vintage - Vintage Horticultural and Garden Machinery Club

People, tools and places, their history

November 7, 2019December 16, 2018 by Alan

One element that appears when researching vintage garden equipment is the names associated with that particular item. These names may be of the designer, manufacturer, importer, company owner, it may even be a name on a long-forgotten patent. Sometimes with… Continue Reading

Recycling Machinery

November 7, 2019October 27, 2018 by Alan

Horticultural equipment collectors are, in my opinion, quite good at recycling in order to keep their hobby rolling along. One only has to look at a collector’s spares heap or the garage workbench with the aroma of WD40, a line… Continue Reading

Then and Now – 1910

November 7, 2019April 29, 2018 by Alan

Our latest Then & Now picture is from 1910 and features Ashton’s of East Sheen. The sign in the window announcing the stock of Garden Tools & Requisites and the array of merchandise on the pavement tells us that they… Continue Reading

Howard Bantam 1950

November 7, 2019February 22, 2018 by Alan

Humour can capture the attention of the prospective customer far easier than any serious advertising might. All from 1950 are the following four adverts for the Howard Rotavator ‘Bantam’. Each is carefully crafted to highlight the difficulties of gardening that… Continue Reading

G. D. Mountfield Adverts

November 7, 2019January 20, 2018 by Alan

G.D.Mountfield of Maidenhead are well known to be associated with a large range of horticultural machinery and accordingly the company did a vast amount of advertising. Mountfield started their ‘proper’ marketing in 1967 after the appointment of Robinson Scotland and… Continue Reading

Nobby Fletcher and Bolens

November 7, 2019December 12, 2017 by Alan

Nobby Fletcher is a fictitious character who appeared in a Bolens advert in 1970, reproduced below, promoting the assets of owning a Bolens garden tractor. Nobby Fletcher appears to be somewhat of a dogsbody working five and a half days… Continue Reading

Ireland’s first golf course gang mower with Cletrac – 1922

November 7, 2019August 20, 2017 by Alan

Although this article is about trialing machinery on an Irish golf course, it is also a good example of engine powered machinery and mechanisation taking over from horses.In October 1922 A newspaper in Ireland printed the following image along with… Continue Reading

When Machines Go Modern

November 7, 2019August 2, 2017 by Alan

When searching machinery in any archives it becomes apparent that although machines were well-made and created to do a job, there was also a lot of thought behind the marketing too and creating machines that kept up with public demand… Continue Reading

Mr Rollo and his Croftmaster Factory – 1955

November 7, 2019July 13, 2017 by Alan

We are sure that many members would be able to recognize a Rollo Croftmaster tractor? Although rare, I am hoping that there will be one or two at the Scottish Tractor World Show in Edinburgh in March 2018. According to… Continue Reading

1950s Chelsea Flower Show Exhibits

November 7, 2019June 5, 2017 by Alan

Showing new machinery and ideas to the public at shows has always been a great way to promote a company and the machinery too. Even back in the 1950’s the Chelsea Flower Show had many new machines on show, many… Continue Reading