid and loved the way they sound. The occasional 700 crops up on that auction site,…[Read more]

Lovely to see another one for preservation. Any idea how many of these were sold in the UK, Charlie? I’m just wondering what my chances are of adding the last machine I really need to complete the collection! (Well, acually not the last, you can never have enough, but don’t tell the wife…)

Look forward to hearing further progress, Charlie, its a grand job you’re doing, GOOD LUCK! Peter

Chris, I lied. I have checked very closely, there IS overspray so she’s been painted at some time, but probably a long time ago.

Yes, he had an “e”. I’ve found a clip on that well known video chammel under the heading
Stock car racing 1968 Derek Fiske

Chris, they’re not related so far as I know, as you say it is a common name in these parts. Derek Fiske I think was Fiske with an “e”. He was a great local racer from Diss, one of my favourites in the 60’s.

Hi Chris
I think its the original paint, but I’m not sure. There’s no overspray on the model and other plaques, but it just seems to good to be true that it could look like that after 86 years! And there’s no sign of any decal on the miller cover, suggesting it might have been painted over, but then again I don’t know if it had one like the 56…[Read more]

Yes, its amazing what you can discover on there. Good to look at in winter when its too cold to be in the shed!

Are you any further on now, Charlie, or is it on hold until the new building is up?

Hope to see you both there!
Andy, Jack Frost, Ashby definitely rings a bell, perhaps I’ve seen it on the truck. Wouldn’t be surprising as I lived at the time in Framingham Pigot, Jack had his market garden there as did Henry, George had his in Bramerton so we were very local to you. (got it wrong in the previous post).
I’m going to Little…[Read more]

Andy.
Thanks, small world!
There were 3 Fisk brothers, my father worked for Jack, whose real name was Arthur. His brothers also had market gardens, one was George, who had a market garden in the same village; in the neighbouring village there was Henry (who I think might also have been known as Harry).
Yes, of course, in the very old days it was…[Read more]