This is our 120th match of the Brailsford and District Ploughing and Hedgecutting Society, which started in 1895 with five classes, three ploughing and two hedgecutting, and has increased over the years to what it is today, of around 130 classes, including horse and tractor ploughing, including vintage stationary engines, cattle and sheep judging.
I would like to introduce myself as archivist of BPM.
Being involved in farming all my life, I was born on my Grandfather’s farm in Trusley, working from the age of 14 to the age of 66 when I retired, mainly as a herdsman on different farms in the area no more than 7 miles to where I live now in Hilton.
I became more involved with the ploughing match in 1999 when I went to work for Ken Atkin, he encouraged me to go on the committee and get interested in the history of the match, as I was a trustee of “The Magic Attic” Swadlincote, which has a large collection of old newspapers. This has helped with the information for our book, which my wife Beryl and I, produced in 2017, ‘Experts in Their Field’ which has the all the results and some history of the matches, from 1895.
Ken’s family has been associated with the ploughing match from the start, beginning with his great grandad, William Atkin, who competed in the first stacking and thrashing competition in 1902, and won it. The competition involved the judges visiting the farms to judge the best and neatest stack yards. By 1910 there were 3 classes in this event, Champion, Labourers and Youths. All this was before steel hay barns. Also Ken’s father Bill, in the early 1920s, ploughed with horses with great success. Ken and his brother Bill competed in the tractor ploughing , Bill winning the Youth’s class in 1952, and Ken with his Farmhall tractor in 1956. In 1981 Ken’s father had 5 grandsons competing in the one way ploughing in the same match. The family have hosted the Brailsford Match 5 times – 1969, 1985, 2004, 2013, and 2025.
The match has always been a chance for farmers and farm workers to show off their great skills in ploughing and hedgecutting.
It has grown significantly by the introduction of Ladies Committee which started in 1962, showing their expertise with exhibits including home-made cakes, jams and bread, flower arrangements and may other crafts have been introduced over the years. There is lots more to see in the tent with our visiting schools children also taking part.
There are now nearly 100 trade stands which started in 1974, together with our craft tent which includes wood carvings, and various home made articles.
Vintage tractors, barn engines, all add to the smells of freshly turned turf and freshly baked bread (in the ladies tent), which all adds up to a great day out.
Don’t forget to come and see and chat with us in The Past & Present tent and perhaps take away some memorabilia.
Archivist, Eric Tunstall