Tractor run in memory of Roseland farmer John Warne tops £1,000

A line of tractors stretched along the Roseland lanes on Sunday, engines idling behind the CASE IH 165 that once belonged to John Warne, a Cornish farmer whose friends were determined to give him one last send off doing the thing he loved most.

A convoy 40 tractors strong

John died on New Year’s Day 2026, aged just 52, after a long battle with kidney disease. On Sunday 13 September, around 40 tractors of every shape and size gathered to remember him, driven by the friends, family and colleagues who knew him.

The event was organised by John’s friends Phil Michell and Wayne Jeffrey, and it was John’s own CASE IH 165 that led the 33-mile scenic route around the Roseland Peninsula. The convoy took in a stop at Caerhays Beach, and for those whose tractors were up to it, a drive through the grounds of Caerhays Castle.

Pasties, cakes and a cider toast

A pit stop at The Wagon Farm Shop & Café at Besowsa gave everyone the chance to enjoy pasties, cakes and drinks along the way, and a cider toast was raised in John’s memory during the run.

The convoy finished by passing through Penans, John’s family farm near Grampound, bringing the day back to where it mattered most.

More than £1,000 for the renal unit

The run has raised more than £1,000 for the renal unit at Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro, and the organisers plan to put the money towards pressure pads for the unit, a piece of equipment that could make a real difference to patients there.

Phil Michell said: “We were pleased that so many of John’s friends, family and colleagues joined us for what was a great day to remember him.

“We embraced John’s three favourite things – tractors, Cornish pasties and cider.

“We were delighted to have raised more than £1,000 in John’s memory. This will be spent on purchasing pressure pads for the Renal Unit at Royal Cornwall Hospital, where John was well cared for by the team.”

John received dialysis three times a week, a procedure that takes a long time to complete. As Phil explained, the new pressure pads for the dialysis chairs are intended to make that experience more comfortable for current and future patients, and crucially, to help prevent skin damage and pressure sores.

Thanks to those who helped

The organisers would like to thank Michael Grigg at Griggs Country Store, Charles Williams at Caerhays Estate, Stacy Thomas and the Ward family at The Wagon Farm Shop & Café, Sarah Daniel at Pengelly Plant Centre, and the team of marshals who helped make the event possible.

Three times a week, for as long as it took, that was John’s routine. On Sunday, for one afternoon, it was tractors, pasties and cider instead.

📷Participants making a brief stop at Penans Farm during the John Warne memorial tractor run. Credit: Steven Michell