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Kent Cricket Pays Its Last Respects To Groundsman

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Kent Cricket Pays Its Last Respects To Groundsman: Kent’s cricketing community has paid its final respects to a much-loved former groundsman.

Cecil “Sammy” Fidler, who died last month aged 82, turned up for his job interview on a tractor and went onto to become one of the best known faces around the St Lawrence Ground in Canterbury.

With his distinctive nose and bald head, Cecil “Sammy” Fidler was as distinctive as some of the cricketing greats he prepared pitches for when Kent was littered with test internationals like Derek Underwood, Mike Denness, Alan Knott and Asif Iqbal.

Mr Fidler funeral took place at Barham Crematorium, attended by many mourners connected with county cricket.

He had worked for Canterbury City Council until the late 1970s, when he was offered an interview by former Kent Cricket secretary Les Ames.

Arriving on a tractor, he was offered a job, and went to work with head groundsman Brian Fitch until stepping down in the early 1990s.

Mr Fitch said: “Sam was a very good assistant and a real character. He would come in at all hours to check on the covers and work on the ground.

“He would usually look after the outfield and practice square and maintain the stands – tidying up and putting out chairs before matches. He was known all over the circuit.

“He was different and had a great relationship with Kent players and the opposition.

“He would clean the players’ pads and boots like a dressing room attendant – we didn’t have them in the early days.

“We had one tractor and four mowers and had to move the covers on our own.”

Former Simon Langton schoolboy Dominic Potts was a regular visitor to the ground. The 42-year-old said: “We often went into the ground after the tea break to watch the first eleven.

“Sammy was just one of those faces you always associated with being at the cricket.

“If he was in town, you would always point him out that he was one of the groundsman from the cricket.

“We worshipped the cricket club as kids and Sammy was part of the furniture there.”

Former Kent and England fast bowler Dean Headley posted on Facebook: “Sam was such a wonderful bloke. RIP fella.”

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New ECHO Lithium Ion Hedge Trimmer

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New ECHO Lithium Ion Hedge Trimmer: ECHO have introduced a new hedge trimmer, the DHC-200 to their 50V Lithium Ion battery series which also includes trimmers and power blowers.

New ECHO Lithium Ion Hedge Trimmer

Like all ECHO products this hedge trimmer has built-in features which take into consideration the environment in which it will be working and operator productivity. As a Lithium Ion product, the hedge trimmer offers clean battery power whilst providing performance equal to its petrol counterparts. It’s also built to the same professional standard as ECHO’s petrol hedge trimmers with their reputation for being powerful, tough and durable.

“The ecological features of the new DHC-200, as with all the ECHO Lithium Ion series products,” say ECHO “offer contractors and professional landscapers exceptional benefits. The low noise makes them ideally suited to use in noise-sensitive areas such as schools and nursing homes. Low emissions are beneficial in their use in parks, nature reserves and organic gardens.”

There are other considerations such as reduced maintenance costs due to fewer moving parts, easy-to-use controls with no recoil start, no more fuel filling or cold starting. The DHC-200 just needs charging up and it’s ready to go. It’s lightweight and very comfortable to use, thanks to the ergonomic design of the front handle which helps manoeuvrability, and it can be used for long periods with little fatigue. Gardeners trimming ornamental hedges can count on the variable speed control for precision cutting and optimized run-time. The 62cm double-sided precision cut blades provide a clean cut with a long-lasting sharpness for a beautiful finish. The DHC-200 uses energy efficient motor controls to manage motor speed, power delivery and battery temperature for improved cutting performance and battery life.

The DHC-200 comes with a 2Ah battery and rapid charger as standard, with an optional 4Ah battery for a longer run time. The rapid battery charger ensures the 2Ah battery is boosted to 80% capacity in 24 minutes and the 4Ah in 48 minutes. It’s also a hedge trimmer that is clean to use and store and there’s no need to store and mix two-stroke fuel. The two-year professional use and 5-year domestic warranty shows that ECHO are extremely confident in their machines. This confidence continues in its 50V battery range with a two-year warranty on all 50V lithium ion batteries.

