Residents line Shropshire streets for illuminated tractor run held in memory of farmer who died aged just 26
Large crowds lined pavements and streets in several Shropshire towns and villages for the second Oswestry Illuminated Tractor run.
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Hundreds of farmers in 103 tractors, covered in Christmas lights, made their way from the Oswestry Livestock Market along a 38-mile long circular route through 11 towns and villages and back again to raise funds for the Lingen Davies Cancer Fund in Shrewsbury.
The event last Saturday was once again organised in memory of popular young farmer, Will Roberts of Pennant Farm in Gobowen, who sadly died from a brain tumour, aged 26.
Will's own tractor led the tractor run and had Santa onboard to wave to children as they passed.
Lingen Davies supported Will, known as "Choc" because of his love of chocolate, and his family throughout his treatment and illness.
Oswestry Mayor, Councillor Mike Isherwood, North Shropshire MP Helen Morgan and Shropshire's Lord Lieutenant Anna Turner all attended the event and were tasked with choosing the 'Best Illuminated Tractor'.
The award was given to Ben Edwards for his decoration of his John Deere tractor.
All three judges then waved off the convoy which began at 5pm, after darkness fell.
Shropshire residents cheered the tractors as they passed through surrounding towns and villages, and each tractor driver sounded their air horns in acknowledgment.
This year, organisers introduced a junior tractor parade for any children aged under 10 years old. Youngsters rode around an obstacle course and through a tunnel undercover in the market.
The tractor run is jointly organised by Whittington and Oswestry Young Farmers alongside Lingen Davies Cancer Fund, which arranged collectors on the route.
Lead organiser Mike Lade said: "Once again we were totally amazed by the level of support from our farmers and the local community in the Oswestry Livestock Market, towns and villages and the numbers of people joining in on the event has greatly increased from last year.
"Many thanks to the local Young Farmers, without whom this event would not have happened. I hope Sue and Dave Roberts think this was a good epitaph to Choc and has now become an annual event in the Oswestry diary and will be up there with the Oswestry, Christmas Parade and the Santa Run and all the other Christmas events held in the town to bring in the Christmas spirit to the community.
"If anyone is yet to donate, then please go to our Facebook page and see the link to our Just Giving Page and hopefully we will beat our figure last year of £12,000 for Lingan Davies. If anyone has trouble finding the link then please email me on mikelade1975@gmail.com."
