Happy Retirement Pat!

Pat Frith retires after 43 years.

Pat started with Blankney Estates on 17^th April 1978, having previously worked and completed his apprenticeship at Walter B Lincoln at Eagle, before joining the Crop Driers Farm workshop under Colin Toy.

43 harvests later he has completed an extraordinary period of long service and commitment to Blankney and as a hugely valued and skilled engineer he will be greatly missed.

Whatever broke down we always knew that ‘Pat will or has sorted it’.

Over those 43 harvests he has seen many changes in farm mechanisation and has always kept up with and mastered the changes in the technology. The first wheeled tractor he worked on was a Ford 4000, three cylinders, 55hp. The equivalent today, here on the farm, would be a Claas Arion 630, 165hp.

There can’t be many engineers that have seen such an evolution in Forage harvesting. The first machines he worked on were the Danish, Dronningborg Dania forage harvester, he was involved with the New Holland range, John Deere, Fendt and the latest Claas Jaguar 960.

We all wish him a long, happy and healthy retirement.