Ex-copper plans to tractor his way to Norway… towing a caravan
Just two weeks ago, retired policeman Peter Matheson decided he would drive from Scotland to Norway, by tractor. Yes, you read that right – by tractor. Not only that, he will be towing a 28ft, Elddis Crusader Sirocco caravan behind him for the 8,000 mile round trip. Talk about a wide load. But, Peter’s hasn’t lost the plot – it’s all in the name of charity.
Matheson, 50, bought a vintage Massey Ferguson 135 tractor, nicknamed ‘Annie’, to complete the charity ride to Norway, starting on 9 August. He purchased the tractor off of eBay, of all places, for £7,000. The tractor reaches a maximum of 15mph and it has been estimated that the trek will take four months to complete. That’s a whole lot of tractor time driving in, what we imagine, not the most comfortable of vehicles – ouch!
But never fear, Peter will be taking his trusty seven-year-old Labrador, Amber, along for the ride. Unlike Peter, who will have to suffer the elements without a cab on his tractor, the lucky Lab will have the comfort of the caravan to retreat to when Mother Nature is being unkind. Amber even gets specially built shelf for her crate, which has been welded to the back of the tractor for those brighter times when the sun chooses to grace Peter with its presence.
Being an old member of the Young Farmers in Colchester, Essex, it seems fitting that a tractor is Peter’s vehicle of choice. This was not part of his original plan, however. Initially, the ambitious fundraiser planned to use his Land Rover but found this would create difficulties when trying to tow the caravan up the steeper gradients of Norway.
Equipped with his kilt, a wetsuit and snorkel, the ex-cop plans to travel from John O’Groats to Lands End, via Essex, then head to Dover, where he’ll head up through Scandinavia to Nordkapp, Norway, to view the Aurora borealis, more commonly known as the Northern Lights. We may even run out to say howdy as he makes his way through London.
This is not just another crazy stunt for charity, the charities chosen are very close to Peter’s heart. During his time with the Young Farmers, Peter made two friends who later married and had two children. One of his friend’s children, Tom Bowdidge, sadly passed away from a desmoplastic small round cell tumour and extensive peritoneal disease in October last year, at just 19-years-old. On what would have been Tom’s 20th birthday, his parents, Richard and Nikki, founded the Tom Bowdidge Foundation, in memory of their son. The foundation has been chosen as one of the recipients of the Tractor Bumble’s proceeds. The charity’s goal is to raise funds, support research projects and provide physical and emotional support to teenagers and young people with cancer. Peter will also be donating money raised to the well-known children’s charity, Unicef.
The caravan will be adorned in messages, explaining his mission to other motorists and why he’s is going at a snail’s pace; his bright red tractor and customised caravan will definitely be a sight to behold and is sure to cause a stir on his travels.
Peter is also on the lookout for volunteers to pilot the previously mentioned Land Rover, which he plans to take along as a support vehicle. He has also been contacting young farmers’ clubs up and down the country, hoping to get support and for others to join him en route. We don’t know about you readers, but we’d love to see a parade of tractors and caravans chuggin’ along Tower Bridge.
To get involved or find out more about this, visit the Tractor Bumble site here, where details about donations, via paypal or directly, can be found, or visit the facebook page. Alternatively, contact Peter directly at peter.matheson63@gmail.com.
This is set to be one hell of a party so get your farmer on and join in! And, whilst this wouldn’t be our suggestion of towing vehicle, all of us here at CaravanTimes are definitely behind this wacky charity effort all the way.
