Clubrooms to open

Mid Canterbury Vintage Machinery Club members Colin Cross, Maurice Millar and Les Nell, with John French, of the Plains Museum, and club member Murray Elliott enjoy the new building during the Ashburton A&P show last October. Photo: Allied Press Files
Mid Canterbury Vintage Machinery Club members Colin Cross, Maurice Millar and Les Nell, with John French, of the Plains Museum, and club member Murray Elliott enjoy the new building during the Ashburton A&P show last October. Photo: Allied Press Files
A selection of vintage machinery will be on display at the official opening of the Mid Canterbury Vintage Machinery Club rooms at the Ashburton Showgrounds on October 5.

Formalities begin at 2pm.

The large building, at the northern end of the Ashburton A&P Association Showgrounds was open for display during the Ashburton A&P Show last year and, following council sign-off, was first hired by farm machinery company Norwood earlier this year.

The building includes a 30m x 20m club room and display area, an open plan kitchen/training room, toilets and a display space able to store large machinery or be used as additional undercover training facilities.

Club president John Stewart said members were thrilled to get the project over the line, and the clubrooms were already proving popular with machinery firms, which hired it for displays and for training.

Mr Stewart said the private hire was providing an income for the club. Rangitata MP Andrew Falloon will open the building.

''The public are welcome to come along and see the gear we have,'' Mr Stewart said.

The club is also in the early stages of organising its third Wheat and Wheels Rally, to be held on the Barrhill farm of member Anthony Hampton from April 1 to 3, 2022.

Previous shows were held at Peter Butterick's farm at Wakanui.

The theme for the rally is 175 Years of Massey and will feature daily parades, a military display, traction engines, food and craft stalls, a sprayer and spreader display, classic vintage cars, tractors and trucks, and some of New Zealand's largest tractors and combines.

Profits from the event will go to Ronald McDonald House.

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