They are back, in 2023 we will be holding our very popular Christmas Open Events across all 7 branches. Starting on the 23rd November and ending on the 13th December full details can be found below. 

You are invited to join us at this year’s Christmas Open Day, stop by with your family and friends and enjoy a yuletide drink and festive nibble with the Hunt Forest Group team. All branches will be offering hot food and plenty of drink.

SHOP TILL YOU DROP
Make a start on your Christmas shopping with special seasonal discounts on many items throughout our showroom. Benefit from 10% off the John Deere clothing range, tools, children’s toys, workwear, parts and more.

PLENTY TO DO & SEE FOR EVERYONE
We have new & used machinery on display from our wide range of Agricultural, Turf and Construction franchises.

THIS YEARS EVENTS

Blashford Branch – Thursday 23rd November 2023, 4pm – 8pm, Pizza by The Slinky Fox

Isle of Wight Branch – Friday 24th November 2023, 2pm – 7pm, Dyno Day

Green Ore Branch – Friday 24th November 2023, 12 noon – 8pm and Saturday 25th November 2023, 10am – 4pm

Chilbolton Branch – Thursday 30th November 2023, 4pm – 8pm, Hog Roast by the Brazen Butchers

Dorchester Branch – Friday 1st December 2023, 3pm – 9pm

Tilshead Branch – Saturday 2nd December 2023, 11am – 6pm, Hog Roast by Salisbury Hog Roasts

Nether Stowey Branch – Wednesday 13th December 2023, 12 noon – 7pm

This November we are continuing to run with our very successful Autumn John Deere Lawn Tractor promotion. But for November 2023 – It is MOWvember at Hunt Forest Group, for every Lawn Tractor sold between 1 – 30th of November we will donate £25 to the Movember Charity.

The charity has been running for several years taking on mental health, suicide, prostate cancer and testicular cancer. During this time a lot of our members of staff have supported the cause by ‘growing a mo’ so this year we are doing our bit by involving our very own MO’s, our range of John Deere Tractor Lawn Mowers.

Further details of our current Lawn Tractor promotional offers can be seen below, buy in-store at your local Hunt Forest Group Branch or buy online here

Hunt Forest Group are pleased to announce that we have become an official ARB Partner at our Blashford Branch. ARB 4×4 Accessories are a great addition to our extensive brand portfolio and fit in extremely well alongside our established Isuzu and Arctic Trucks franchises.

NEW Green Ore Branch Now Open!

We are now open for Parts, Service and Sales, as much as we would like everything to look perfect straight away – we still have building work in place so please be patient with us whilst we add the finishing touches.

We look forward to offering you the same great service, alongside a full range of Agricultural, Pro Turf, Construction and Garden Machinery from our NEW Green Ore branch.

Throughout the inception of this crazy idea, through all of the initial planning stages, the booking of ferries, accommodation and the vehicle build – one goal stood tall at the top of the list at all times. The Aurora Borealis, the fabled Northern Lights – we just had to get a shot of our Isuzu D-Max AT35 beneath Earth’s greatest light show.

Plenty of research showed that towards the end of March, the peak Aurora viewing season would be coming to an end. And with the weather as unpredictable as ever, all the planets would have to align for us to stand any chance of seeing the lights.

After spending our first few nights in Iceland confined to the ferry amidst blizzard conditions, our first night on the road saw us head straight to sleep, exhausted having driven through the aftermath of the aforementioned spring snowstorms well into the night. The next day, we drove across the country’s width to collect Martin from the airport. After 11 hours of driving, we all looked forward to a good night’s sleep. But with the whole team finally assembled and some warm food inside of us, thoughts turned once again to the Aurora, we all had several different apps installed on our phones and after a fair bit of debate and comparisons we came to the conclusion that between 1-3 am would be our most likely chance of getting a glimpse. We had spoken to a family earlier in the evening at dinner and they had been there a week already and out every night in search of the Northern lights to no avail, their luck had to change sooner or later.

Eager to get some sleep after the day’s adventures, Darren and I tried to grab some shut-eye leaving Martin to the first watch. It wasn’t long before we could hear an excited ‘I think it’s out already’ and it was only 11.15 pm. At first, it was just a whisp of pale white in the sky, a low cloud hanging mid-air, a smoke trail against a star-strewn canvas. Martin fired off a few shots on his camera to be sure. And although the colour was faint, there was visible green and purple colouring to the sky showing on the back of his camera screen. We had made camp for the night in the small town of Vik on the southern coast, and on the way in we spotted a Church which sat high on the hill overlooking the town. We all called it straight away as a good vantage point, so having hastily packed away the roof tent, and quickly thrown on as many layers as possible we quickly reconvened and headed for the higher ground above the town, a clearer unobstructed view of the mountains available from the church.

