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| Vintage cars lining up to go into the ring |
Bank Holiday Monday (yesterday) we went to the Onslow Bank Steam Rally. It's held over two days. Sunday, weather wise was a a beautiful day, warm, dry, everything. Monday was forecast as heavy rain, gales ... you name it. Anyway we went early Monday morning. It's only ten/twelve miles away from where we live and a good day out so what's a drop of rain and a bit of wind. A lot of people stayed away because of the Monday weather which was a bit of a shame, because it was a fantastic day. There was a lot going on - the razmataz of vintage - acrid smoke, hooting, chuffing and banging of the steam engines. They converge here from all over the country. The A458 is a nightmare when they all arrive on a Friday night and a Saturday.
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| One of the vintage push bike collection |
I loved this bike - the day job and the leisure tennis racket for after work.
Love this motorbike too. Could almost picture Steve McQueen in 633 Squadron ploughing through that rolled up barb wire on something similar.
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| The Old Guilsfield Bus |
This bus belonged to 'John the Bus'. The story collated by Mrs Marie Jones goes : - 'John was a war victim of the 1st World War, having his leg amputated in France at the age of 23. On returning back home he started his bus business, conveying passengers. To do this the bus was adapted to suit his driving capabilities...' Inside the bus, near the gear stick, there's a compartment where he used to store his artificial leg. Neat!
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| The old Crosville bus leading the procession |
I can remember catching one of those buses when I went to school. Nostalgia.
Vintage tractors make their début
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Lawley Bros from Churchstoke using steam power to split through tree trunks
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| The Association of Pole Lathe Workers at work |
I came across my long time friend
Jane at Levant there and we agreed to share picures - Check her site - she's got some great pics.
There's a link to my
Flickr site if you've got the time - sorry about the repeats - I'm still practising.
The buses are awful cute Molly. We attend a vintage car show here sometimes. I adore the vintage Minis. Tropical rain bands from Hurricane Isaac are hitting us right now.xoxo, olive
ReplyDeleteBeen listening to the news about Hurricane Isaac. Our granddaughter is in Florida. You're in my thoughts and prayers. Keep safe.
DeleteWhat a wonderful collection of old cars, buses, motorbikes, and tractors! I have a soft spot for old tractors since I learned to drive on one!
ReplyDeleteKat
There's nothing like the old grey Fergy
DeleteLoved the Guilsfield bus...beautiful. Looks like it was a wonderful outing.
ReplyDeleteThere's quite a story to that old bus. Both John and his brother joined up for the first world war. John was injured in France and his brother was killed. That was the second bus he owned.
DeleteOh, Max would have loved that.
ReplyDeleteYes. Bless his heart. I thought about you and Cro when I saw the Austin 7 go round the ring.
DeleteIsn't it wonderful that people take the time to look after old tractors, bikes, etc. Well done them!
ReplyDeleteIt's a vocation for most of them - you can see them with the cloth and polish out at the show.
DeleteI wish I had been there, it all looks beautiful. I love the beams on some of the faces of the tractor drivers - boys showing off their toys...and why not! Lovely.
ReplyDeleteIt was the expressions on the faces as they went round that took me as well.
DeleteWhat a great show - such a variety of old nostalgia - it was great to meet up and chat - love your pics especially the old bus - what is that plant in your header pic Molly is it some sort of gladioli X
ReplyDeleteIt's Solomon's Seal. I was trying to grow a piece of root ginger in a pot - well it did sort of spurt leaves and then died back. I must have had a little bit of the rhizome of Solomon's Seal in the soil when I potted it up - and that's what grew.
DeleteThis would be my kind of show as it's good to see these vintage collections and appreciate the effort made to keep them in working order. What a wonderful story about the bus and the driver!
ReplyDeleteThey have one every year and sometimes you think - same thing all over again. But this one was one of the best I've been to. The folks that enter are really dedicated.
DeleteI am glad you did not listen to the weathermen as 50% of the time they are wrong. What a fun show you would have missed.
ReplyDeleteIt was brilliant. Hope your patient is well on the mend again.
ReplyDelete"...so what's a drop of rain and a bit of wind?"
ReplyDeleteWell, Molly you were lucky they went ahead with the rally. Here if rain is forecast - they cancel it! I've had cancelled notices 7 days before the event because of 'soft ground'. This year all three of my 'locals' got the chop! :(
Lucky you. :) And lovely pictures as always.
Saturday I'm out for a Grind at Cookham regatta, and it looks like being a dry one. :)
Milton Keynes is in October so...fingers crossed for that one too. It's not good for an old fella, when he can't have burst on his organ! :o
Cheers.....Unc. B xx
It's been a real shame when events have had to be cancelled. A few of the village shows around here bit the dust too (no that's not the right expression) because of the weather. Fingers crossed for you on Saturday from me too. Post a blog up and one of your brilliant videos. Love them. I'm off to a village show on Saturday too - have entered some of my veggies in it so fingers crossed for me as well. Have a good day, Molly
ReplyDeleteYou'll be pleased to know the day was fantastic. I played from 11 'till 5, and my poor right arm ached. I did manage a few pictures and two wee videos - all I need now is a bit of time to get it all together and up on YouTube.
DeleteCheers....B
Hey Unc B, that was totally brilliant - poor arm, but well worth the pain. Looking forward to your videos and blog post. I did OK at the village show too. I had 2 firsts. 2 seconds and three thirds and won a shield which I was chuffed to bits with - so a good day all round
DeleteGosh! Two firsts,two seconds and three thirds. Was that 'knobbly knees', cakes or home-grown veggies?
Delete(I jest of course.)
Well done! You must show us the winners.
I think we've eaten them - they were mostly veggies. I didn't take any pics there. I had a first and a third with my marrows (e by gum), a second with my onions, a third each with my beetroot and cooking apples, a first with a vase of garden flowers and a second with my sweet peas which was a bit of a shock and bigger still when I had a shield as well. It's all gone to me head a bit.
DeleteMonday was a gorgeous day here too. Forecasters never get it quite right.
ReplyDeleteWe have a few veterans here in C during the Festival. They are always worth a second look.
It was a bit showery and windy there on times, but it was OK on the whole. When was the festival? Been up to Aber today - the weather has been really lovely. People in T shirts on the beach - what a change from a week ago.
ReplyDeleteIt's lovely to see all the old vehicles, the motorbikes and tractors are my favourites.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed the Steam Rally this year. The puts and the bangs and the clouds of smoke. And all the dedicated, battered hat brigade - it was brilliant. I enjoyed the vintage tractor parade the best. It was all the expressions of the drivers as they strut their stuff round the ring.
DeleteI like the vintage bikes and buses, reminds me of the Suzuki scooter I had in the late 60s-early 70s.
ReplyDeleteWere you a Mod? I remember the mods and the rockers - Mary Quant and Twiggy, the Rolling Stones and the Beatles - oh memories - those were good times
DeleteNo. Mods and Rockers didn't really take off here in Australia, not that I noticed anyway. I remember Mary Quant lipstick and nail polish being very popular and a lot of girls not eating in order to look like Twiggy. I remember my sister was a huge Beatles fan, she has every single record they ever put out. I have some of their music on my ipod and a few Rolling Stones as well.
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