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Lawnmower Man Drives The Distance

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Lawnmower man drives the distance: Prison officer Andy Maxfield from Inskip in Lancashire has completed his epic journey from John O’Groats to Land’s End on a John Deere lawn tractor, while raising several thousand pounds for Alzheimer’s Society.

The ‘Driving the Distance for Dementia’ Challenge set off from John O’Groats at 8am on Tuesday 25th July 2017, and the Guinness world record attempt was completed when Andy and his support team arrived at Land’s End on Sunday 30th July at 4.45pm – a total measured distance of 874.3 miles travelled in five days, eight hours and 45 minutes.

Andy is hoping that Guinness will verify his achievement as he drove the whole distance on his own on an unmodified lawn tractor, which has not been attempted before. “It was a fantastic team effort all round – we certainly raised awareness for Alzheimer’s Society and we all had some fun along the way,” he said.

The trip included interviews with both BBC and ITV regional news and a shout-out on Radio 1’s breakfast show, while thousands of people took to social media to offer encouragement and good wishes throughout the week.

“The advance planning went really well and apart from a couple of detours on the journey, nothing really went wrong apart from the weather – but even John Deere can’t control that!” said Andy. “The real star of the challenge for me though was the X750 lawn tractor. It may not be built for the road or such wet weather conditions, but it never missed a beat and the spare parts we’d taken along just in case weren’t needed.

“I’d like to thank not only John Deere but also all the dealerships we have come into contact with, especially Ripon Farm Services for offering the use of one of their service vehicles when my van broke down before the challenge began. Special thanks are also due to John Deere’s work placement students Joanne Gregory and Becca Watson in the main support vehicle, who made me feel safe in some challenging traffic and weather conditions.”

John Deere Limited’s turf division manager Chris Meacock, who organised the logistics and accompanied Andy Maxfield for a large part of the journey, said: “This really was a phenomenal achievement, given the difficulties Andy faced for much of the journey.

“It was a tough challenge that he took on and completed with determination, dedication and no complaints – likewise his daughters Kathryn and Kaitlyn, who were with him the whole way. Record or not, everyone should be very proud of what they have achieved – it was a pleasure to support the Alzheimer’s charity in this way and raise money for a great cause.”

Sue Swire, community fundraiser Cumbria & Lancashire for Alzheimer’s Society, who also travelled with the support team in Scotland, added: “The Society is so grateful for the efforts of Andy Maxfield and his family, as well as the support and generosity of John Deere and its dealers for this incredible challenge.

“Andy’s original fundraising target was a modest £1000, and at the journey’s end we had already reached more than five times that amount. I am sure that by the time the Maxfield family’s charity ball comes around in December we will be well on our way to £10,000, which would be another fantastic achievement.”

As an additional fundraiser for Alzheimer’s Society, the charity ball will take place at Preston Masonic Hall on Saturday December 9th. There continues to be a JustGiving website page for further donations at www.justgiving.com/andrew-maxfield; donations can also be made by texting MAXF80 £3 to 70070. More information on the ball and the challenge, including photos and videos from the journey, can be found at www.facebook.com/ForgetMeNotPreston.

Alzheimer’s Society is available for anyone affected by dementia and there are lots of ways the charity can help – for details call the National Dementia Helpline on 0300 222 1122 or visit www.alzheimers.org.uk

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Jacobsen and T.H. White Support Trilby Tour at Gaudet Luce Golf Club

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Jacobsen and T.H. White Support Trilby Tour at Gaudet Luce Golf Club: Jacobsen and local dealer T.H. White provided tournament support recently as the Trilby Tour, the only televised amateur golf tournament, came to Gaudet Luce Golf Club in Droitwich as part of a series of Regional Championships across the UK.

Jacobsen and T.H. White Support Trilby Tour at Gaudet Luce Golf Club

Jacobsen, together with T.H. White supplemented the club’s existing Jacobsen machinery for the duration of the tournament. Three Eclipse 322 greens mowers, one GP400 ride-on mower for tees and surrounds, two TR-3 triplex cylinder mowers, two LF570 fairway mowers, one HR600 wide area rotary mower, two Smithco Tournament Ultra greens rollers, one Turfco Torrent blower, one Cushman Hauler Pro-X, and 12 E-Z-GO RXV golf cars were used for maintaining the golf course’s championship standard status. The club is part of a growing customer base taking advantage of the recently conceived Textron Golf concept of a “one-stop shop” for turf maintenance equipment across the Jacobsen, E-Z-GO and Cushman brands.

