Beadlam Charity Tractor Run: Meet the man behind the wheel of the charity tractor run which has raised £130,000

Farmers and vintage machinery enthusiasts have long appeared at summer agricultural shows parading their magnificent tractors around a show ring, creating a colourful spectacle. There have been tractor runs for many years, but the tractor run as we know it today began around 25-30 years ago.

Knaresborough YFC runs one of the biggest in Yorkshire with close to 400 tractors taking part in recent times. They raised over £23,000 last month; Priory Rose Tractor Run is another massive event; and Beadlam Tractor Run was reputedly one of the first to take place in Yorkshire.

Malcolm Simpson is the man behind the wheel of Beadlam Charity Tractor Run that has raised over £130,000 since it started 21 years ago in 2002. Malcolm said the first Beadlam run, organised by his dad Bernard, was a lot different to today’s.

“It was my dad’s idea. He’d been on a few tractor runs and he and my mum, Olive, had been on holiday and seen a tractor run that had been raising funds for Air Ambulance in the West Country. The first run he organised had 35 tractors and made £1700.

“Dad had farmed early on in his life and had gone on to work for my uncle who was a builder but always had an interest in tractors. He had a Dexter. I have it now, as dad passed away just over two years ago.

“The first Beadlam Charity Tractor Run was held on Easter Sunday but then dad realised that it clashed with the National Tractor Run, so he swiftly changed Beadlam to Mayday Sunday from the next year. He just thought that if the National Tractor Run ever came to the area he didn’t want two runs to fall on the same day.

“Mum did the catering and my dad and myself did the paperwork. Now it’s all down to me, with help from my wife Sally, our treasurer Gillian Kent and a loyal and hardworking band of volunteers.

“Back then the run was made up of more vintage tractors and while the vintage tractors still make up around 65 per cent of the run, any tractor is welcome. There’s always been a decent mix, back then we even had one of the old Field Marshall single cylinders. The chap who had it used to take some shortcuts, because he was slower, to keep up with everybody. There are various places on the route where bits can be cut out, to get back if you’ve broken down or just have a slower tractor.

“A couple of years ago we made the decision that that every pre-2000 tractor runs at the front, with all modern ones at the back because we’d had feedback from one or two that some on older, smaller tractors felt a bit swamped with modern ones in among them. We think it’s great having everyone but realised it could be a bit intimidating for someone who is perhaps a best steady on an old Grey Fergie having a big 200hp JD behind them. There’s room for everybody and everyone enjoys the day.

Beadlam Charity Tractor Run is a fantastic spectacle either on the main roads or as it winds on country lanes and sometimes green lanes and is a showstopper in the market towns of Kirkbymoorside and Pickering.

Malcolm said the combination of the tractor run and Kirkbymoorside 10K taking place at nearly the same time creates an amazing atmosphere in the town.

“We’ve now got it organised so that the band meets us right at the top of Castlegate on Park Lane and it marches down in front until we get into the market place. The band then stops there and plays while the tractors go through and then they are all set for the start of the 10K.

If you have never seen the Beadlam Charity Tractor Run as it comes through Pickering it is the most colourful, friendly and fun experience with tractors tooting, the public waving in support and much money being collected along the way by the bucket carriers. Malcolm loves it, even though he has never taken part at the wheel of a tractor, and even though he has four of his own.

“Dad was always at the front of the tractor convoy and it’s still dad’s Dexter there now. A good friend, Edwin Bowes, an agricultural engineer who used to live a few doors up from mum and dad leads the way. I’ve always had to marshal.

“Sally drives a Grey Fergie I painted purple for her and is second tractor on the road and the third one is my other Dexter driven by my cousin David.

“We have a team of 20-30 marshals and bucket carriers. They get the list of the times the run should reach each village and can work out which they can do. They might do Harome and then go on to Fadmoor leapfrogging the tractors.

Malcolm said the work of one group that comes along every year is particularly helpful.

“We always have a group of trail riders from the Trail Riders Fellowship who do much good work at conserving green lanes in the countryside. We used to put marker arrows on all junctions for the tractor run drivers, now I just get a map drawn up which I give to the group of trail riders and they split into several groups and man every junction, just to point drivers in the right direction.

Air Ambulance sometimes come with a helicopter if they are able to the start at Wombleton airfield. Malcom said he was concerned about this at first.

“I said it’s pointless us raising you £6000 to £8000 per year and you spending some of it just by coming to us, but I was told they are able to drop in because they must do a certain number of hours of training exercises.

Beadlam Charity Tractor Run doesn’t just take place on roads.

“We go off-road where we can. Having started at Wombleton the run takes in Harome, Beadlam and Nawton, Pockley, Nawton Towers, Skiplam, Fadmoor, Gillamoor and Kirkbymoorside; then we loop up by Ravenswick and to Hutton le Hole stopping for lunch in pond field in Spaunton on land owned by Geoff Marshall.

“From Spaunton we then go to Lastingham, Cropton, Newton upon Rawcliffe, into Pickering then Riseborough, Marton, Normanby, Salton, Great Edstone, Welburn and back to Wombleton.

“In 2021 we had our biggest ever year with 224 tractors. Last year we were around 200. Our closing date for entries is April 23, but we’ve never turned anybody away.

You can contact Malcolm on [email protected]