The Tractors of the Channel Island of Sark

[Sir Snipes]

The girlfriend and I recently went on holiday to the island of Sark, near Guernsey. It's about 2 miles square, has a population of around 600 (usually doubled during the tourist season) and zero cars. They do have, however, a fair few tractors for carting around tourists and their gear and (presumably) light agriculture. I know nothing about tractors so I'll just throw up some pictures.

 

 

 

 

[Sir Snipes]

 

 

[Sir Snipes]

 

 

[Sir Snipes]

 

 

- The Toast Rack (image nicked from the BBC). Ferries tourists up and down the hill from the harbour to the village and the waiting horse taxis.

 

Also Guernsey appears to have the largest colony of Suzuki Super Carrys.

[Sir Snipes]

 

 

I may as well add some other pictures while I'm at it;

 

 

 

[Sir Snipes]

 

 

[Sir Snipes]

 

 

[sierraman]

Ignorantly I'd never even heard of Sark until it appeared on an episode of Bergerac. Is it the law you can't have a car?

 

I'd find an old Fergie fairly acceptable as a means of transport there.

[privatewire]

Tractor, boat, and plane porn. If i go blind as a result of this thread, its your fault.

[mercrocker]

What's the deal on Sark, though?   Do you have to prove agricultural need for a tractor or can you just ponk around on a Field Marshal for the hell of it?    

 

Like Sierraman says, I wouldn't find it a great hardship on a little island to be restricted to a grey Fergie, or indeed an orange Nuffield....

[egg]

Went there 15 years ago remember horse and cart coming along in the mist one evening like the 1920s or something.

 

We stayed in the Dixcart hotel. Fantastic. 11/10 for the pics.

[mercrocker]

They do have proper emergency vehicles on the Island, I am glad to see.....

 

 

[Skut]

Not strictly relevant to the tractors but the tunnel in the background had swastikas painted all round the arch during the occupation. I remember it from some After the battle magazine from the 70s

[Squirrel2]

They do have proper emergency vehicles on the Island, I am glad to see.....

 

 

p1220268.jpg

..Yes, but in the form of a trailer... towed by a tractor! Must be a Sark law or something.

[Ghosty]

I don't think you're even allowed bicycles, tractors and horses only.

[Sir Snipes]

There are a couple of cycle hire places, which is how we got around. I was reading about medical emergencies on the tourism info board; it mentioned boats and helicopters and no reciprocal agreements with the NHS!

 

In contrast, the owners of the small adjacent island built themselves a castle, using chinook helicopters to airlift plant machinery and materials.

[egg]

yes, the infamous Barclay brothers...

 

I wouldn't go there if I was elderly or infirm to be fair.

[Momentary Lapse Of Reason]

There used to be a lovely Massey Ferguson combine harvester still wearing its E suffix reg plate on a farm down towards Le Coupe.

 

 

Sad the way the evil Barclays have done so much damage to the place.

[timolloyd]

Yes, they're bastards. They have every remaining Lonsdale stored in the basment below their castle

[bigstraight6]

I was taken to Sark back in the mid seventies when I was about 7 or 8 on a day trip as part of a family holiday in Jersey and thought it a very weird place even at that young age. No cars, I don't think I will ever go back there......