Tractor fans make tracks for Henry’s workshop

Whether it is retired men rediscovering their youth, wallowing in nostalgia or simply fulfilling a lifelong yearning to own the kind of tractor they grew up with, it is all good news for one man in Thixendale.

Henry Watson restores vintage tractors and he has turned what was once a hobby into his main business having come out of farming in 2005. He is the vintage tractor owners’ Mr Fix-It and he is in demand.

“Tractor runs and vintage rallies are becoming very popular, but it isn’t everyone who wants to spend the time or has the knowledge to be able to restore one,” he says. “That’s where I come in.”

Henry’s personal favourites are Nuffields, particularly the 1060, and the legendary “Grey Fergie” the tractor that made Harry Ferguson a household name in farming circles right around the world.

“Harry Ferguson was a very clever engineer. The hydraulic system he developed and the lightweight, versatile tractor he designed and launched after World War II cemented his place in history.

“But the biggest challenge I have faced was a Massey Harris Pacemaker originally purchased from Dales of Bridlington in the 1930s. It was absolutely worn out and required the manufacture of a number of parts. There were no spares available. Fortunately I can manufacture some parts myself. The whole job took about three months.

“Every job is different. It is not until you have opened up the engine that you really know what is needed.

“Some jobs run into the thousands. If they ask me to do a cheap job, which basically means a bodge then I won’t do it. Reputation is everything and a bodge will always reflect back on me.

“Some are family heirlooms and the owners just want to see them restored so that they can keep a slice of their history intact. Most of my customers want them to be in use. I have one who has 13 tractors to restore. The one I’m working on at the moment is a Massey Ferguson FE35 manufactured in 1957.

“There are other engineers who possibly go into restoration work thinking they are going to get rich out of it. They soon find out the reality. The hours you have to put in, and the concentration that is needed, would put off some. A lot of what I do is self-taught.”

Thixendale is one of the most beautiful unspoilt dales and still relatively untouched by tourism. Henry lives at the end of a track, which is why his calling card is appearing at rallies and agricultural shows.

“I never wanted to come out of farming but circumstances dictated it. I enjoyed it but I don’t miss the paperwork.”

His son, also Henry, is studying at Askham Bryan College and also enjoys vintage tractors too.

Henry is married to Fiona and also has a daughter Sophie. He has lived and worked in Thixendale all his life and his vintage tractor restoration business looks likely to keep him here

Henry is on 01377 288666.