A 73-year-old vintage Ford tractor bought by an enthusiast when he was just ten and restored in a labour of love will be making an appearance at Tractor Fest, the UK's largest tractor event.

The 1950 vehicle, complete with a factory-fitted Perkins engine, belongs to North Yorkshire farmer and wagon driver Mark Dean.

Produced by Ford in its iconic blue paint, the tractor was one of six bought by Leeds City Council through Tates of Leeds and repainted yellow to match the city’s fleet colours. Used for many years for road sweeping and snow ploughing, it ended its days levelling rubbish on a municipal tip.

Tractor Mr Dean said: “In the late 1960s all six tractors were sold by the council for scrap. Luckily for me my tractor caught the eye of van and tractor dealer L K Bell who kept it until I bought it, aged ten, from him in 1990.

The Northern Farmer: Mark's restored 73 year old tractor

“Restoring the tractor was a labour of love over the course of three years. Leeds City Council kindly gave me permission to replicate its colour and signage and shared the history of the original six tractors.

"We even succeeded in finding an appropriate snow plough fitting which resulted in a fellow enthusiast contacting me with archive footage of the Perkins engine – which turned out to be my tractor.

“I’m pleased to say that my two year-old son, James, is equally enthralled by the delights of tractors so its future is secure. He has been helping me get the tractor ready for Tractor Fest and we are both looking forward to sharing our passion with visitors to the show.”

The Northern Farmer: Mark Dean's son James is a tractor enthusiast

Tractor Fest, at Newby Hall, Ripon on June 10 and 11, will have more than 1,000 vintage and modern tractors and 600 stationary engines, commercial vehicles, cars, trucks and motorcycles.

This year’s festival celebrates the centenaries of John Deere Model D tractors and MG cars with exhibits from across the decades, factory built portable engines and tractors with Perkins engines. 

There will also be a host of entertainment, crafts, food and drink. Admission includes access to Newby’s award-winning gardens, adventure playground, dolls house and teddy bear exhibitions. Other activities for families include mini tractor driving, face painting, colouring and interactive exhibits. There are also trade stands, crafts and a choice of street food.

Tractor Fest is sponsored by agricultural and machinery auctioneer Cheffins, The National Vintage Tractor and Engine Club (NVTEC) and Econ Engineering. The show is also supported by Ripon Farm Services.