CD FOR SALE PAGE

 

The idea of a CD came about when I was asked for onre at the Northern Counties Heavy Horse Society's ploughing match in 2006.

 

However Mum once told me that even if it takes years people always get what they deserve in the end. I'm afraid John Fairburn became one of those people in 2006. I have known John eversince I was invited to a ploughing match near Morpeth in Northumberland in November 1989 which was very well sponsored by the VAUX BREWERY. I had a phone call from Graham who was organising the horse ploughing to tell me they were offering £200 travelling expenses and if we promise to look after you well will you come and plough Ann.? I asked him to send me a map of how to get there and we'd see him on the Saturday at the stables he had arranged for the night before.

 

On our way we came off the motorway at the junction on the letter only to find we came to a T-Junction rather than a series of roundabouts as was suggested in the letter. Pete, my ex-husband, was the only one with me as Dad had had a major operation the year before and didn't feel up to the long journey so he and Mum stayed at home. He got the map out and we looked for all the roundabouts which were at a junction 4 junctionso further on. So we risked it and went to that junction and then followed the instructions which took us straight to the stables. We were met with apologies about the map but we did try and ring in the week but the name Jones didn't come under the address you gave us. I told them they had got Dad's address so they wouldn't unless they searched under Tomlin. Oh well he said at least your here. I'd like to ask you a favour Ann he asked? Would it be ok for Edward who works with the horses at Vaux help you as he'd like to get to know what's what as he has got the brewery interested in letting him take the horses to ploughing matches. I told him not a problem so Pete ended up on the sidelines while Edward helped me. Graham then went on to say, I'm glad you could come he said as I've told everyone if your as good as your Dad our horsemen up here should learn a thing or two from you. He told me that a young lad of 16 was ploughing and he had great hopes for John Fairburn, particularly as he was going out with his daughter at that time.

 

When we took one of the horses off to finish with the other Edward led Bonnie across to Pete as the Vaux Boss shouted to me to watch that Edward does give the horse to the right person as I might be going home with only one horse. I laughed at his banter and told him NO CHANCE. Throughout the day tins of Vaux Lager appeared on the plots. I noticed everyone else got one to my two. Well he said as the fourth lot arrived you've travelled a lot further than the others. As I finished my very last cleaning out furrow Pete nodded at me from the headland to look behind me. I found at least 4 bodies following me up the furrow. As they noticed me watching one of them commented, Well you've won so we thought it may as well look really good as just good. When we had finished Graham  came to me with the travelling money and told me that as two ploughmen hadn't turned up their expenses were to be shared between the three of us who have ploughed. Graham told me that it was suggested by Vaux to give me another £200 and split the other £200 between the other two as they were local. I've asked them and they are happy at that Ann so I am very pleased to give you £400 and with the £100 first prize you've had a good day. I told him it was one of the best weekends we've ever had.

 

A few years later at the World Ploughing in Lincoln in 2000 I took Cathy Peggs horses to plough  with and John's horsebox was only  one or two away from us. I tapped on the door and climbed in  and stood chatting to John  about him coming second that day in the ploughing when John Goodwin came in who had got third that day. He told me he had come to talk to John about Champion's talk which was something I wouldn't know anything about and more or less chucked me out of the horsebox. I kept my distance after that very offended as using borrowed horses has the pitfall that you don't know them as well as your own horses so all I can say about my ploughing at that time was that it didn't do me any favours.

 

The next time I saw John was at the Royal Show in 2004 when he made a point of inviting me into his horsebox to show me how he had set it up for shows. After that was at the Nothern Counties match in 2006.  He had parked his arctic horsebox by the gate as he told Jim the organiser he couldn't get it to where the other boxes were.  When I saw John I jokingly asked him if it was becasue we weren't good enough for him and he went scarlet with embarressment. To add to that I then found out I was ploughing next to him. As the day went on a Lady and Gentleman were chatting to the lad who was helping John. As I ploughed up to that end I heard her say to him, go on you ask her, you know her better than me. As I got closer I stopped the horses so John could turn his on the headland when his mate waved at me to come over. This Lady wants to know if you've got a CD of your horses he asked? I told her no but I could make one up from videos we had taken over the years. Oh good she said I will pay you for it she insisted. I took her name and address and she wasmore than happy at that. She wanted it as they were bored watching some of the videos they'd got  and was sure my CD would be excellent. I looked at John's mate as I went back to the horses. For the second time that day he was looking embarressed. I had to smile as I guess I got more than even with then that day even if it was 6 years later. Mum was right you see people do get what they deserve in the end.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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