Tractors Galore… Over 100 tractors took to the highways and byways of South Cambridgeshire on Sunday 26th June, visiting 14 villages in a quest to raise funds for Addenbrookes Hospital to purchase a revolutionary new surgical robot.
The Cambridgeshire Vintage Tractor Club, no newcomers in their unwavering support for the local NHS, brought along their family members on trailers hauled behind the tractors to assist in collecting donations from the hundreds of onlookers, which transformed the surrounding area along the route into an almost carnival atmosphere.
Commencing from Caldecote the convoy of numerous diversifying makes, colours, and years, wended its way through communities such as Barrington, Meldreth, and Bassingbourn, halting at Wendy for a packed lunch break. The procession made its return home via the Wimpoles and Longstowe to Bourn.
Chair of the Club, Ray Parcell, reported that the crowds lining the pavements were very generous with their donations, making it an extremely enjoyable day for everyone concerned. “It is not possible”, he stated, “ to announce a final figure at this point because of money still coming in. What I can tell you is that we have already topped £4,000.”
Robotic surgery is a form of keyhole surgery involving small incisions where the surgeon controls a computer enhanced robot mimicking his hands and wrists whilst allowing absolute precision.
This drastically reduces the risk of complications and infection and means that the operation will be less painful, leaving minimal scarring. The area involved should heal much quicker with less harmful side effects alleviating the need for long term hospitalisation, and thus freeing up more beds in the wards much quicker than traditional methods.
Article and photography by Clive Porter Photography
