SHOPPERS and holidaymakers in Monmouth on Saturday were treated to a rare spectacle as more than 40 tractors, many of them vintage models, processed through Monnow Street.
This was not, as some thought, a demonstration against high fuel costs, but the annual gathering of the two cylinder John Deere Tractor Enthusiasts.
Members had come from as far afield as Dorset and Essex to attend the rally and road run organised by the Llangattock-Vibon-Avel Ploughing and Agricultural Society. Their hosts were Mr and Mrs Frank Sutton at Parc Grace Dieu Farm, Hendre.
The parade was led by the latest John Deere Year 2000 7710 towing the oldest in the rally, a 1924 Spoker D. There was also a John Deere 4620, the only example of this model still in existence in the UK.
Their route took them through 16 miles of local countryside, providing a memorable sight not only for the drivers, but also for the spectators.
Proceeds (of about £1,000) from the event are to be donated to the Air Ambulance Service.
The organisers wish to thank Monmouth Police for their valued assistance in arranging the event.