Tractor run round the Wrekin helping to raise for Lupus
A rural tractor run 'around the Wrekin' for good causes drew some international visitors over the weekend as its organiser bowed out.
The All Around the Wrekin Tractor Road Run, which started and ended in Withington, near Shrewsbury, involved dozens of gleaming tractors of all shapes and sizes including visitors from the Netherlands.
The event on Sunday also came with a raffle and barbecue at the Hare & Hounds in Withington, and is to raise money for Lupus UK as well as amenities in Withington including the church, village green and parish rooms.
Fundraisers are still counting up the total raised. The run was organised by Brian Smith, 78, who arranged it the year before last and was persuaded to try again this year.
He said: "I think we had 80 people's tractors and some 4x4s. We were down a bit because of the weather, some didn't turn out – we think we should have had over 100.
"It went well, the weather wasn't too bad. The odd shower but nothing to bother us.
"We had a couple of lads come from Holland, they were over here for another show in Warwickshire and they found out about our run, I don't know how.
"They rang up and asked if they could come down, we said 'certainly'. They rolled up in their Dutch-registered tractors, they loved it.
"They said 'we don't have things like this in Holland'."
Brian said that this year's run will be the last he organises, but that he is proud of the money raised so far.
"Withington to us is the best village in the world," he said. "Everyone's got some community spirit."
