A letter to the editor of Landwards on the occasion of Tom's 60th anniversary of membership, December 2025
Dear Editor
I have recently been awarded my certificate for 60 years membership of the Institution and the President has kindly invited me to contribute to the membership section of the journal high lighting any ‘memorable experiences’, which I hope may be of interest to your readers.
I have been involved in the agricultural machinery business through what has been one of the most intensive periods of development giving rise to many interesting experiences.
I started out hands on with TVO tractors of 25hp, no safety frames or cabs to tractors of three figure horse power with driver comfort and safety a priority and the start of electronics. These developments not without their snags but added interest from involvement in contributing to solutions. In the field behind and sometimes in front of
tractors came potato harvesting from spinners and hand work to unmanned one man operation harvesters and now self propelled harvesters. Combined harvesters were seen to develop from tractor drawn and imported American Machines with no cabs and pure mechanical controls to electronics and comfort cabs.
The list goes on through development with forage harvesters, through grain drying and milking operations. As an agricultural ‘fitter’ over the years this meant long hours both in the work shop and on the farm repairing and overcoming difficulties, working both evenings and weekends if necessary. I then progressed to management which whilst not without its challenges did mean no more long hours in cold barns with a spanner.
In the early years I had the experience of achieving my IEng MIAgrE via Ryecotewood and Auchincruve and now a 60 year certificate of long service!
I have had an interesting and varied career in the agricultural machinery trade with a few hairy moments like the time I collided with a camel whilst ploughing in Tunisia, fortunately the camel survived with minimal injuries.
Regards
Tom Waugh