Over 1,000 people witnessed a Christmas parade of tractors and other farming vehicles move through Baldock, Letchworth, and Hitchin on Saturday, December 18. The goal is to raise funds for Letchworth’s Garden House Hospice. Organizer Richard Hill, an agricultural contractor from St. Ippolyts, customized his tractor with lights and towed a trailer with a DJ, Santa, and an elf. Hill claimed that the march was arranged to promote people’s “mental health,” and that he believes it was a success because he saw everyone smiling, laughing, and conversing with their friends.

When Hill first came up with the idea, he expected only 20 or 30 tractors to participate. He said, however, that “every farm in Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire sent a tractor or two,” as well as other vehicles. Hill claimed that he had the support of the National Farmers Union, local businesses, and the council, and that all he wanted to do was bring people together. Carla Pilsworth of Garden House Hospice expresses her gratitude and says it is “just what the community needed,” while Hitchin photographer Roman Turney says it was wonderful to see a parade of vehicles covered in Christmas lights for a good cause.