OLD Farts Somerset Tractor Club are making a welcome return to the roads this April.

For a second year running the tractor enthusiasts are hosting the Spring tractor run in aid of Luckington Carnival Club.

Starting at 10am on on Saturday, April 11, they will be driving a 30-mile route lasting three to four hours beginning and ending at the Kings Head pub in Lower Coleford.

The route will take them through a lot of villages with a mid route stop at the Horse and Jockey at Binegar.

The group of ex and current farmers and tractor enthusiasts used to go out for a jolly at the weekends, says organiser Daniel Poolman. Then two years ago they started to host tractor runs to raise funds for local good causes with the first tractor run for the Luckington Carnival Club raising £600.

Daniel said: “We don’t make any profit out of it. Any money we make goes to the cause and anything we have to buy ourselves comes out of a kitty.

“Every time we go out for a day, we always stick a bit of money in a pot, so that every bit of money that we raise on the day goes straight to charity or to the cause we're doing the run for.”

As many as 55 tractors and 4x4s have taken past in previous outings and they are an important social event in the calendar, Dan says, for the farmers and enthusiasts that join in, many who are still active farmers or retired.

Daniel, who himself works on a dairy farm, said: “It does help because everybody can come together and chat about stuff, and there is no pressure on anybody to talk or do what they like.

“Everybody gets there normally an hour or half an hour before. We have a briefing, and everybody has a cup of coffee. Then we obviously have the tractor run and we have a halfway stop as well and a social gathering there.

“A lot of the guys that are in the club, as well, they're in their 60s and 70s, so the tractor run is a reason to get out and about.”

A raffle is held at the run when all tractors and passengers come back together again.

Tractors are very much a family affair; Daniel’s wife has a Fordson Major called Milly, while Daniel’s Fordson Dexter is named Dixie and are both from the 1950s, and lovingly restored by Daniel.

Most tractors involved in the run are pre-1980s. “There’s a lot of meets that go on throughout the year, where you go and buy and sell stuff so people can keep these things on the roads,” added Daniel.

“A lot of the people into the vintage stuff, they are like custodians of these vehicles. My kids have an interest as well, so when me and my wife get to a point where too old to drive them, they're passed to the children.”

Entry to the run is £10 per tractor with all donations welcome for passengers.