ENTHUSIASTS expecting to visit the ‘Tracks across the Field’ event at Froxfield, near Petersfield, last weekend were left disappointed after the Wessex Historic Tractor and Implement Club was forced to cancel.

The two-day working event was to have celebrated the club’s 21st anniversary.

But when visitors turned up to the field opposite The Trooper Inn on the Petersfield Road, they were met with a sign saying the event had been cancelled.

The working weekend at Froxfield was to have provided an opportunity for club members to celebrate with the wider community by displaying and working their vintage and classic agricultural and horticultural machinery, with a mix of stationary and field working machinery ranging from field cultivation to timber preparation, including a ploughing match featuring vintage tractors and heavy horses.

But it was not to be. According to club chairman Nick Newens, “a last-minute technical legal problem” presented itself and the club had no time to react.

Mr Newens said: “This problem had never presented before and was totally unexpected. Had it been aired a few days before we could have salvaged the event.”

In the end, however, with no time to consult a legal professional or the club’s insurance company, the committee was left with no option but to cancel.

In expressing regret to all those members of the public who were expecting to enjoy the outdoor spectacle, Mr Newens added: “The committee (members) are all deeply disappointed with the decision, but are committed to ensure we are able to continue with Tracks Across The Field 2018.”