A familiar sight at cricket grounds around the world, the Auto-Roller manufactured by Autoguide Equipment Ltd, reached its century in 2021.

Hand-built by craftsmen at the company's Wiltshire factory, the Auto-Roller is the choice of many leading groundsmen at Test and County grounds for the upkeep and preparation of their playing surface.

(0:41) The podcast traces the development of turf machinery used in cricket, starting with the invention of the lawnmower (as we know it) in 1832.

(05:20) Host Chris Biddle finds out more about the history of the Auto-Roller from Richard Robinson, the founder of Autoguide, and discovers more about the lengths the company goes to ensure comfort, ease of use and reliability.

(15:40) Chris talks winter rolling regimes with Auto-Roller user Gary Barwell, head groundsman at Edgbaston, home of County Champions Warwickshire CCC and famous Test Match venue. Gary also talks about the scrutiny of the pitch during a game, whether the captains often ask for his advice and why he feels that a variation in pitches around the country gives the game energy and spectator appeal.

PODCAST IS PRODUCED ON BEHALF OF AUTOGUIDE EQUIPMENT LTD

Further information: Auto-Roller website

For the third in this series of Agri-Turf Talks, a panel drawn from across the agri-turf sector discuss the issues they face recruiting new talent into the industry. The panel is:

Richard Charles: After Sales Customer Care and Training Manager, UK and Ireland AGCO Corporation

Simon Holmes : Group Service Manager Agriculture and Construction T H WHITE Group

Jeremy Gibbs: Farmer and Founder of Forces Farming

David Kirschner: Independent Industry Consultant

Chris Biddle: Inside Agri-Turf Host

Amongst the issues covered are the role of recruitment agencies, apprenticeships, training, the visibility of the industry to outsiders and much more.

LINKS

Landbased Engineering Careers

AGCO Academy Training Centre

Forces Farming

T H White Group

The annual Doe Show staged by the multi-branch dealership Ernest Doe Ltd has been held every year since 1960.

The 2020 show, always held during the first week of February, was staged a few weeks before the Government announced a complete lockdown due to the spreading pandemic.

Determined to keep the show on the road, Doe sales director Graham Parker and his team started to make plans for the 2021 show - whatever the ever-changing restrictions.

Graham describes how they put together a very different event in 2021, and still had to juggle Plan A, Plan B, Plan C for the February 2022 show as a second wave of Covid arrived, making a last-minute decision on the show format inevitable.

Graham describes changing plans, sleepless nights, new technology and visitor feedback

Ernest Doe website