CONTINENTAL CONNECTION

Tom’s passion for most things Massey Ferguson will not come as a surprise to enthusiasts north of the border who will have noted the growing collection of rosettes he has accumulated over the years. Since he acquired his 1958 model MF 65 in 2002, his collection has come on leaps and bounds.

Making ends meet

Tom was brought up with a farming background and still lives on the site of the family smallholding on the outskirts of Cumnock. “My parents were small livestock farmers,” he recalls. “Making ends meet during the post-war years was hard work, especially as my father passed away when I was just five years old.”

During the Sixties, the family survived by fattening livestock for local markets. Tom also acquired a secondhand lorry to increase their income. This new venture was successful, and he started getting work transporting his neighbours’ animals to market. Meanwhile, his wife Elizabeth concentrated on running the farm.

Haulage

Tom eventually went into full-time haulage, and T French & Son’s fleet of trucks has become a familiar sight on