{"id":496,"date":"2024-01-10T13:00:27","date_gmt":"2024-01-10T13:00:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/frigate-express.co.uk\/ourblogs\/?p=496"},"modified":"2026-01-05T13:27:02","modified_gmt":"2026-01-05T13:27:02","slug":"need-a-tractor-or-a-digger-get-at-me-%f0%9f%98%8e","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/frigate-express.co.uk\/ourblogs\/need-a-tractor-or-a-digger-get-at-me-%f0%9f%98%8e\/","title":{"rendered":"Need a tractor? Or a digger? Get at me \ud83d\ude0e"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Right. I\u2019ve spent some time visiting various tractor dealerships around my adopted homeland. That\u2019s Wales, by the way. I\u2019m sticking with the half Welsh thing. The reason I was in and out of these places was work. I was on a run delivering emergency tractor parts. A seized spindle or a broken hydraulic coupler, something that had a field half-ploughed and a farmer waiting. You get the call, you find the right unit in the dealership, and you get it moving. It&#8217;s good work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There\u2019s an entire ecosystem in the farmland world. Something us city folk, even Birmingham city folk, just aren\u2019t privy to. Yet it\u2019s only an hour or so from the Midlands. A different planet, just down the A44.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There\u2019s a very 90s vibe about these places. The sort of place where you\u2019re expected to have a semblance of knowledge about the item before approaching the counter. You don\u2019t just browse. There are lots of tractor and farming accessories. Think B&amp;Q hardware aisle, but on steroids. That kinda sums it up. Bigger bolts, heavier chains, parts you don&#8217;t even recognise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At one of the larger dealerships, in Hereford I think, I was dropping off one of these emergency bits. There was an older gentleman behind the counter. He must have been at least a couple of centuries old. His wrinkles outlined his smile. A welcoming one at that. He was one of the men who worked the parts desk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>His first question to me, after I gave him the waybill for the clutch plate or whatever it was, was a classic. \u201cYou\u2019re a courier, can you read a map?\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Not a sat nav. A proper map. This was the start of our very long conversation. We talked about maps, proper paper ones you have to fold. We talked about the environment, how the land has changed. We talked about motorbikes, because it turns out he rides a manual Honda NC750. A proper bike. And we talked about how his generation are just built of girders of hardened steel. The man was an encyclopaedia of knowledge, right there next to the fan belts. He understood the urgency of the parts I was moving. Knew exactly what it meant for the bloke at the other end.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It reminded me of a proverb I\u2019m sure most have heard before, and I quote. \u201cWhen an old man dies, a library burns to the ground!\u201d. Well, the saying hit home. Standing there, talking to this walking library of back roads and tractor models, I got it. You lose that bloke, you lose a lot of local history you can\u2019t Google.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After our chat, I had a bit of time before the next job, so I carried on mooching around the dealership. I came across two of these \u201cWarrior\u201d tractors. I\u2019ve never been into tractors but if I was, this would definitely be it. It\u2019s around the size of my house and unapologetically big. A proper machine. You don&#8217;t drive that, you command it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As I was leaving, the old fella was kind enough to let me take a copy of \u2018Agricultural Trader\u2019. It harks back to the days of buying Autotrader every Friday, only for the best stuff to be sold by Saturday morning. The same frantic energy, just for combines and seed drills. Ah, memories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s these stops that make the job. You\u2019re not just delivering a parcel to a farm supplier. You\u2019re getting a glimpse into a whole other world, and if you\u2019re lucky, a chat with one of its librarians. Beats a services any day. Even if you&#8217;re just the bloke who brought the spare part.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, do you need a courier or perhaps a tractor?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Click on&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.frigate-express.co.uk\">www.frigate-express.co.uk<\/a> &nbsp;and use the calculator to quote you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you have any questions???? Get in touch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/frigate-express.co.uk\/ourblogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/10.01-1-768x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-500\" srcset=\"https:\/\/frigate-express.co.uk\/ourblogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/10.01-1-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/frigate-express.co.uk\/ourblogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/10.01-1-225x300.jpeg 225w, https:\/\/frigate-express.co.uk\/ourblogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/10.01-1-1152x1536.jpeg 1152w, https:\/\/frigate-express.co.uk\/ourblogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/10.01-1.jpeg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/frigate-express.co.uk\/ourblogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/10.01-9-768x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-499\" srcset=\"https:\/\/frigate-express.co.uk\/ourblogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/10.01-9-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/frigate-express.co.uk\/ourblogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/10.01-9-225x300.jpeg 225w, https:\/\/frigate-express.co.uk\/ourblogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/10.01-9-1152x1536.jpeg 1152w, https:\/\/frigate-express.co.uk\/ourblogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/10.01-9.jpeg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/frigate-express.co.uk\/ourblogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/10.01-10-768x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-501\" srcset=\"https:\/\/frigate-express.co.uk\/ourblogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/10.01-10-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/frigate-express.co.uk\/ourblogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/10.01-10-225x300.jpeg 225w, 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https:\/\/frigate-express.co.uk\/ourblogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/10.01-11.jpeg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/frigate-express.co.uk\/ourblogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/10.01-12-1024x768.