Blog
Monday 1st june 2009
Last night The Tractor Guys stayed at a B&B just East of Cumbernauld, owned by a lovely couple called Sandra and Tom Russell who turned out to be really fascinating people.
Sandra is an archer who has high hopes of one day becoming a European or even world champion and Tom is a DJ for 96.3 Rock Radio – Scotland’s Classic Rock Station!
Their B&B is a cornucopia stuffed full of nic nacs such as musical paraphernalia – wall mounted discs and gig posters… arrows… Viking helmets… mannequins in Victorian dresses … and many more things too numerous to mention.
This morning saw the guys back on the road, heading down the A73 – and they say that the first six miles of today’s journey was the worst ever. They were faced with heavy traffic and a very poorly maintained road. They had no choice other than to travel slowly as the weight of the water and diesel made the tractors ride like ‘bucking broncos’.
Bish said, “I wouldn’t say it was dangerous – just really unpleasant!”
The roads soon improved though and they guys ended up with the A73 more or less to themselves.
The scenery gradually began to change as the craggy mountains softened into moorland – “the kind of place were you can let your kids run wild and free! Verdant, pastoral and much softer than the scenery we’ve driven through so far.”
They crossed the Clyde and followed the river all the way down to Beattock.
There was one funny moment, when Bish and Tones pulled into a lay-by for a break and a snack… a 40 tonne truck with the words “Mighty Gem” across the windscreen pulled in behind them, a guy jumped out and gave the guys £10!
“I’m a tractor man!” he told them. His name was Jim and he’d had one of his own vintage tractors featured in a tractor magazine recently – and Tones even remembered reading the feature!
After sharing some chilled colas from Jim’s cab – the guys set off once again… and when they reached Beattock they were met by Pete and Muriel Thomas who welcomed them with champagne and smoked salmon – which went down very well after a very long hot day’s tractor ride! And later they were taken out to an Italian restaurant for supper.
They must have had pizza - 'coz no-one gets pasta The Tractor Guys!