On arrival, it was clear we were not the only ones with this vantage point in mind. As what seemed like every visitor to Vik that evening was present gazing up at the sky. As the whisps intensified the whole sky became an amphitheatre for this ethereal natural wonder. The longer we watched the brighter the show became, purples, reds and greens dancing in the skies above us, the heavens showcasing the most spectacular light show you could ever hope to witness. Unfortunately, the parking spot at the church became a bit of a circus as cars drove in and out without much consideration for anyone else – amazing who is about at 12:30 am on a mountainside. On several occasions, people were nearly run over, or a car would sit their engines running, stereo blaring, lights blazing up the mountainside. As much as this natural phenomenon was there for everyone to see, human nature always seems to find a way of ruining the moment.

We braved the biting winds and sub-zero temperatures, the mass of other star gazers and constant vehicle jenga for nearly 2 hours as the Northern lights performed all around us. The odd moment of darkness was soon transformed into vivid almost violent bursts of intense colour as the show just kept on giving. Exhausted but adrenaline pumping through our veins we tried to get some sleep and headed back to our camp for the night, the clock had ticked over to 2:37 am. We vowed that if we got another clear night, we would find our own location away from the disturbances of others where we could enjoy the Northern Lights uninterrupted.

Martin was up at first light, still buzzing from the night’s previous activity and went off to explore on his own on foot around the town. Darren and I enjoyed a bit of a lie-in (we had driven for over 11 hours the day before). Martin returned a couple of hours later having sourced a couple of locations that would prove perfect for that evening’s viewing should the Aurora choose to bless us again with its presence. After another full day of exploring, and very little sleep the night before we all craved an early night, and as if by some diving intervention someone up above was listening we were blessed with an early night show. As we finished our evening meal, the same telltale whisp appeared in the sky above us and it was only 10 pm. As we could see a trail of headlights heading up to the high vantage perch of the church, we turned tail and drove off in the other direction out of town. Following Martins’s directions to a rough gravel track that ran through the sand dunes of Vik’s famous black sand beach. The location proved near perfect, with only distant light pollution from the town and a 360-degree vista to view that night’s light show. Although nowhere near as vivid and dynamic as the night before, the isolated location on the shores of the Black Sand beach gave us the undisturbed darkness we had craved, without having to worry about getting run over.

With numb fingers from the unrelenting wind, we called it a night an hour or so later as the light show started to peter out. Another amazing show, and even better we manage to get to sleep before midnight. The Aurora Borealis had been well and truly witnessed!

Having never seen the Northern Lights, it was a bucket list tick for all 3 of us. But nothing can quite prepare you for seeing it in person. Iceland again had delivered in the most epic way!

Watch all of the episodes from our epic HFG Norse Bound expedition here: HFG NORSE BOUND

Bowood Hotel, Golf and Spa Resort, the luxury retreat in Wiltshire, UK, has chosen Club Car as its new supplier of golf vehicles and installed a fleet of  state-of-the-art Tempos.

The PGA partner venue has an 18-hole golf course and a PGA Academy and performance studio, nestled in the heart of the Bowood Estate – home to Bowood House & Gardens – and is complemented by five-star boutique-style accommodation and an award-winning spa.

Jeff Condliffe, General Manager at Bowood, said: “We switched to Club Car because of their reputation as the best in the business, and the new cars have already made a big difference.

(L-R) Kevin Hart (Sales Director Golf Business EMEA, Club Car), Jeff Condliffe (General Manager, Bowood Hotel, Golf & Spa Resort), Andy Bourke (Regional Sales Manager UK, Ireland, Scandinavia and Iceland, Club Car), Bob Culverhouse (Groundscare Sales Manager, Hunt Forest Group)

“We went with lithium-ion batteries so we’re saving money on charging costs, and we can easily get 36 holes from one charge.

“Our customers are loving them. They look sharp and really stand out when you see them on the walk in. It elevates the experience for our golfers, and the service we’ve received from Club Car and the dealer, Hunt Forest, has been exceptional.”

The Tempo cars, which deliver outstanding hill-climbing power and acceleration, are branded with Bowood’s livery and customised in a dark blue finish.

Bowood Hotel, Golf & Spa Resort has switched to Club Car and installed a new fleet of Tempo golf vehicles

Bowood, a PGA partner golf course and host of this summer’s PGA English Championships, has also installed a six-seater Villager to shuttle golfers to the house and gardens and around the estate.

