Visit to a vintage tractor show

Visit to a vintage tractor show at Gaillan-en-Médoc

On Saturday I went to take a look at a display of vintage tractors at the village of Gaillan-en-Médoc, just outside the town of Lesparre. There were plenty of well restored vehicles, mostly from the 1940’s and early 50’s but some earlier. Also to be seen were various agricultural items from much earlier. A boot fair (in French it’s ‘vide grenier’ literally ‘clear the attic’) was also taking place. I turned down the opportunity to buy even more rubbish, but there were some tempting items. But I couldn’t somehow see me getting a sword onto Easyjet coming back!

(There is another one 25km down the road this Saturday, so it’s an excuse for a bit iof a ride and maybe some acquisitions.)

The machines were tended by a typical collection of old chaps with greasy hands. I did notice that one or two had less than the normal complement of fingers, so perhaps their charges had got the better of them in the past!

The pictures are here http://1drv.ms/1pqO3gq

A huge old threshing machine was one of the highlights and a demonstration was scheduled. The machine was powered by a static tractor using a system of belts, pulleys and strange bits that went in and out and back and forth. Everything
started well enough, but after a few minutes there were cries of ‘stop, stop’ (in French of course) as something had gone wrong and stuff was flying out at all angles. Stop they did, many men put their heads inside hatches and spaces, there was much scratching of heads but no joy. And they went off to lunch! They were going to try again in the afternoon but I had seen enough of how it worked.

(I have a short video which I am trying to upload.)

Still, it had been a nice morning out in the countryside. It wasn’t too hot, so I cycled the 30km back to Soulac via the country lanes. Hardly a soul was to be seen, except those driving frantically along the main road in search of their holidays.

The only slight blemish on the day was when I went to the railway station that morning for the 0954 train to Lesparre. The girl at the ticket office me if I had a seniors reduction card. Now I know I am not at my best the mornings, but that is the first time anyone has asked me that. I did say I had an English one, but that did no good. I had to pay the full €5,80 for the 20 minute ride.

In France

UPDATE 2015 –  a new memorial has been dedicated at Pointe de Grave and i came across another one at St Vivien. See this post at https://cubsur51.wordpress.com/2015/08/27/the-medoc-and-operation-frankton-1942/

I am presently in France, specifically the Medoc peninsular of Aquitaine. Here’s just a couple of pictures I took on a grey and rainy day in Le Verdon. Le Verdon is at the very tip of the peninsular where the river Garonne enters the sea.

This is where I took shelter for 45 minutes during a heavy shower. A WW2 Geman garage! Observe hired bicycle.

A freighter entering the Garonne passing the fishermen braving the elements on one of the old quays.

This memorial to British World War Two heroes is tucked away in a side street near the ferry at Pointe de Grave.

It commemorates the capture of two of the members of ‘Operation Frankton’ – the commando operation dramatised in the film ‘Cockleshell Heroes’. You can read all about it elsewhere but briefly the mission, in December 1942, called for six two-man canoe teams to be dropped by submarine off Le Verdon, from where they would paddle the 60 miles down the Gironde to the docks in Bordeaux and there blow up as possible of the enemy shipping. One canoe didn’t even make it out of the sub, two crews were lost at sea and only two actually made it all the way. Much damage was done.

The inscription on the monument reads, in French and English,

In Memoriam

Sergeant Samuel Wallace
Marine Robert Ewart

Captured near here, 50 metres away towards the sea, at dawn on 8th December 1942 by the crew of a German anti-aircraft battery.  Shot at the Chateau Magnol, Blanquefort, on 11th December 1942.

I hope to get some more cheerful pictures at the Tour de France time trial tomorrow in Pauillac.