Thousands of people watched the annual Oswestry Illuminated Tractor Run on Saturday evening. Over a hundred tractors from the local farming community took part festooned with Christmas lights.
The tractors travelled from the Oswestry Livestock Market, covering a 38-mile circular route through eleven other Shropshire towns and villages, then back again to raise money for the Lingen Davies Cancer Fund based in Shrewsbury.
The charity exists to improve the lives of everyone impacted by cancer in our community, as well as to raise awareness about the signs and symptoms of cancer – helping to contribute to more people seeking and getting an all-important early diagnosis. Over the course of their long history, they have run several high-profile and successful cancer appeals to enhance care and treatment for cancer patients at the Lingen Davies Cancer Centre based at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital.
This event is organised in memory of a very popular young farmer, Will Roberts of Pennant Farm in Gobowen. Will, the much-loved son of Dave and Sue Roberts, was affectionately known by all as “Choc” because of his love of chocolate. Sadly, “Choc” died from a brain tumor on 12th December two years ago at the age of just 26. This is a fitting event to remember “Choc”.
Chocs own tractor leads the tractor run, driven by Whittington and Oswestry Young Farmers Charles Dean, with Santa onboard to wave to all the children as they passed. Lingen Davies Cancer Fund supported Will and the family through his diagnoses, treatment and throughout his illness.
At the Livestock Market, the best illuminated tractor was judged by the town’s Mayor, Councillor Mike Isherwood, North Shropshire’s MP Helen Morgan and Shropshire’s Lord Lieutenant Anna Turner. The prize for the ‘Best Illuminated Tractor’ was awarded to Ben Edwards and his John Deere tractor from Four Crosses. All three judges then waved off the convoy to start the Oswestry Illuminated Tractor Run at 5.00pm as the darkness was falling.
Through the towns, villages, laybys and even field gateways on the route to cheer the tractors as they passed by, each tractor driver sounding their air horns in acknowledgment.
This year organisers introduced the Junior Tractor Parade. This was open for children under 10 years old to ride round on any illuminated or decorated ride-on toy, around an obstacle course and through a tunnel undercover in the market. The winner of a wonderful toy tractor, donated by Wynnstay Stores in Oswestry, went to little Reign aged three years old.
The whole event was jointly organised by Whittington and Oswestry Young Farmer’s and Lingen Davies Cancer Fund who arranged the collectors on the route.
Lead organiser Mike Lade said, “Once again we were totally amazed by the level of support from our farmers and the local community in the Oswestry Livestock Market, towns and villages and the numbers of people joining in on the event has greatly increased from last year. Many thanks to the local Young Farmers, without whom this event would not have happened. I hope Sue and Dave Roberts think this was a good epitaph to Choc and has now become an annual event in the Oswestry diary and will be up there with the Oswestry, Christmas Parade and the Santa Run and all the other Christmas events held in the town to bring in the Christmas spirit to the community. If anyone is yet to donate, then please go to our Facebook page and see the link to our Just Giving Page and hopefully we will beat our figure last year of £12000 for Lingen Davies Cancer Fund.” If anyone has trouble finding the link then please email mmikelade1975@gmail.com.”
“We must also thank all of the 70 plus stewards to ensure tractors went in the right direction, and the Lingen Davies bucket collectors on the route. Oswestry Wynnstay Stores for donating the prizes, the Oswestry Livestock Market for the use of the market area, Hughes Brothers (Oswestry) Ltd for the supply of escort vehicles and drivers at the front and rear of the run, Hatchers Solicitors for the extra collection buckets and finally the local Oswestry Bobbies for helping the column of tractors to leave the market.”
Pencil a date in your diary for Saturday 13th December 2025 for the next run!
Pictured: Ben Edwards with the trophy for best illuminated tractor L-R Sue Roberts, Dave Roberts, Ben Edwards, Mayor, Councillor Mike Isherwood, MP Helen Morgan and Lady Mayoress Jem Isherwood. Credit Mike Lade
Reign aged 3 with Santa, Sue Roberts and Dave Roberts as winner of best illuminated ride-on toy. Credit: Grum
Picture credit: Grum.