Andy Bourke, Club Car’s Regional Sales Manager UK, Ireland, Scandinavia and Iceland, said: “It gives us great pride to hear that a venue as prestigious as Bowood Hotel, Golf & Spa Resort is so happy with the decision to switch to Club Car, from both a product and a service point of view.”

Club Car supplies many of the world’s leading golf destinations with its wide range of vehicles, and is a worldwide supplier to The 2023 Ryder Cup as well as an official supplier to the DP World Tour, the Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) and St Andrews Links Trust.

John Deere has launched a ground-breaking resettlement programme for military service personnel, offering new career opportunities working on some of the world’s most advanced agricultural and professional groundscare machinery.

Members of the armed forces have been identified as ideal candidates to bring their unique skill sets and experience to technician roles within UK and Ireland dealerships.

Responding to a global shortage of qualified technicians in the machinery sector, John Deere’s Military Hiring Programme will follow in the footsteps of a hugely-successful scheme launched in the United States which attracts more than 1,000 potential new recruits a year.

“We are passionate about finding a way to give back to those who have served our country,” says Allan Cochran, John Deere Branch Training Manager.

“The armed forces produces people who are highly skilled, motivated and extremely competent, and many already have the engineering skills needed to become qualified technicians.

“It’s the perfect fit for John Deere – we are able to play our part in supporting those resettling following careers in the armed forces while also attracting a different pool of people into the business.”

Signalling its commitment, John Deere has this week signed the Armed Forces Covenant; a pledge to ensure that those who serve, or have served, in the armed forces, and their families, are treated fairly.

Military personnel have been identified as a key source of talent for the machinery sector as many have already worked with some of the systems and products John Deere uses, making the transition straightforward.

Qualified technicians working across John Deere’s dealer network are required to service and maintain the vast range of machinery the company manufactures for customers in the UK and Ireland.

While the company is best known for its tractors, sprayers, combines, and other agricultural machinery, John Deere is also a leading provider of mowers, sprayers and utility vehicles used by groundscare professionals to maintain golf courses, sports pitches and amenity land.

Recruits will use the latest automation, artificial intelligence and guidance technologies to ensure customers always get the best performance and utilisation from their machines.

“Those who have served are experts at working under pressure and logically solving problems in order to keep a machine operational,” Allan says. “These are the skills John Deere dealerships need to keep the wheels turning.”

Those signing up to the programme will be offered free technical training to help them apply their current skills to John Deere products and services. There are more than 70 courses on offer.

“Everyone who signs up will be assigned to an employee from the John Deere network who has served in the armed forces who will be there to support each individual during the resettlement process,” Allan says.

Interested service members and ex-service members can learn more and fill out a contact card by visiting www.Deere.com/JDMHP.

After making contact, they will be put in touch with an individual from the John Deere network who has resettled following a career in the armed forces to discuss all potential options.

Our Sparkford branch will close on Saturday 1st July 2023!

With our new flagship branch at Green Ore nearly completed, our Cheddar & Sparkford branches will be closing their doors and merging together.

Sparkford is the first to depart and will close on Saturday 1st July 2023. They will move out of the current premises and into the new site once building work is completed.

We apologise for any inconvenience the move may cause.

We thank you for your business and support over the years and apologise for any inconvenience caused as we move to our new location. We endeavour to transition as efficiently as possible.

We look forward to offering you the same great service, alongside a full range of Agricultural, Pro Turf, Construction and Garden Machinery when our Green Ore branch is open and fully operational.

Where do I go for Parts now?
You can still call Chris on 07973 801 891 who will do his best to source Parts for your machines or alternatively, you can visit any of our other branches at Cheddar, Tilshead, Dorchester, Nether Stowey or Blashford.

What if I have Parts on order?
For any Parts currently on order with HFG Sparkford – we will be in contact as soon as the Parts are delivered to us to arrange collection or delivery.

What if I have a Service issue?
Please in the first instance call Chris on 07973 801 891 who will endeavour to arrange any Service work required.

In any other instance please call the Service Department at your next nearest branch at Cheddar, Tilshead, Dorchester, Nether Stowey or Blashford.

What about ongoing Service jobs?
Any service work currently being undertaken or that has been booked in by HFG Sparkford will completed as normal and customers will be contacted upon completion.

If there are any issues with your booking or service job we will be in touch as soon as possible to discuss alternative solutions.

Where do I go to buy a new machine?
All new machines can be sourced as before from your Area Sales Representative or you can visit your next nearest branch at Cheddar, Tilshead, Dorchester, Nether Stowey or Blashford.

