Description:
Images NTGM022250-NTGM 022256 are all thought to show members of the Houlden family, believed to be of Ranby, Nottinghamshire (see NTGM022248 and NTGM022249). It is presumed that they had family connections at New Bolingbroke (and while the precise location of this view is not known, the fact that this particular tractor appears at New Bolingbroke in other photos in the series is considered evidence enough for the location).
A Muir-Hill tractor (CFW 859 - a registration issued by Lincolnshire (Lindsey) County Council from 1945 onwards) with schoolboy Brian Houlden in the driver's seat.
Muir-Hill were a Manchester firm based at Old Trafford, first established in the early 1920s. They built initially rather basic narrow gauge railway locomotives and agricultural and construction plant based on Fordson tractors, but from 1927 particularly specialized in manufacturing dump trucks and shovels, again based on Fordson vehicles. During the Second World War 14,000 dumpers were made for the Ministry of Supply and after the end of hostilities Muir-Hill bought up surplus machines in order to stop the market being flooded and converted them for farm use as the 'Powercart'. This example was very probably one such and is seen here apparently fitted with a dumper body.