It’s been a month since Biddenden Tractorfest 2022 and with the team rested and revived, there are quite a few thank you’s that we need to give!
So, thank you to…
All of our exhibitors, stand holders, those who gave demonstrations & put on interactive displays, and all who joined us over the weekend. There is so much time & effort put into preparing vehicles, setting up stands and across the whole weekend, and we really do appreciate your time and effort.
Everyone who visited over the weekend. The aim of Biddenden Tractorfest is to offer a traditional, family day out in the Kent countryside, and we simply wouldn’t be able to do that without your support. Thanks also to everyone who took the time to give such positive feedback both in person and on our social channels – it really does make all the hard work worthwhile!
Our amazing committee, who give up hours of their time not just over the weekend but in the week leading up and months before planning, preparing and bringing together each of their sections seamlessly. Our section managers are as follows:
Tractors: John Kingsnorth, Susan Thomas & Paul Bridge
Horticultural Machinery: Kevin Castle
Stationary Engines: Stephen DeCicco
Steam: Ashley & Sarah Pettitt
Classic Cars: Leon Price
Emergency Services: Jamin Beer
Animals: Helen Stow
Music: Caroline Hopkins
Trade & Vice-Chair: Kim Reeves
Catering: Bill Stacey
Site: Lawrence Richards & Ben Cooper
The volunteers that joined us across the weekend, including Norman Searle, Cherry Cornelius, Lee Govier, Sonia Farmer, KCAS Rural Scholar Alice Edmonds, Denise Lievesley, Roland Rosner, Kiaya Purchase, Teresa & Perdy Hutchings (11 years old), Lucille (Biddenden Vineyards’ French intern), the Police Cadets and Kent Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs. Mervyn & Angela Reeves & Kelly Clark (Merchadise tent), Bernard Pike (commentator), Andy Gardner (commentator), Alec Lockwood (tractor rides), Steve Pike and others from Hadlow College (tractor rides), Jumbo Saunders and Trevor Charman from the Rural Past Times Show (tractor rides), Bill Giles from Weald of Kent Steam Rally who kindly provided coal.
Our sponsors, who have provided services or support – ASH Scaffolding, Ashford & Tenterden Tourism Association, The Bell and Jorrocks, Biddenden Farm Shop, Biddenden Walking Rural, The Broyle Country Show Ringmer, Danny Body, FarrisWeb, Invicta Audiovisual Ltd, Invicta Insurance, GM Woodgate & Son, Kent Design Studio, JPF Farms, Mark Hellier Tractors, Oak Surveys Limited, Print Big UK, Staplehurst Transits, Mount Lodge Farm & YFC, Ashford YFC and Team Ben Hammond.
The whole of the KCAS team, KCAS directors Jan Loraine, Hugh Summerfield & Clare Seymour who helped across the weekend and our show manager, Lucy Hegarty, who have brought the expertise and connections to put key infrastructure in place and allow Biddenden Tractorfest to run smoothly from traffic management, to health & safety and so many other areas in between.
Julian Barnes, KCAS Chairman and owner of Biddenden Vineyards, who has been a huge part of ensuring Biddenden Tractorfest was able to continue as a local event, as well as providing a venue for meetings to take place throughout the year and whose staff did an amazing job helping litter pick the site after the event. Robert Lewis, who allowed us to use his field for parking.
And a special thanks to Michael Palmer, who allowed us to return to his fields – certainly a much loved venue by exhibitors & visitors alike.
I have to say, I am in awe of what our team achieved, and we are already starting to look at plans for next year. Watch this space for further updates!
Vikki Eames, Chair, Biddenden Tractorfest