About Us

The spring of 1979 saw local farmer, Ken Goodwin, gathering together a group of Vintage enthusiasts to discuss the possibility of forming a Vintage Club, with the aim of uniting like-minded people in the area.

The purpose of this group of people would be to help and advise each other with their various restoration projects and also to provide a stage to display their work to the public, not only at local shows, but also by organising a Vintage Show to their own. The meeting was a great success, resulting in the formation of The Tern ValleyVintage Machinery Club, so called because the majority of member involved in the early days lived in the valley of the infant river Tern.

The club logo was also born here as it depicts a John Deere 'D' tractor crossing the bridge by the Stoke on Tern church.

In that summer, some 40 years ago, the first ever show to be organised by the club took place on a local farmers field at Winstanwick near Market Drayton. The following year the event was held on larger site at Warren Road in Stoke Heath, courtesy of David and Eric Moores. David and his wife still actively support the Trust today.

A move was then made to Fordhall Farm near Market Drayton followed by several years at Tunstall Hall at Loggerheads before a move was again made to Sugnall Parks Farm near Eccleshall where the site became a permanent home for several years.

Over those years the Club has changed from being just a group of enthusiasts into an officially recognised club, firstly by being formed as a Limited Company in 1987 and then by becoming a Registered Charity in 2001. This latter change meant our name was legally changed from Club Ltd to Trust Ltd.

In those early years it was agreed there should be regular monthly meetings for the members, held at Stoke on Tern village Hall, with talks by guest speakers and film shows, not just for entertainment, but as way of uniting the members.

These meetings continue even now!!