Treasured tractors of late much-loved village character go to auction

The treasured farming equipment of a popular village character from Waltham St Lawrence is up for auction – including some memorable personal articles.

Charlie Belcher, who lived in the village for his whole life, passed away aged 64 from pancreatic cancer in May.

A man of many skills, Charlie kept animals, laid hedges, ploughed land, and built things out of stone and wood – he was ‘the bloke for oak’, according to a card he used to hand out to people.

He was known for building, rebuilding and refurbishing historical things around the village with love, using traditional materials and techniques.

Before his death, a fundraiser was set up to help him achieve a lifelong dream of visiting Fountains Abbey in York, which fetched more than £14,000 in four days.

Charlie was laid to rest in a funeral attended by 500 people who dressed in his signature style; checked shirts, cravats, cowboy boots and leather hats.

The funeral was held at Waltham St Lawrence Church and Charlie was brought there on the back of his tractor for one last trip.

Charlie had a passion for ploughing and would travel miles out of his way to attend a ploughing match.

Now many of his distinctive tractors, trailers and other pieces of equipment are up for auction.

Among the lots are a ‘beautifully maintained’ blue Ford tractor.

In general, Charlie’s prized tools were kept in very good condition by him – and won awards in competitions for how well-maintained they were.

Also on sale are Charlie’s prize-winning ploughs – which villagers will recognise from work he did for them, including ploughing land for people to grow wild flowers.

Charlie’s sister, Julie Long, said: “There aren’t many people that in the village that don’t know him. He did jobs for anybody and everybody in Waltham St Lawrence.”

People from the village are especially interested in the auction, said Julie – many people would recognise his tractors and ploughs and know they were his.

“There probably aren’t that many [households] that haven’t had Charlie do some work for them or had a pint in the pub with him,” she said.

“People keep saying how much they miss him and his character. People have always got a good story about him. He was fun-loving, a good laugh, and had a good listening ear.

“He was very committed to the village – I think people want a memento of him.”

The piece of farmland Charlie had been renting for 40 years was ‘where his heart was’, Julie added.

“He had a love of the land, of being outside and at one with nature,” she said. “It was everything to him, this piece of land, his shed and all his bits and bobs.

“Everything he bought was really hard-earned. He never made masses of money on anything that he did. He mostly did it for the love of doing it.

“He was a unique man, not of this age.”

One thing that isn’t for sale is Charlie’s pride and joy, a David Brown tractor, which he did a lot of improvement work on.

That is being held onto by his adult daughter Larna, who has fond memories of it and time spent with her father.

To look at what is for sale and make a bid, visit bidding.tsauction.co.uk/auctions/catalog/id/59