If I think of a vintage rally, one of the first sounds I associate with these events is the sound of a Field Marshall tractor. The distinctive sound could be heard all over the showground as one of these tractors powered a thrashing box as part of a live demonstration. Bomp, bomp, bomp would ring out from the Field Marshall’s engine as it provided the power via its big side pulley.
Decline
Unfortunately, these days I’ve noticed at these same shows the live demos involving these tractors are no longer there. This is largely because the older generation that were running Field Marshalls and thrashing boxes are not around. At local shows in Trimpley, Arley and Alverley, there would always be a live display of these tractors.
In early August last year, I visited the Burwarton Show in Shropshire. This was another show that in previous years