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-498\" srcset=\"https:\/\/frigate-express.co.uk\/ourblogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/10.01-12-1024x768.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/frigate-express.co.uk\/ourblogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/10.01-12-300x225.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/frigate-express.co.uk\/ourblogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/10.01-12-768x576.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/frigate-express.co.uk\/ourblogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/10.01-12-1536x1152.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/frigate-express.co.uk\/ourblogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/10.01-12.jpeg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/frigate-express.co.uk\/ourblogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/10.01-13-1024x768.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-502\" srcset=\"https:\/\/frigate-express.co.uk\/ourblogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/10.01-13-1024x768.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/frigate-express.co.uk\/ourblogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/10.01-13-300x225.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/frigate-express.co.uk\/ourblogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/10.01-13-768x576.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/frigate-express.co.uk\/ourblogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/10.01-13-1536x1152.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/frigate-express.co.uk\/ourblogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/10.01-13.jpeg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/frigate-express.co.uk\/ourblogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/10.01-14-1024x768.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-505\" srcset=\"https:\/\/frigate-express.co.uk\/ourblogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/10.01-14-1024x768.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/frigate-express.co.uk\/ourblogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/10.01-14-300x225.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/frigate-express.co.uk\/ourblogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/10.01-14-768x576.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/frigate-express.co.uk\/ourblogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/10.01-14-1536x1152.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/frigate-express.co.uk\/ourblogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/10.01-14.jpeg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/frigate-express.co.uk\/ourblogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/10.01-15-1024x768.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-506\" srcset=\"https:\/\/frigate-express.co.uk\/ourblogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/10.01-15-1024x768.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/frigate-express.co.uk\/ourblogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/10.01-15-300x225.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/frigate-express.co.uk\/ourblogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/10.01-15-768x576.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/frigate-express.co.uk\/ourblogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/10.01-15-1536x1152.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/frigate-express.co.uk\/ourblogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/10.01-15.jpeg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/frigate-express.co.uk\/ourblogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/10.01-16-1024x768.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-504\" srcset=\"https:\/\/frigate-express.co.uk\/ourblogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/10.01-16-1024x768.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/frigate-express.co.uk\/ourblogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/10.01-16-300x225.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/frigate-express.co.uk\/ourblogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/10.01-16-768x576.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/frigate-express.co.uk\/ourblogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/10.01-16-1536x1152.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/frigate-express.co.uk\/ourblogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/10.01-16.jpeg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/frigate-express.co.uk\/ourblogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/10.01-17-1024x768.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-503\" srcset=\"https:\/\/frigate-express.co.uk\/ourblogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/10.01-17-1024x768.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/frigate-express.co.uk\/ourblogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/10.01-17-300x225.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/frigate-express.co.uk\/ourblogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/10.01-17-768x576.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/frigate-express.co.uk\/ourblogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/10.01-17-1536x1152.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/frigate-express.co.uk\/ourblogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/10.01-17.jpeg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u201cWhen an old man dies, a library burns to the ground!\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":504,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center 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