We Were Out Bright And Early,

we had pre-booked tickets for a steam rally, 

so glad rags on,

and we were off to the tram stop at Beckenham Junction,

the train station nearby,

into the tram to East Croydon railway station,

on to the train in time for breakfast on the move, 

arriving at Pulborough there was a 1953 single decker bus laid on to meet the trains,

'all aboard!', 

as we left the station,

off of the bus 20 or so minutes later,

and we were here, the Sussex Steam Rally at Parham Park,

the show was well attended, 

the advantage of arriving in a car is there is not such a long walk to the show ground!

crossing the field, 

our first glimpse of the rally,

through the hedge, 

and here we are, 

the first vintage vehicle of the day, a post office repair van,

on the right a huge tractor unit and a caravan trailer, 

trucks like these used to tow fun fairs all over the country, 

we had to listen to one of the many fairground organs, 

and then, 

my namesake, 

a Stanley steamer,

and no, I would not have a clue as to how to operate it!

well I just had too!

as soon as I arrived at the main area, a traction engine steamed by, 

we then started looking at the miniature steam road engines, 

painstakingly looked after by their owners,

the legend, 

the pistons as in the full sized road versions mounted on top of the boiler, 

a row of them,

it sounds strange, but the aroma of coal fired smoke brings back so many childhood memories, 

Dad first thing in the morning trying to lite (or is it light), the fire to warm the living room up, with wood and kindling, coal on top, 

in any event these machines are a testament to the skill of their builders, 

each of the main brands has a miniature counterpart, 

the extra tall smoke stack is an attempt to keep the fumes upwards away for visitors, 

many of the exhibitors staying here over night, 

a closer look at the 'business' bit, 

the crankshaft with con rods going to the pistons, perhaps I should mention the scale of some of the miniature road engines,

this photograph from Berry Brooke Steam & Classics, shows the range of scales that can be used in making your own miniature traction engine, common scales tend to follow; 1”, 1 ½”, 2”, 3”, 4”, 4 ½”, 6” and 9” scale, also there are engines outside of those mainstream scales, such as those built to 5” scale, ½” scale and even up to 10” scale,

as an example, if a full-sized traction engine had a back wheel diameter of 6ft, we would expect a 6-inch scale counterpart of that same traction engine to have a back wheel diameter of 3ft. With 12 inches in every foot, 6-inch scale quite literally involves dividing the dimension by two, a miniature traction engine based on the same full-sized traction engine, but 4-inch scale would have a rear wheel diameter of 2ft as you divide the 6ft by the three, as 4-inches go into 12-inches (1ft) three times. Taken further, a 2-inch scale example of the same design would have a wheel diameter of 1ft

one of the many classic and vintage cars here, 

what a great sight, a youngster away from a computer screen and really enjoying himself,

as with all of these the attention to detail is staggering, 

the same engine 2 different scales,

I would know how to steer and perhaps using the large lever in the centre to moderate the speed, but all of the other wheels and handles a mystery to me, 

a question I keep asking myself, 

how much would it cost to buy one of these beauties? the answer is here, at the Berry Broke Steam & Classics sales page, and for a few more have a look here at the Legacy site, 

one proud owner coaling up,

arranged in a 'U' shape caravans, 

pitched up for exhibitors to stay in over the weekend,

everywhere we looked, 

traction engines, 

of so many different configurations,

another great sight, youngsters getting their hands dirty!

at the end of our trip I have made a video, in it one of the youngsters here not only gets his hands dirty, but slightly burnt as well! 

another young one,

cleaning a part of the boiler, 

some of the engines have trailers for the operator to sit on,

some for guests, 

we continued walking,

past a few stalls, 

and a celebration, 

all of the time fair ground organ music was being played by a number of machines, this is the carboard cut out that signals which one of the instruments will be played, 

these 'books' of tunes,

ship modellers were also represented here, 

with all manner of craft, 

the detail,

on the models outstanding, 

vessels from the canals to the sea,

also you could drive your own craft, 

around a pool set up for just .50 pence,  

next was the stationary engine section,

these are typically used to pump water, 

there were more than a few of them,

we went to the main exhibition arena where a precession of tractors was passing, 

and then I found it, the beer caravan!

but first a look at the motorcycle display, 

there was a huge section of BSA Bantams, 

here in many of their livery's, 

I am guessing that in the day more learner drivers past their test on a BSA Bantam than any other motorcycle, they were cheap and they were everywhere!

a look at some of the other bikes on display, 

including a couple of miniatures, 

and another Bantam, beside it, 

another BSA but this one a Model B18, a O.H.V. Light de Lux, 

notice the hand gear change and girder front forks,

a few slightly more modern bikes here, 

this a Triumph Bonneville, a later model than the one I owned as it has a disc front brake,

this was my Bonneville, no disc front brake but it did have a TLS (twin leading shoe).

another BSA

and AJS of the same era,

 

a new one for me, one of many motorcycle brands I had not heard of,

a Aberdale, with girder front forks,

also a tricycle was here, 

fast for its time I think this is a AJS CSR

looking like a twin,

but it was a single cylinder with 2 exhaust ports, a Panther 650 cc favoured by families with a sidecar, its slow revving but torquey engine pulled the sidecar with ease,  

my favorite of the bikes here, a Triton, a Triumph engine in a Norton frame, at the time considered to be the ideal café racer, 

especially with its John Tickle front brake,

a favorite at the time and with a dedicated following now, a Velocette, 

I was in seventh heaven!

another engine past by, 

looking at this tent I thought I had found the craft beer tent,

 

but I was a tad wrong, 

it was a arts & crafts tent!

which sold hand made hand bags, 

as well as other crafts,

and artefacts, 

then Diana saw these, 

football inspired doughnuts,

in the centre of this part of the field, lots of stalls, 

but first we were hungry and thirsty, so Diana ordered our food, 

whilst I grabbed a beer,

and a beef burger, with lashings of onions, for myself I can never have enough onions in a burger!

