Royal Cornwall Show Machinery Highlights (Part Three)

Our next port of call was to the Kellands Plant Sales stand, which in the light of recent events was an emotional one for sure.

It has not been many weeks since I received the terrible news of the passing of our good friend and Managing Director of Kellands Plant Sales Tim Hill, and attended his funeral, so as one might expect there was a somewhat sombre atmosphere around the stand.

However, I’m sure Tim would have wanted the show to go on and the Kellands team did him proud by even being there, and put out a fantastic display of machines. Flags flew at half mast, and there were lovely tributes to Tim around the showground.

On the machinery front the team amassed a fantastic array of equipment most of which was emblazoned with customers liveries. Two standout machines were parked to form an entrance onto the stand, with a Develon DX260LC-9 sold to Liskeard based Champion Groundworks on the left.

While to the right-hand side there was a DX230LC-9 which has gone to Helston based MJL Group, who this year were celebrating 25 years in business, with many machines around the showground featuring stunning red wraps.

Chris Sibley Groundworks who we visited on site recently to see his son Ben on his brand new Develon DX230LC-9, had another 14/15-tonne class DX140LC-7 on the stand, complete with dozer blade, and distinctive green Euro-Fab bucket, so another useful addition to the fleet.

This year’s show was definitely the MJL Group edition, with equipment all over the various trade stands. On the Kellands stand alone they had no less than five new machines, including two of the 8.5-tonne class DX85R models.

Alos of interest on the stand was the 6-tonne class NC Engineering ST55 60 forward tipping hydrostatically driven site dumper, these look to be a really solid and well-built dumper, it’s a shame we don’t see more of them about. Other equipment from Kellands portfolio of products such as Merlo UK telescopic handlers and Avant compact loaders were also presented.

Perhaps the most poignant exhibit was the diesel bowser purchased by MJL Group that featured a tribute to the late Tim Hill by Jake Hartnell who is the workshop manager at MJL.

A nice touch, and Tim will be remembered forever on construction sites in the local area with this fitting tribute, a true legend, and a gentleman, who started on the spanners and worked his way up the ranks to become the special leader he was. Thanks for all the help and and words of encouragement you gave me personally over the years, I will miss our chats immensely. R.I.P Tim.