Andrew Laing, Course Manager expressed his appreciation for the support the club received in the lead up to the event,

“I spoke to Simon Bingham from T.H. White and Steve Alabaster from Jacobsen at BTME earlier in the year about tournament support for this event. They both unreservedly said that they would support us in every capacity, and they haven’t let us down. We have had a relationship with T.H. White for over 14 years now, and since changing our equipment to Jacobsen back in 2008, we’ve never looked back. The machinery is reliable, and the after-sales support is second to none.

“I would just like to show my appreciation to Steve, Simon, and also Albie the Debach driver who delivered the tournament support equipment. Without them, our preparations would not have gone so smoothly, so I can’t thank them enough. It’s also important to thank all the volunteers from local clubs such as The Worcestershire Golf Club and Droitwich Golf Club who have supported us as well. It’s times like this that you realise what a fantastic, and friendly industry we work in.”

Simon Bingham from T.H. White commented on supporting the club during the Trilby Tour,

“It has always been important to us to support our customers both when they ask for it, and also when they don’t. We pride ourselves on our customer service, and Andrew is a brilliant example of the relationship that we strive to achieve with everyone who walks through our door. The course looked fantastic as always, and we look forward to assisting in the same way for future tournaments at the club.”

For more information, visit: www.jacobsen.com/europe

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SCH Driver Vince Risks His Life In A Heroic Act

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SCH Driver Vince Risks His Life In A Heroic Act: Seconds before the inferno that destroyed a Ferrari Scuderia in South Yorkshire last week, delivery driver Vince Cook helps the shaken and bloodied Ferrari driver out of the car.

After witnessing the crash which has since made headlines throughout the world, Vince from Ipswich in Suffolk, jeopardised his own safety to drag the driver from the car.

‘I was on the inside lane of the M1, only doing about fifty or fifty-five miles per hour because of the heavy rain and surface water,’ explains Vince. ‘I saw the Ferrari coming up alongside in the outside lane, but he was only doing about sixty I think.’

Just as the Scuderia pulled ahead of Vince, things began to go badly wrong.

‘I’m not sure what happened – I don’t think the Ferrari driver is either – but the engine note changed as the car suddenly revved and swerved left, cutting in front of my Iveco truck. I knew it was going to be bad so I braked hard.

‘I could tell he was trying to gain control and I immediately hit the brakes, but the Ferrari was still revving like crazy as it hit a bank, took two trees down to stumps and launched into the field below.

‘I’ll be honest, I thought it was game over for him. The car was a wreck but then I could see movement and knew I had to get him out of there.’

Despite suffering a heart attack earlier this year, Vince clambered down the steep bank to do whatever he could to help.

‘The poor guy was covered in cuts and there was blood everywhere. He was conscious but obviously really shaken and so I put his arm around my neck and helped him get away from the car and sat him propped up against a fence. I then noticed flames under the rear wheels of the car, and knew we had to get right away from it. I dragged him to the top of the hill near where the car had flown off the carriageway just in time to see the thing explode.’

Vince found some bottles of water and kitchen towel in the cab of his truck, and set about cleaning up the shaken driver.

SCH Driver Vince Risks His Life In A Heroic Act

‘We could feel the heat of the blaze from where we sat. It was then that I asked how much fuel he thought was in the car and he told me it was full as he’d only just bought it!’

Vince waited with the driver until emergency services arrived, gave his statements and left to continue his work, delivering garden machinery for his employer SCH (Supplies) Ltd.

‘I still had quite a few drops to get done so off I went,’ says Vince. ‘I don’t think I did anything special. I’m sure anyone would have done the same it’s just that I saw it all and had to help. I didn’t really think anything of it at the time. I just saw someone that needed help, so I went and helped him. A little while after, I did start to think about what might have happened to him, and to me, if that explosion had taken place just a minute earlier. But I would never have forgiven myself if there had been a fatality and I hadn’t even tried to help.’

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