by Isobel Williams

A Kent man is travelling 1,500 miles across the UK on a vintage tractor – at a top speed of 13mph.

Retired farmer Steve Saunders from West Kingsdown is on a fundraising mission in his Massey Ferguson 135 which has already raised more than £3,500 for ellenor hospice.

The trip began in Brands Hatch on September 9 and had the 64-year-old visiting cities like Oxford, Cardiff, Liverpool, and Edinburgh.

Now he is travelling back home at max speed of 13 miles per hour, while struggling through British weather.

Mr Saunders said: “It has been going really well. I have met a lot of lovely people.

“I don’t really know what inspired this. There was a conversation in the café with a mate of mine Danny who does something strange every year.

“I have always been a big fan of tractors. I have several classic tractors from the 60’s and 70’s so I suppose you could call me a bit of an anorak.

“It has been a bit cold, we should probably in hindsight have done it two months earlier, but we can suffer a bit of that.

“At 13 miles per hour you see everything, and you notice the smells of everything you go by.

“You are more in touch with it out there.”

Mr Saunders says the support for his mission has been “unbelievable”, especially thanking his wife of 35 years Lou who has been helping to run the social media.

The Facebook page Steve’s Charity Tractor Drive has now amassed more than 4,000 followers who are all showing their support.

Mr Saunders added: “I have been surprised by all the interest on social media, I seem to have a lot of followers on there.

“People have been getting in touch and meeting up with me on the way to give me food.

“It is all really strange to me, I am just a silly old man on a tractor.

“The support has been unbelievable. There are some very kind people.

“I haven’t met anybody yet with a negative attitude.”

The tractor drive has gained over £3,500 in donations on their JustGiving page, along with cash donations handed to Steve on his travels, and donations handed in to his travel café back home.

Overall Mr Saunders predicts donations will add up to £7,000-£8,000 by the end, all of which will go to the charity ellenor.

The organisation provides hospice care to both adults and children living in North Kent and Bexley.