Down On the Farm (2 Viewers)

[johnnybach]

Here's some more pics of my Wadworth Brewery Dray c.1900's - now completed - and carrying barrels of Wadworth's finest beers. (must be - it says so on the side of the cart).

My former Farm-Shire Horses ( originally repaired old Britains), have now gone to work for a local brewer - and still work on to this day. Note the postcard behind my cart - which shows the modern-day set-up - which includes their modern brews advertised on the sides of the cart. This was not done until quite recently - so my side slogan reflects a previous era. My older cart is also more basic than the modern one - which is used by the Brewery at Fairs and shows - and can also be set up to provide seating (hence the top rail), for "rides" - as children especially love to be carried around by these two gentle giants of horses, who weigh in at more than one ton apiece - and stand over 10 feet tall. Needless to say - they always attract a crowd - even when working in the streets of Devizes - and are great favourites and ambassadors for the company. jb

 

[Buster]

As always jb, very nicely done. Have to agreed with what others have said about the horses ..... beautiful work. lovely job on the lettering too! Hey, you're getting pretty darned good at this fixin' and paintin' business. :wink2:^&grin

B. :salute::

 

[johnnybach]

As always jb, very nicely done. Have to agreed with what others have said about the horses ..... beautiful work. lovely job on the lettering too! Hey, you're getting pretty darned good at this fixin' and paintin' business. :wink2:^&grin

B. :salute::

Thanks chum. It's what I'm currently enjoying doing best - so win-win eh?

I also thoroughly enjoyed meeting up with Monty and Max just before Xmas - they are magnificent animals - so big, but both have lovely placid natures. We met up at the stables, which are at the rear of the Brewery in Devizes (Wiltshire) - as they were being fed - just one of their six feeds per day. Well, big lads have healthy appetites. They also get a hay net - for snacks between meals!

We learned at the visit, that all horses (they have a third horse called Archie - currently in training), have a fortnight's holiday during August. They have their two weeks off in a large field next to one of Wadworth's Pubs, and this gets quite a following too. They begin their summer break with a couple of pints of beer ( which they all apparently enjoy greatly). Then they are let loose in the field - and they just go nuts!

Here's a clip showing a ton of horse-flesh acting like they are spring lambs!

P.S. Glad you and others enjoyed them too.:salute:: jb

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-khvnS7-K_Y

 

[thebritfarmer]

Such magnificent beasts !!!!!


Now you need three more shires and three of the Britians stable lads to create that scene

 

[Ivanhoe]

Thanks chum. It's what I'm currently enjoying doing best - so win-win eh?

I also thoroughly enjoyed meeting up with Monty and Max just before Xmas - they are magnificent animals - so big, but both have lovely placid natures. We met up at the stables, which are at the rear of the Brewery in Devizes (Wiltshire) - as they were being fed - just one of their six feeds per day. Well, big lads have healthy appetites. They also get a hay net - for snacks between meals!

We learned at the visit, that all horses (they have a third horse called Archie - currently in training), have a fortnight's holiday during August. They have their two weeks off in a large field next to one of Wadworth's Pubs, and this gets quite a following too. They begin their summer break with a couple of pints of beer ( which they all apparently enjoy greatly). Then they are let loose in the field - and they just go nuts!

Here's a clip showing a ton of horse-flesh acting like they are spring lambs!

P.S. Glad you and others enjoyed them too.:salute:: jb

Great video jb.

Magnificent horses.

Quite an expense for the brewery...rare to see that kind of dedication to your business now days.

Thank you.

 

[theBaron]

That's a beautiful dray, John! And a subject dear to my heart, too! Na, prost!
Brad

 

[johnnybach]

Such magnificent beasts !!!!!


Now you need three more shires and three of the Britians stable lads to create that scene

Nice thought Scott - but IF I'd have had three horses this time - I might have had a go at this subject below: ( It's an old Pub sign that their in-house sign painters had made up some time ago).

 

[johnnybach]

Great video jb.

Magnificent horses.

Quite an expense for the brewery...rare to see that kind of dedication to your business now days.

Thank you.

Hi chum - agreed. It's still a Family owned and run business that's been going for over 150 years - and still in the centre of an old West Country Town where it started

I asked that very question on a recent visit. I found that the brewery has mainly outsourced it's distance deliveries - and downsized the Horse-Dray deliveries to one dray (from 2 in the last two years). They now run just the one Dray - and hold three horses for deliveries within four miles of the Brewery - and for Show and other PR events. They hope this will still make it viable to keep them on - as they are so popular with their local clientel - of which I am now honoured to be counted as one.

