Hector T. Hamer was an active tractor enthusiast and collector since the 1960's.  

Born in April 1930 in Farnham, Surrey, Hector was brought up on a farm and always loved the countryside. As a child, he was fascinated by tractors and his first toy was a Fordson Standard which he took to bed with him. Just before the war, his father Alan, a naval Lt. Commander R.N.R., received a posting and moved the family to Bristol. In his teens Hector (following in his fathers' footsteps) was sent to Naval College in Colwyn Bay and served as a Marine 1st Radio Officer in ships all over the world, being away at sea for many years. Eventually, he settled down with his wife Judy and 2 children, building their house overlooking the Estuary at Portishead. His two great passions, the sea and farming were combined here, as he had space to renovate machinery and view the huge ships in close-up on which he was previously deployed. He began restoring old tractors, such as a unique Muir-Hill 3-ton Dumper truck, and collecting interesting models as he visited shows and rallies throughout the years.

Hector unselfishly shared his vast wisdom with others either in person or by contributing to books and magazines or collector websites, becoming founder member and 1st ever Chairman of the NVTEC (National Vintage Tractor & Engine Club) North Somerset in 1972. Regularly helping others with the restoration of their own machines and taking part at numerous enthusiast shows with his magnificently restored Fordson Major E27N and Bamford Mower on tow, his love for machines expanded and he lived and breathed for the fun of tractors and the roar of engines, both in real life and in miniature. He always said the 'T' in Hector 'T.'Hamer stood for 'tractor'!

For over five decades, Hector found himself unearthing special models and was well-known at toy fairs and expo shows up and down the country including many old toy shops in remote parts of Wales. "You never know what you're going to uncover" he used to tell me, searching through boxes at sales and swap meets and in old stores sadly going out of business, all to uncover that special 'find'.

Hector was always a collector and never a seller or dealer; he adored restoring a model as a special gift to someone when he knew it meant something to them, rather than get paid for it. Each new addition to the collection was thoroughly inspected, cleaned and fastidiously boxed (often re-inventing the box himself if there was none, neatly painting and dating the cover, sometimes huge ones made out of wood,) and assured them a new life of treasure. Inside, anecdotes, cuttings or letters from the maker were meticulously kept, often with the original receipt of purchase.

The tractor collection grew exponentially and eclectically, from construction to military, tin plate to modern plastic, European to Japanese. He often asked his daughter Lu to bring back certain specialities from various countries as she travelled professionally, for example, MehanoTehnika models from ex-Yugoslavia. Each appealed in its own unique manner, no matter where the model hailed from or who the manufacturer was. Over the years these early model acquisitions were joined by Farm sets, Border Fine Arts ceramics which he travelled the country to get signed by the original authors, Books, Jigsaws, Kits, Military machines, unitary bits of aviation due to Hector's brief time at the Bristol Aeroplane Company, and others. The odd wooden elephant, cart-horse or animal managed to be taken in too, as Hector always said these were the first 'original' pulling-tractors. Bulldozers and Graders became a magnet for Hector and these always proved the hardest to walk away from, although he was cautious of getting carried away and had an eye for a model's correct value. It was the 'thrill of the chase' that he enjoyed the most and the truism there'll always be another day and another tractor. One of his utmost favourites was the Shackleton David-Brown Trackmaster - a rare clockwork bulldozer, as well as the 'Vickers Vigor' crawler.

 

Sadly, Hector passed away in Nov. 2021 at the age of 91, missed enormously by Judy, his family and close friends. His last wish was that his collection should now allow others all the enjoyment and happiness it had given him over decades, in the hope that the models will be appreciated and treasured by future generations, as much as they were by Hector.