Alternatively, you can also buy online at huntforest.com

An early start beckoned for a hastily arranged off-road trip scheduled with David from Arctic Trucks in Iceland. Meant we were up, fed, packed and ready to go for a 7 am departure. A good 120-mile journey back West and inland towards the Golden Circle and our arranged rendezvous spot. Although we had already enjoyed various driving conditions in the short few days he had been here, David promised to show us some true Icelandic off-roading. There was talk of mountains, glaciers and volcanos and plenty of snow as we stopped off mid-route to stock up on energy drinks and sustenance for the day ahead.

We made our meeting point at Thingvellir Tourist Information Centre in plenty of time, allowing for the wintery weather as we neared the Icelandic Highlands the ground and skies cleared, and a beautiful day beckoned. A quick chat with David gave us a brief overview of what we could expect for the day, a route through the highlands that would leave us near our planned stop for the night. So off we went following David and his family in the Arctic Trucks AT44, already giving Gareth a size complex at the visible size difference between the two vehicles. We wound through some stunning mountainous terrain as the main road gave way to single-track and eventually gravel roads. Equipped with walky-talkies we were in constant contact with David and as we approached our destination, he pulled over to help with altering our tyre pressures.

As we were quite heavily laden with roof tent and on-board kitchen, plus all of our luggage the Glacier was out of the question, so we settled on a 1000-metre-high Volcano lowering the tyres to 10 PSI on the front and 15 PSI on the back to help distribute the weight better on the uneven terrain, and to help make the off-road ride a little more comfortable. As you can imagine our excitement was building and even a little bit of trepidation was starting to show at the unknown challenge ahead.

As the clear differentiators between road and track disappeared, we passed several signs reading ‘Warning, Impassable’ before David pulled over to show us just where he planned to take us. Mount Skjaldbreiður stands a neck-aching 1066 metres high and as we looked across the baron foothills before us the summit remained in the cloud.

A final tyre check and we set off, winding in and out of electricity pylons following the ruts of vehicles gone before us. Over rough shale and loose rock, plodding ever onwards without seemingly covering much ground. As rock gave way to ice and then eventually snow, we started to feel the incline. Martin our photographer jumped out and positioned himself in the flatbed of the AT44, as we were following, it enabled him to get some great shots of our Arctic Truck as we climbed higher, true dedication to the cause as he bounced around trying to hold the camera steady.

The reveal as we broke the skyline was just incredible, a 360-degree panorama of snow-capped mountains and sub-arctic wilderness for as far as the eye could see. The summit revealed a large bowl-shaped amphitheatre that we were informed was the crater of the now-extinct Volcano, apprehensively we took a run down to the bottom of the bowl, an experience we could never have even dreamed up before. As David spent some time with his family, we got down to the serious business of testing just how good the AT35 in the snow 1000 metres above sea level.

We never knew driving up a snow-covered volcano would be a bucket list thing, but we were all so glad to have ticked it off. Our time at the top of the world however seemed far too short and it was soon time to regroup ready for the descent and trip back. Following David and the AT44, we set off down the mountain at a fair pace, the snow a lot fresher on this side of the peak. As we left the slopes behind and started to level out in the foothills, we hit several patches of deeper snow, the AT35 bottoming out even as we hit a large drift at momentum, we had been here 5 days and this was our first time getting stuck, quite an achievement considering the weather conditions, mainly due to the capabilities of the AT35. For some reference, the AT44 also got stuck momentarily until David utilised his onboard tyre inflation system and dropped his pressures down to 4 PSI.

Tow rope attached we were back up and running again, and cruising back through the tundra, stunning landscape all around us. A couple more hiccups over the next mile or so involved a tow, but we were clear of the worst. Travelling east towards our stopover point for the evening.

As the snow and ice cleared, we were back on recognised gravel roads, the pace increasing as the altitude decreased. However, David and Iceland had one last challenge for the AT35 that day as we neared our end point at Geysir. We had to cross two large expanses of sheet ice. What lurked below was unknown, and as we set out tentatively across it the Last thing, we wanted to hear was the cracking of ice, but as we reached the middle the noise from outside the truck was audible inside. Spurred on by the cracking peril, Gareth accelerated, all of us sighing with relief as we made it safely to the far side.

A huge thank you to David and his family for giving up their time to take us out on what proved to be a truly memorable adventure and an experience we cannot imagine ever having on our own, one that will live in our memory forever. The AT35 proved as it had throughout this entire expedition that it could handle anything we could throw at it – snow, rock and even a VOLCANO!

Catch up with the HFG Norse Bound journey so far here: HFG NORSE BOUND