They also happen to make lovely beer! My own favourite currently - being "Bishops Tipple" Learn more here:

http://www.wadworth.co.uk/our-beers

 

[johnnybach]

That's a beautiful dray, John! And a subject dear to my heart, too! Na, prost!
Brad

Thanks Brad - I just knew you would enjoy it - and I know it's a subject we are both keen to explore too, brother: "Yachi da" ( Welsh for Good Health)D

 

[theBaron]

Thanks Brad - I just knew you would enjoy it - and I know it's a subject we are both keen to explore too, brother: "Yachi da" ( Welsh for Good Health)D

That can't be Welsh, there aren't enough consonants!

Does Wadsworth brew a stout? I wonder if our distributors here can get any of their beers.

Prost!
Brad

 

[Ivanhoe]

Hi chum - agreed. It's still a Family owned and run business that's been going for over 150 years - and still in the centre of an old West Country Town where it started

They also happen to make lovely beer! My own favourite currently - being "Bishops Tipple" Learn more here:

http://www.wadworth.co.uk/our-beers

"Family Owned"...is the key...do not have to cater to those with no skin in the game.

Looks like a great selection of brews...your "Bishop's Tipple" sounds good...I believe I would try the "Corvus Stout" first.

Envy you to have such a nice place to visit.

Thank you.

 

[theBaron]

"Family Owned"...is the key...do not have to cater to those with no skin in the game.

Looks like a great selection of brews...your "Bishop's Tipple" sounds good...I believe I would try the "Corvus Stout" first.

Envy you to have such a nice place to visit.

Thank you.

Oh, duh! I didn't follow the link. I agree, that stout sounds very good, it's making my mouth water!

Prost!
Brad

 

[johnnybach]

That can't be Welsh, there aren't enough consonants!

Does Wadsworth brew a stout? I wonder if our distributors here can get any of their beers.

Prost!
Brad

Yo brad - Wadworth does brew a stout beer - and it's the only one that they serve chilled. I've tasted it - and it's quite nice. It looks very like Irish Guiness in the glass. It's almost black - with a thick creamy head - with a subtle aroma of barley and coffee and he finish is almost bittersweet. It's just that little too sweet for me. They also brew speciality beers for special events - and a Xmas Ale too.

And yes - I think we are very lucky to have a local brewer still under family ownership - and dedicated to still making "proper" beers, or as we say over here "Real Ale". Having visited both Brains Brewery in Cardiff - and Wadworth's in Devizes ( both family named and owned) - I found that despite the obvious differences - there is a great similarity in the set-up of BOTH businesses. Long may they both continue.

Yachi da! jb

http://www.wadworth.co.uk/our-beers

 

[thebritfarmer]

Ours was swallowed up by Carlsberg and they got rid of the shires & drays

 

[johnnybach]

Ours was swallowed up by Carlsberg and they got rid of the shires & drays

Wow - long legs on that pair of beauties Scott.

It seems to me that whenever the "Big Boys" in brewing get hold of some of the smaller ones - the number-crunchers start stripping away the bits and pieces of the heart and soul of many of them - and soon we are often left with "Plastic Pubs" - and really - quite bland ranges of beers!

Such frivolities as Shire Horses and Drays are pretty quick to go too. With these guys - it's all ££££'s - or $$$$'s.

I'm a devotee of CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) - and refuse to drink any of what I call "plastic beers".

The message is clear - support your local Family owned makers of Real Ale - or quietly lose much of the stuff which really makes life so much nicer.

Cheers/ Prost/ Yachi da!...................whatever............:salute::jb

P.S. Whatever Monty's drinking - I'll have one too! (with thanks to The Daily Mail).

 

[johnnybach]

Here's a pic of some of my current work on the farm.



First thing to note - are the three carts currently being repaired/refurbished. All three of these are really a mish-mash of spare parts made up from e-bay job lots. The central Tumbril Cart is made up of some genuine Britains parts - such as the wheels - but the main body of the cart was Made in France ( stamped as such underneath). The axle is brass rod - the rear door was missing - so the new one is fabricated from alloy metal - and the pair of shafts was missing - so a re-cast spare was found and fitted instead. Not quite the correct pair of shafts for this cart - but after slight modification - were made to fit. The "hay ladders" are re-casts from Dorset - and need to be made to fit - as they are non-standard. The cart-horse is an old Britains - from yet another job-lot, and has a repaired body.

To the front - you can see an almost identical selection of parts - which I will also be repairing to make up yet another Tumbril cart ( again, slightly different parts). My third cart ( in brown) is a much simpler Farm cart - which was originally found without wheels or horse. I found a pair of wheels to fit - and the much lighter Farm Horse for this one - will be made up using a modified Britains farm-horse you see currently between the shafts. He will need some light tack and a horse-collar to be made fro milliput.

You can see three more cows for my herd to the left. Have a look at their legs - as you may see that the front two had only one leg between them originally! Paper-clips provide the link from stumps to new bases - and sculpted milliput will make up the final repair before repainting. The Brown Shire horse at rear - is a much-milliputted repair to a badly damaged pre-war Pixyland-Kew Shire horse - who had major damage to the front and neck areas - and a front leg missing. He will look as good as new when completed. The small calf just in front is Johillco - and had three legs only when found. The fox will be my third - and is from Dorset Models.

