OVER 50 tractors turned out for the Shane Davies Memorial Tractor Run in aid of Dolwen Field Project on Sunday, May 20. It was blessed with beautiful sunshine having been postponed from its original date due to the Beast from the East.

The run was organised by Shane’s father and mother, Jim and Sandra Davies, together with a committee of their tractor friends from the Llanwrtyd Wells area. The keen group had recently returned from Ireland were they participated in the Irish Welsh Tractor Run in County Wexford.

Jim Davies told the gathered tractor drivers that his son Shane was very community minded – hence the reason for supporting the Dolwen Field Project. Then he introduced the recently elected Mayor of Llanwrtyd Wells, Lynda Pace Avery, who explained that the first aim of the Dolwen Field Project is to create an access road to the existing “pavilion” with car-parking space for 20 cars.

Then it was time for the off, with Jim leading the possession of tractors out of the start area at Ysgol Dolafon in his flag-bedecked, trusty Fordson Dexta with wife Sandra and family friends in the transport box. The tractors turned left out of Llanwrtyd Wells up the Irfon Valley to Abergwesyn. Here theywent off road onto a farm track, through the forestry of Coed Nant yr Hwch to drop down to the road skirting Llyn Brianne.

After stopping for lunch at the rock-filled dam, it was off again down the Towy valley through the village of Rhandirmwyn, before a left turn was made. They then climbed up the hillside to drop down the short steep hill into the Afon Bran valley. Travelling under the spectacular Cynghordy Viaduct and through Cynghordy, they crossed the main A483 and turned up the roman road towards Tirabad. On to Cefn Gorwydd crossroads where a left was made to head back to Llanwrtyd and the finish.

The Run was sponsored by a number of local companies. Although final figures are not yet available, organiser Jim Davies is confident that the project would benefit in the region of £1,000 from the event. Everyone agreed what a brilliant, scenic run it had been.