The Old Lawnmower Club

Thurrock Council in Essex came up with a novel solution to cutting the grass at one of its sites of special scientific interest (SSSI) recently. The council called in local heavy horse experts Hawthorn Heavy Horses who used a specially adapted Dennis gang mower.

The results of our latest visitor survey suggest that a minority of enthusiasts prefer to collect (or see at exhibitions) mowers that have been restored. Of the 177 site visitors who voted just 25 per cent preferred restored mowers whereas 36 per cent (almost half as many more) said they preferred unrestored machines. The remaining 38 expressed no clear preference.

To restore or not always makes for heated discussion when collectors and enthusiasts get together. The arguments vary but generally fall into two broad camps. On the one hand is the point that by restoring a mower to something like original condition the collector is preserving it for the future and making a nicer exhibit for the events they attend. On the other hand the collectors who do not restore argue that machines in original condition are more authentic and by leaving alone they are not destroying (or covering up) ancient paintwork and other evidence of old production and engineering techniques that might be of value to future generations. It's a debate that's likely to continue for some time. In the meantime the results of the poll are presented below.

Dennis is supplying 27 of its top-of-the-range mowers to the stadiums staging the World Cup in South Africa next month. The company, in its current and former guises, has a great history of supplying mowers to sportsgrounds throughout the UK and overseas. Many collectors will have seen images of Dennis machines in use at venues such as Wembley Stadium and Lord's Cricket Ground. You can see a video about the latest order, which Dennis says is its most prestigious ever, by clicking here.