You may also see my Stable lad - who was originally a Britains Stable Lad - who had lost a right arm. I gave him an arm with a bucket from another spare part - and am modifying it to fit - by filing it to a rolled up sleeve look - to suit his other fixed arm. So.......non-original - but I think will fit in very nicely. You can also see two Britains ploughmen - just behind the brown cart. These are both recasts - and one has his arms altered by narrowing the gap between his hands. This is so that he will fit my repaired hand-plough which originally was found with an incorrect ploughman - so when I repaired the plough - I made the plough handles much narrower than the original to fit the incorrect figure I had. I'll keep both ploughmen - in case another broken plough comes along.

My last two horses behind my plough-men are from Johillco. The larger black horse was missing a rear left leg - and the smaller foal had head damage.

So....................still keeping busy - Down on Johnny's Farm. jb

 

[Ivanhoe]

Here's a pic of some of my current work on the farm.


So....................still keeping busy - Down on Johnny's Farm. jb

You are correct jb, you do keep "busy" !

Really like the paint job on that "Pixyland-Kew Shire horse", you seem to have a lot of Foxes running around your "farm".

Thank you.

 

[johnnybach]

You are correct jb, you do keep "busy" !

Really like the paint job on that "Pixyland-Kew Shire horse", you seem to have a lot of Foxes running around your "farm".

Thank you.

The Pixy Shire is just a first coat buddy ( to hide all of the milliput I needed to fill some really bad holes!). But I s'pose that's to be expected when you're nearing 90 or so! As you know - I love Shires - so it was important to me to try and save him. Keep a lookout for a finish on him, one of these days.

I also have a soft spot for foxes. Anything that's clever enough to live off it's wits, when pursued by just about everything around - bent on your destruction, has my admiration - and they're so good looking too. Whenever I see one at a reasonable price - they're mine!

Glad you're enjoying them. jb

 

[DMNamiot]

Hi Johnny,

I love your work! I have a question on the carts, I need one with a dead horse for a display I am making with Belgian Infantry defending a narrow town street from German Uhlans. I have the Belgians and 1 Uhlan with several more being sought but I am looking for a cart similar to your hay rick that I can link up with a dead horse from one of my Frontline sets. Where would you suggest I look for one?

Also have to ask if you have found any of the map of the world cows from Britains? One of them would be great in your farm.

Dave

 

[johnnybach]

Hi Johnny,

I love your work! I have a question on the carts, I need one with a dead horse for a display I am making with Belgian Infantry defending a narrow town street from German Uhlans. I have the Belgians and 1 Uhlan with several more being sought but I am looking for a cart similar to your hay rick that I can link up with a dead horse from one of my Frontline sets. Where would you suggest I look for one?

Also have to ask if you have found any of the map of the world cows from Britains? One of them would be great in your farm.

Dave

Hi Dave. Should be no problem for you to get a Tumbril cart - I got mine - almost by accident, as I bid on "Farm job-lots" on e-bay. I didn't get them complete though, ever. If you're lucky, you might get the main body of the cart and the wheels - and maybe a rusty axle! What usually gets lost or broken are the shafts and rear removable door to the cart and the "hay ladders", (which just extend the carrying capacity of the cart). In short, anything removable usually gets lost! You can sometimes get complete mint ones - but they usually go for far more than I'm willing to pay for them - and you lose all of the fun of repairing, re-building and re-painting anyway.

Sounds like a neat project - and as yours will be in a "War Zone" situation - it won't matter one bit - if the cart looks a little "beat up". If you get one with broken shafts - it might even look more authentic, as when a horse bites the dust - it may even take a shaft with it!! I have a broken shaft section, and a pair of buckled wheels - if you want them?

I got my spares from Dorset Soldiers - but as they are generic parts for all carts - they need some tweaking to be made to fit - so not really ideal, unless you have had loads of practice.

Now you appear to be back in that "West Texas Town" (Hola Amigo!) - you can get loads of spare parts for such vehicles from London Bridge in Emmaus PA; ( including shafts and ladders), Here's the link below. The owner, Ron Randall is an authorised Britains spares dealer - so you will be able to get authentic spares there for most Britains Hollowcast products. Just browse through the online Spare parts section of the catalogue - and there will be the bits you want. There's both phone and e-mail address for ordering. It's great fun to repair and restore - so I hope you go down that route - and you will save a ton of money too - as broken TS aren't usually too expensive.

http://londonbridgecollectorstoys.com/

My suggestion is to get what you can from e-bay etcetera - and then get the missing bits from London Bridge

As to the Map cow - nope - haven't found one yet. They are embossed - but I'm sure one could just be repainted that way - if you really wanted one. I'm not really bothered one way or another - as I think my herd looks fine, just the way it is.

Hope that helps amigo - have fun!{sm4} jb