Derbyshire pub owner introduces tractor parking bay for local farmers
16th April 2024
A Derbyshire pub owner said he did not see anything unusual about his tractor parking bay before it became national news.
Rick Ellison has recently created a tractor parking spot at his pub, The Anchor Inn, located in Tideswell.
He said: “When you’ve lived in a countryside area all your life, you don’t see anything unusual about it.
“I could see quite often that farmers visited my pub by tractors, so when we were doing the car park up, we wanted to make it accessible for as many people as possible.
“We had a big unused space, so we decided to create a tractor parking bay there.”
Mr Ellison added that his idea was warmly received by local residents, and the parking lot is often used not only by tractors but also by larger vans, country commercial vehicles and even steam rollers.
Championing local farmers
Mr Ellison, who has been operating the pub since 2016, said he is always open to any ideas that may help his community and recognise the hard work done by local farmers.
“I’d encourage other business owners to add any kind of thing that makes people involved.
“Anything it may be, it’s always worth doing if it helps your local community,” he added.
Good for mind and soul
The owner of The Anchor Inn and four other pubs across the Peak District repeats after the Clarkson’s Farm star, Kaleb Cooper, that it is good for farmers’ mental health to meet up with friends and throw their worries off their minds.
Mr Ellison said: “When you’re stuck in a tractor all day, sometimes you just need to go and talk to people. It’s good for your mind and soul.”
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