Jolly Good Run

Every year on Easter Saturday, the sleepy roads of Derbyshire are filled with tractors big and small from miles around. They come to join the annual Wards of Troway Tractor Run. We meet the man behind the idea and find out why it’s so important.

Words by Molly Haynes

(Above) The Wards of Troway Tractor Run. 

The yard is thrumming at Wards of Troway beef farm as Charles Ward – aka @thebigjollyfarmer on TikTok and Instagram – comes out to meet us. It’s one of the biggest events of the year, which for a man who doesn’t keep a calendar is an impressive feat of organisation.

“I’m a farmer,” he laughs. “My life is organised by the seasons and the weather, not an app on my phone.” But every year on Easter Saturday, the Wards of Troway Tractor run goes without a hitch, supported by an army of volunteers at the family farm. 

“This farm’s been rented by my mum’s family for over 200 years, but my dad took it on in the ’90s and made it what it is today,” says Charles. “Dad started off with his first eight bulls and went from there.”

 Wearing many hats

Born and raised on the farm, Charles and his sister Fran have both mucked in from an early age. Like many farming families they have multiple jobs. “My dad and I are both stonemasons and I’m a butcher, too,” says Charles. “My mum used to be a teacher and is now an exam invigilator and tutor. She also runs our farm shop and café. While my sister Fran works at the local hospital and runs her cake business from here.”

Charles also grew up as an active member of Pleasley Young Farmers, which is how the Wards of Troway Tractor Run came to be. “As a group, you’ve got to do something for charity every year. In 2022, I asked my dad if we could do a tractor run from the farm on Easter Saturday – giving him about four weeks’ notice. He was on board, so we contacted all the local authorities to get approval, planned the logistics and let everyone know.”

An army of volunteers turned up to support with everything from the food to the charity collections, and the first tractor run was a success. “We had about 40 tractors turn up to that first run in aid of Yellow Wellies Farm Safety Foundation, which works to change the attitudes towards farm safety among young farmers and aims to have zero avoidable deaths on farms, including those related to mental health.”

 Four years of tractor run success

Now in year four and Charles has seen the numbers of tractors turning up for the tractor run increase to more than 100. “It touches a soft spot when I see all the tractors rolling in,” he says. “Farmers don’t get days off, so to see them going to the effort to clean and decorate their tractor, and take time out to be here means a lot.”

 The tractors roll in from far and wide. “My girlfriend, Gee Gee’s uncle Martin comes down from North Yorkshire every year, and we’ve even had someone from Doncaster before.” Charles’s success on social media means that fans have often showed up, too.

 “My dad finds it hilarious that people know me from social,” he says. But it was his social media following that connected him to Ridgeline for the first time. “I actually had a Ridgeline Smock in my basket on the website when I got an email asking me if I wanted to do a photoshoot for the brand. I got to keep the smock I liked from that shoot and I still wear it all the time. Gee Gee is a fan too. We recently walked up Snowdon wearing our Ridgeline Monsoon jackets and were toasty all day.”

 Ridgeline donated 200 Trucker Caps to Charles to sell for whatever price at the tractor run, with all proceeds going towards the £3,391.50 raised this year. “We’ve plans to get bigger and better as the years go on,” says Charles. “Not just involving farmers and their families but making sure the local communities feel included and have fun, too.”

 The importance of community

We take a moment to talk more about the cause the tractor run supports – the Mind Your Head campaign set up by Yellow Wellies. It raises awareness of the growing issue of mental health in the farming community and the fact that 95% of farmers under 40 believe it’s the biggest hidden problem facing farmers today.

 “I feel lucky to have a group of friends who I could call on anytime if I needed them. But there are farmers who don’t have that, which is why we fundraise for Yellow Wellies, so other farmers can get the support they need.”

 With the obvious ups and downs of farming, I ask Charles what advice he’d give to his younger self.
Ever the optimist, he smiles. “Don’t take everything so seriously and just enjoy it,” he says. “The last thing my grandma ever said to me was “Charles, don’t rush life. Everything will fall into place.’ And ever since I’ve tried to live that way.” With no calendar, no planning and no rush – but at least four jobs, it’s easy to wonder if Charles ever gets a day off.

 “I do,” he replies. “I’m going to Rome next week with Gee Gee. It’s my first time on a plane. I can’t wait.” But as we say goodbye, I can’t help but wonder if la dolce vita is in fact right here at Wards of Troway Farm.