Diana had to wait for her cheese filled bratwurst sausage roll to be cooked,

served with chips and sliced gherkins,

the food area on this part of the field, 

was packed,

refreshed we started looking around some of the stalls,

that sold old items,

you name it, 

whatever you named it was most probably here,

there were a few stall selling new items,

like these bells,

and these I am guessing, 

very ornate walking sticks?

Diana bought some gloves, 

a few reproduction signs,

and hand made,

wicker baskets, 

bicycles,

and benches all here for sale,

and all manner of other items,

across from us, new sunglasses and hats,

these stalls, 

with so many items for a man cave,

one stall Diana was not keen on,

the one that had dolls, whose eyes followed you everywhere!

on some of the other stalls, 

there was a theme,

lamps,

and lights of all description,

as well as bulb horns,

we passed the cars, and in the first row my favorite of all of the vehicles here, 

a Citron Lt15, 

this one absolutely immaculate, 

one of the few cars I would swap the Jag for, 

the sign says it all, 

a few signs for sale, 

some humorous, 

a few mirrors anyone?

we then arrived at one of the uses of traction engines, in forestry, the huge saw, 

powered by a traction engine,

also in the same area a crane moving wood, 

and a saw, 

but this time powered by a tractor,

speaking of tractors, here was a big one,

a very big one, 

at the start of the tractor section,

a road roller makes its way up hill,

as we made our way to look at the cars on display, 

a very nice Jaguar XK 120, 

I took a photograph of the interior, 

finished in green,

as was this Triumph TR2, 

the interior finished in tan,

a Ford Zephyr, 

a early Triumph, 

and a lovely little car, a Nissan Figaro, 

we had arrived at the bottom of the field where a number of traction engines were parked, 

then up the field passing more cars,

and the Land Rover section,

back down again,

passing this Trojan, the last time I saw one of these, it was upside down in a hedge!

back in the late 1960s a friend had bought one, a none runner, so as no one had a trailer it was decided to tow it home behind a van, Richard the proud new owner would sit in the Trojan holding the tow rope, the thought being if he felt the speed he was being towed at got too high he would let go of the rope! what could possibly go wrong? well going through a series of bends the speed did get too high, Richard let go of the rope, the rest they say is history, 

a row of 1940s saloons,

in the distance the funfair, 

again we were thirsty, and as luck would have it the beer tent was nearby, 

a half pint of Pimm's for Diana,

a larger and lime for myself,

we looked around the stalls, 

rides, 

and games of chance, 

I asked if Diana wanted to go on the ride, that was a no,

the same as this one, 

then these trucks caught my eye, 

this one in particular, 

you do not see the owners bossiness name followed by '& Daughters', very often,

back to the ride, we watched this one start, in the video as the ride quickens you can hear the screams!

little and large, 

a full size machine, 

and I am guessing a half size scale model, the yellow truck is a water carrier, steam engines are always thirsty!

we had to look and listen to another fair ground organ,

again this one can be heard in the video,

even without the music, 

the craftsmanship has to be admired, 

this showman's engine was working, 

the spinning flywheel,

operating a generator at the front of the machine,

we waited as a procession of trucks,

and buses, 

passed by, 

this one for the time I guess very futuristic, 

with its central rear aerofoil, 

we were soon back to more stalls we had not seen before, this a moving diorama of a fair ground, 

others selling goods, 

for car and truck ownership,

and maintenance, 

as well as a few items for home and garden,

as we walked, 

we came across another section, 

selling goods that were defiantly second hand,

like these milk erns,

as well as buckets, 

then in the distance, a reminder of my childhood, 

tin baths! yes in the day where we lived did not have a bathroom, so stoke up the fire in the living room, boil the water in the copper, and it was bath night!

Traps, the clue is in the word, 

a exhibit of man and creature traps,

now illegal these gin traps were at one time so common,

the tall ones mole traps,

a craft stall,

and another traction engine,

we started making our way home, 

we wanted to get home early as Diana has a early start tomorrow,

we passed the last few stalls, 

and headed back to the Stanley at the entrance,

but first we wanted to look in the caravan that was being towed, 

that fair ground families lived in,

the living room though cramped, 

looked homely, 

I am not sure Diana liked the thought of living in it though, 

as we walked through the car park, to where the bus was going to pick us up in time for the hourly train to London I spotted this, a new Royal Enfield Interceptor, 

and there was our bus, but our day went rapidly downhill from there, 

as the bus disappeared in the distance, the bus was every hour, but not at 1.30, as the driver has a lunch break, so a 1 hour wait till the bus returns, one hour and ten minutes later we were starting to worry, as if the bus was much later we would miss our train, a SUV arrived with bad news, the bus had broken down, just our luck!

the time to catch our train was passed and the time for the next one approaching, 

when this double decker arrived, 

we were soon heading for the station, 

where we waited for the 4.06 train, arriving in Croydon, we had a long wait for the tram, a part of the track was being worked on, so a large number of trams had been cancelled, our tram eventually arrived, and so did we at home, we left the rally and was at the bus stop at 1.30 in the afternoon, I looked at my watch as we went indoors 6.09 nearly four and a half hours to get home! so much for arriving home early, 

and here is the first of two videos of our day, 

this one made by Diana, what a fabulous day we had, just a pity about the return journey! after a snack we watched a episode of,

 Vikings:Valhalla, after which Diana was off to bed, for myself a It Ain't Half Hot Mum, followed by a Have I Got A Bit More News For You, before I too was off to bed.