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A young Natel Taylor on his tractor

Natel Taylor is a true Suffolk Boy. He's been tilling Suffolk soil since he was a lad of 8 and, now in his seventies, still thinks it's the best job in the world.

Both his mother and father came from farming families so it was probably not a surprise to his parents that Natel preferred the tractor seat to being at school.

But when this resulted in Natel actually missing lessons, his school was quick to react.

"My father had 30 acres that he wanted ploughed up and he hadn't got anybody to do it," said Natel. "So I stayed away from school and got stuck into it.

"It wasn't many days afterwards that we had the attendance officer after my father. My father said 'it's impossible for him to go to school because I've got to get my land up'.

"After giving the attendance officer a few chickens, a few apples, eggs and a bit of homemade butter it all turned out well. I didn't have the attendance officer after me anymore."

A short history of tractors in Suffolk

Natel's dad was apparently the first person in Suffolk to use a steam binder to help with the harvest, which was until then cut by scythe.

Natel left school to work full time on the farm as soon as he could.

"I should have left school when I was 15. I was just gone 14 and dad said 'you don't want to go there no more - you ain't learning nothing'.

"I said 'no, I can learn a dash sight more ploughing because that's what I want to do'. I wanted to be on the land all my life."

He startedΜύon a Fordson tractor which was pretty basic by modern standards - no cab and definitely no protection from the elements, apart from a sack tied around his middle.

These days of course all farm machinery is pretty high tech, whether a tractor or combine harvester. But Natel still loves working the land and says he'll never retire even though he's now in his seventies.

Keeping Faith

Natel is still passionate about old agricultural machinery and owns several bits of equipment including an old Fordson tractor.

Faith prior to restoration

But special admiration is reserved for an old traction engine which he rescued from a ditch: "It was 1965 and it had been standing on the side of the road at Lavenham for 16 years.

"It was unused and in a sorrowful state. I fell in love with it, bought it, restored it and have rallied it ever since.

"I used to get up at 5 o' clock in the morning and work on it until 7am. At 7 o' clock I'd start on the land. When I leave off at 5 o' clock I used to work on it when until late at night.

"I love our dear Lord so I named it Faith. If you've got faith you can do quite a lot of things. She's never let me down."

Now after many years of painstaking work Natel says he has 'at last got the hang of her' and Faith looks magnificent with new paintwork and shining metal.

Natel and his wife Judy love taking Faith to steam events across the country, and even his young daughter has qualified to drive her.

"It's been a wonderful life and I wouldn't want to change a day of it."