by Joe Jeffrey
Peter Matheson returns following 8,000-mile trip towing an Elddis with a tractor alongside his pet labrador
A retired policeman who decided he would drive from Scotland to Norway by tractor whilst towing an Elddis Crusader caravan and accompanied by his dog has returned following an epic 8,000-mile journey.
Peter Matheson, who celebrated his 51st birthday whilst on the road with just pet Labrador Amber and his Massey Ferguson 135 tractor affectionately named Annie for company, braved freezing Nordic temperatures whilst travelling through Finland, Denmark, Calais, Dover and Lands End, before arriving back in the UK at John O’Groats – all the while travelling at an average speed of 10mph. If that’s not patience mixed with steadfast determination, we don’t know what is.
Peter’s barmy feat, or Tractor Bumble as it was known, was not done for the sake of it, however; it was done in order to raise money for two charities close to the Scotsman’s heart: UNCIEF and the Tom Bowdidge Foundation – a charity established in the memory of a 19-year-old family friend who died of an aggressive form of stomach cancer in October 2013.
The journey was not without its setbacks though, as Peter explained: “On one occasion I was hit by a massive storm when a lorry driving in the other direction lost control.”
“Luckily it was okay, and it only threw water up in the air to drench me. It was a steep learning curve!” Peter laughed.
On another occasion, Peter was driving through a Norwegian mountain range during high winds and had to cross a bridge with a steep drop on both sides.
“It was a horrible, horrible day,” he explained. “When I got there, there just wasn’t room to turn and this bridge was straight up and straight down. I put the tractor in gear, gritted my teeth and just went for it.
“Aside from that, minus 20 C was the only genuine low point. Looking back, it was an amazing experience. For every low point, there were so many highs, like the Northern Lights and all the amazing people I met.”
We at CaravanTimes salute you Peter. Congratulations on such an epic journey – and for such a great cause.
To donate to the Tom Bowdidge Foundation, click here.
