Life in the slow lane, vintage tractors set off on a 750 mile charity event

The tractor run from Whitchurch to Stranraer will take three days, as the agricultural vehicles' top speeds are 16 miles an hour.

Once in Stranraer they will attend a rally, before turning round and heading back to the county.

It has been organised by Patrick Gandy a 60-year-old trucker from Trench, Telford.

He has been joined by Jim Ankers, Neil Wragg, Leslie Wild from north Shropshire.

Patrick has organised the event to raise funds for the Alzheimer's Society, a charity close to his heart.

They drove off on Thursday with a route that has to avoid motorways and that sticks to the less busy A-roads.

From Warrington to Wigan and then Windermere, there route will then wind through the Lake District up to Carlise and across the Scottish border at Gretna.

From there the convoy turns west and heads out to Stranraer.

This is Patrick’s third tractor run for charity with his 1963 Fordson and his second raising funds for Alzheimer’s Society.

He said: “I am really looking forward to the event as my dad Reg was diagnosed with dementia following a fall that left him in a coma for three days. Just prior to his fall dad had started to get forgetful, lost track of time and he started forgetting people's names.

"Dad is my hero and an absolute legend - he was in the Airforce in Egypt and once back in the UK he installed the first colour TVs in Wolverhampton as a Co-op TV repair man. He was famous for getting the punch lines wrong on jokes, but prior to dementia he was a brilliant father and my best friend.

"I have also lost a couple of friends to dementia over the past few years too. It affects people of all ages. It breaks heart watching friends and family seeing their loved ones slowly slipping away. Their loved ones still look like the person they love but as dementia takes more of them, they slowly shut down.

"For this reason, I will endeavour to promote Alzheimer’s Society at every opportunity. The charity provides help and hope for people living with dementia and their families which is so important. I will continue to do daft big runs on my tractor for as long as I am physically able, and the tractor keeps going.”

Patrick aims to raise thousands of pounds for people living with dementia and has already raised over £700 for the charity. People can support the drivers on their run, online at justgiving.com.

They are hoping for good weather as two of them don't have cabs on their tractors. The other team members are driving a Massy Ferguson 135, Fordson Dexter and a Duetz.

Adam Evans Alzheimer's Society, Community Fundraiser for Shropshire welcomed Patrick’s decision to help raise money for the charity and said: “It’s wonderful that Patrick is giving his time to support Alzheimer’s Society. A third of us will develop dementia in our lifetimes, making it the biggest health and social care challenge we face.

“Alzheimer’s Society is a vital source of support and a powerful force for change for everyone affected by dementia. We want everyone affected by dementia to know that whoever you are, whatever you’re going through, you can turn to us for expert support through practical advice, emotional support, and guidance for the best next step.

“There are 5700 people living with dementia in Shropshire and over 84,000 across the West Midlands. But we simply can’t reach everyone without the continued support of our incredible fundraisers like Patrick.”