Welcome Home Alice

by Heather Dodd

Sat staring out at the fantastic view – green and golden fields, horses and of course the odd vintage tractor creeping into vision’s edge. Phone in hand, I diverted my attention to look at the local news activity on Facebook. The name ‘Emma Long’ jumped out from one of the comments. I recognised this name, but I cannot think from where …

Rewind some fifteen to twenty years … Dad had a few tractors about the place, and he wanted another! He decided to sell two and purchase a diesel Fergie to take to ploughing matches. The chosen two were a little grey petrol/paraffin T20 and an Allis-Chalmers model B. My former colleague, Zoe, was looking for a tractor to use for topping the paddock at her newly acquired home ‘Toad Hall’; the T20 was ideal for this, whilst the model B was much desired by her father, Frank. The two little tractors were dropped off at Toad Hall. Unfortunately, the purchase of the diesel Fergie fell through, but the quest for one was later fulfilled, and the tractor which Dad purchased went on to become the chariot which conveyed him on his final journey.

In his later years, Dad would often reminisce about the model B, fondly known as ‘Alice', pondering on where it might be, and expressing regret for selling it. I had long since lost touch with Zoe and Frank, and so never thought to pursue the matter.

Fast forward back to present day … So, why did the name ‘Emma Long’ ring a bell? On a hunch I messaged her enquiring if she was related to Zoe and Frank, “Why yes, Zoe is my aunt”. I had struck ‘gold’! I asked if Frank still had the model B. “No, he’s moved house a few times so the tractor was sold on. I will ask him who he sold it to” she replied.

Later that evening Emma messaged me with the name and number of the person Frank had sold Alice to. I dropped that person, 'Nigel', a text asking if he still owned Alice and asking if so, would he like to sell her. All was then quiet on the text front, until about 1.00am when Nigel text back to say he was still the owner, Alice was in need of a total restore and to give him a call. I was so excited and had to wait through the endless hours for a more sociable time to make the call. I wasn’t disappointed though, Nigel said he would sell Alice to me for the same price he paid for her.

That afternoon, my long-suffering partner, Robin, and I hitched up the trailer, dropped by a cashpoint, then headed over to Nigel’s place.

Nigel took us to the back of his yard. We stood in front of a very large concrete pipe (the sort that has a ladder in) and there behind it, with hedge growing around and over them, were two orange Allis-Chalmer tractors, both in a sorry state; one was a diesel and the other a petrol. “That’s her, in the back. Well, I’m pretty sure that’s the one I got off Frank”. I wasn't encouraged by Nigel's confidence, and have to confess at this point I was thinking this could be any tractor! Unfortunately, I didn’t know the registration number of Alice.

Robin climbed over the concrete pipe and went into the hedge for a closer look. He shouted out “yep, this is the one, I’d recognise that step anywhere”. I didn’t know what he was talking about, but apparently Dad had had a white step fitted to the tractor, and there it was on the little tractor buried in the hedge! As Robin looked her over, he rocked the steering wheel which promptly snapped off in his hand!

After a bit of bartering, a deal was struck and I handed over the cash. Nigel lifted the concrete pipe out of the way using a telehandler. He then lifted the diesel Allis-Chalmers out of the way, before swinging our ‘Alice’ clean out of the hedge and onto the back of our trailer! After strapping her on and power hosing her down, we headed back to Hempton to surprise my mum.

I was overjoyed; within 24 hours Alice had been tracked down, purchased, lifted out of a hedgerow, and was back home. She is indeed in need of a total restore; in fact, she is completely seized. Yes, I know I paid a fair bit considering the condition she is in, but for the joy and comfort her return has brought she is worth every penny.

After feeling a little daunted to start with, Robin has made good progress thus far dismantling Alice. We will feature her restore in the coming issues, and we hope to have her back out parading at shows. Of one thing, I am certain, and that is that my Dad was with us the day we headed over to Nigel’s; I could feel his happiness emanating through myself.

Mum didn't think Dad had a workshop manual for the model B, but after some searching through his books I found one, in mint condition, and on turning the page I found strangely Dad had signed his name, ‘Philip Dodd’, just inside. Needless to say, this manual is treasured and not allowed anywhere near the messy restore!