THE LAST WORD

In each issue our Editor-at-large, Peter Love, takes a look at what has been going on in the world concerned with heritage preservation.

A s I write this, tomorrow I am attending my fi rst sale of 2022 and it will be a 5am start from here – as the classic tractors start going through at 9am! I will be wrapping up warm at the same time, but it will be great to be out on the sale fi eld again.

Cheffi ns has just sent me some interesting information regarding its spring Vintage Collective. The company says it promises to be even bigger and better than ever before, with the sale running over two days to allow both in-person and online bidding.

Taking place on Friday 22-23 April, the sale will see thousands of lots go under the hammer, including steam engines, classic and vintage tractors, commercial vehicles, cars, motorbikes, implements and collectors’ items.

The auction on Friday 22 April will encompass literature, models and steam spares and the sale on Saturday 23 April will include tractors, motorbikes, vehicles and tractor spares and implements.

Bill King, chairman of Cheffi ns, says: “Whilst the pandemic put a stop to live auctions for a period, we have decided that from April we will now return all sections of the sale back to offering both live and online bidding.”

If you would like to enter something in the sale, please get in touch with Cheffi ns via telephone on 01353 777767, or visit the website: cheffi ns.co.uk

In early January, some well-known friends invited me to inspect something I had forgotten that they had, which is only based less than an hour away from here and I was so pleased to see it. My family were agricultural, car and commercial body builders at Ledgers, Paddock Wood, Kent, from the late 1880s until 1956, when the three brothers involved in the business retired.

Besides making horse-drawn farm wagons and carts in the early days, they later made the bodywork on Canterbury’s fi rst internal combustion-powered fi re engine and made bodies for Ford Model Ts, while some were used in their taxi and coach business too. The lorry bodies were made for the likes of Leyland, AEC, Albion, International, Bedford, Tilling-Stevens and Vulcan.

As well as these, the company continued to make pneumatic-tyred trailers in various sizes as its ‘bread and butter’ stock. The trailer I was looking at was possibly a 30cwt tipper. The bodywork needs completely rebuilding, but I was impressed by the standard of welding – which looked well up to the mark.

It appears that the trailer could have been used by the Eridge Park Estate, as it came from that area and the estate was a very good customer of Love Bros.

In the later, post-war years the brothers concentrated on trailers of all sizes, particularly for the hop and apple markets of Kent and East Sussex. I know that a few of their trailers have lasted, but if you have a Love Bros. trailer I would love you (pardon the pun) to get in touch on 01323 833125 or via e-mail: peterlove@madasafi sh.com

What I do know is that the 30cwt trailer would go very well with one of my 1937 Love tractors!

It’s a well-built trailer, but one that needs a major rebuild!

1880s until 1956, when the three brothers involved in the business

Besides making horse-drawn early days, they later made the bodywork on Canterbury’s fi rst fi re engine and made bodies for Ford Model Ts, while some were Leyland, AEC, Albion, International, Love Bros.’ stand at the 1953 Kent County Show. Photo: John Love.

Group Editor-at-large, Kelsey Media