One thing that rural heritage enthusiasts have concerns about is “who is going to preserve all the old machinery and the old traditions once we are gone”. Frequently we hear of someone restoring a tractor, so that it is good for another 50 years, but who will care for this machine in another half a century? Will we even have vintage machinery enthusiasts then?
Young blood
Those who run clubs and ploughing matches often seem worried that there aren’t enough young people in this hobby, and that it could all ‘die out’ as the older members pass away. These are genuine concerns facing us. Times are always changing, and we never know what the future holds. So, it is always reassuring to meet a younger person who is not only keen on the preservation of old vehicles, machinery, and traditions, but who is also embracing modern technology to promote the hobby.
This young enthusiast is Emyr Jones, and he lives on the Isle of Anglesey. I encountered Emyr through a chance conversation with a communications engineer who was installing fibre-optic broadband in my home. This engineer mentioned his son was crazyabout the young and told that they care for nothing except having the latest phone or computer game.
