We Will Only Be Making One Post Today,

as there are lots of photographs,

 we started early,

 and stopped by the gate house,

as the wisteria growing on it,

is looking so pretty,

not to mention fragrant,

next stop, Beckenham Junction for the train ride to Bromley South station,

unfortunately the train had been vandalised, so a limited view outside of the carriage,

it is such a shame that mindless vandals spoil so much property,

and I apologies to the true Vandals of history, I did not want to bring you down to this level, but how else can you describe this childish behaviour?

and now the good news, the Russian submarine in the River Medway,

and this is where we are going, what was once H.M.S. Pembroke, many years ago a very good friend of mine was a Chursher, (Navel Policeman), and at sea a Master at Arms, well as his guest I went to a number of navy functions there, until in 1984 when the base was closed,

once under the arch, Diana had to have a pose by the figurehead of H.M.S. Wellesley, who was the brother of the Duke of Wellington, the boat was a 3rd rate 74 gunship, launched at Bombay Dockyard in 1815, and was named after the Marquess who was the Governor of India,

we had bought our tickets on the Internet, so we just had to confirm the purchase of them,

and we were on through the gift shop,

and this is what we had travelled to see, the Festival of Steam and Transport, and lots of Steampunk fashions,

the first car we saw was this Morris Minor,

I did not know the name of this one,

but I recognized this replica of a AC Cobra, I just wish I had kept mine now we are back in the UK, but there it is,

another couple of kit cars I do not recognize,

but I do know these, they are Citroen 2CVs

a rather neat 3 wheeler that has been converted into a mobile coffee shop

the main car park,there were 3 or 4 areas where cars had been parked up on display,

Diana taking a photograph of me,

  taking a photograph of the cars,

and me taking a photograph of her,

a nice MGA, forerunner of the MGB, many years ago Berni owed 2 of these beauties, but due to increasing garageing costs had to sell them, such a shame,

the band stuck up and started playing a number of what was once hit tunes, think Baker Street,

Marks favorite car, a MGB,

an one that I like, an Austin Healey,

although similar in size to the world famous Mini the Riley Elf never really caught on,

or the Wolseley Hornet,

ever popular with almost everyone, the Messerschmitt 3 wheeler,

seen at roughly the same time the BMW Isetta 3 wheeler,

we walked to the next car park,

one of these please, a Ford Mustang naturally in Steve McQueen green, 

or this one, I wish!

an immaculate Studebaker,

another Cobra,

a brace of MGBs,

and a couple of Jaguars,

Peter in Scotland is no in the process of renovating his 2.4,hopefully when we visit we can go cruising, just like old times!

considered by a few to be ugly, the Jensen CV8,

we walked past the railway shed,

inside a few,

works in progress,

and saw our first steampunk couple,

in the distance a dockyard crane,

meaning we were approaching, 

 H.M.S. Cavalier, 

a familiar sight to many in the services way back,

boys and their toys! there were lots of them here,

a gathering of steampunks,

this,

couple taking the fashion very seriously,

a three wheeler new to me,

a two cylinder Lister powered tractor, the engine seemed so over engineered for its job, but there it is,

the is one of the restoration workshops,

with all manner of jobs in hand, like this Austin Champ,

here a Hillman Light Utility is getting a make over,

as is this torpedo,

next on our walk,

H.M.S. Gannet,

and there is the bird, we did not visit any of the boats today as we had been here before in 2016 and visited them then,

one more for the family album,

a really well prepared Mini Cooper with what appear to be original rally wheels, 

and my personal like here today,

 a 3 liter Bentley,

time for food,

so a baguette each,

and a coffee,

it was so nice sitting here in the sun,

a look at the fairground,

I mentioned boys and toys earlier,

well here are a few more, in excellent detail,

I was distracted by the blue fairy,

back to the trucks, a 1923 Scammell,

featuring this massive chain drive, which as it happens is considered to be one of the most effective way of transmitting power,

behind us the steam powered roundabout started,

and there she was, the blue fairy on the ride,

watched by a couple of steampunks, if you have the ladies outfit you do not need a watch, a clock makes up the end of the handbag,

as well as the blue fairy,

there were a couple of other ladies dressed,

in costumes,

we passed a few other rides,

until we came to the next car park,

with a distinctly American flavour,

like this Ford V8 Pilot,

Diana liked this one,

 pretty in pink,

not really American as they were made in the UK,

but they are Fords,

a nice Rover,

with a nice engine bay,

on to some of the steam engines, a Barford and Perkins, from the 1930s,

featuring a chain drive,

next this beauty,

all in black and gold, the Lord Roberts,

named after Lord Roberts, 

this engine in action,

using a long belt,

connected to this saw bench,

three or four more were in steam,

eacj with its own fascinating history,

and if you are interested in this sort of thing, make a note in your dairy,

Ajax was nearby,

one of the dockyard trains,

naturally I had to get into the picture as well!

period costume,

but this new technology,

is all to much,

candy floss,

and a slushie,

served by these two happy stall owners,

mine, all mine!

what could be better?

as always there is at least one Captain Sparrow in attendance, in my day it was Long John Silver hopping around,

we went into the No. 3 covered slip,

the legend,

says it all,

music was belting out of it,

so we had to go in and have a look,

walking passed guns long since used,

to some of the steampunk shops,

past giant steam hammers, (thanks Mike),

and stalls,

selling all types of decorations,

the slip was deceptively huge,

with many boats,

and equipment,

on display,

like this triple expansion steam engine,similar to the one we saw at Kew,

there were some lifeboats on display,

we made our way upstairs,

looking down and across the slip,

on the right,

what appears to be a fast motor patrol boat,

Diana was enjoying her candy floss,

we arrived at the top floor,

where many stalls were doing business,

along the sides,

of the building,

a steampunk group was belting out songs,

much to the pleasure,

of the crowd,

and there were lots of them,

this moving monster a bit scary,

controlled by this gentleman,

Lord of the Rings perhaps?

locally made gin, 

other stalls,

selling clothes,

and if you are into steampunk nice they looked too,

and a neat take on repurposed household items,

made into lamps,

Diana liked the look of some of these hats,

one of the stallholders,

chatting to a customer,

chatting to her, she said she had made the skirt from an existing one, the blouse she made herself and bought from a steampunk store the bodice and hat, it all looked so nice and somehow elegant,

we continued walking along the upper deck,

Diana walking into the distance,

looking from one end to the other, the photograph does not really convey how big the place really is,

or how high up we were, 

starting down,

some of the works in hand,

like this 1903 Peckett & Sons steam locomotive,

arriving downstairs,

there were some morestall selling items to make your steampunk house complete,

and a few stalls selling ready to wear,

fashions,

including oriental steampunk,

some very elaborate,

but still I thought reasonably priced,

what was this?

my first thoughts confirmed,

an early submarine, at first I though it might be a Holland,

but it was not,

the legend,

also on display,

heavy gear for moving and lifting,

I had only a few days ago been watching a program abut the mysterious death of Lord Kitchener, 

and here was his railway carriage,

back to the funfair,

and it was Diana's turn,

to ride,

the wild horses,

back to the Ferris wheel,

it was thirsty work,

all of this walking,

so a bit of liquid refreshment was in order,

 'Cheers!',

Diana thought he Ferris wheel halo suited me,

the Gannet, helter skelter and slip,

I sipped away my cider,

Diana went for bottle of water,

then motorcycles, 

a rather nice Douglas,

next to a Sunbeam,

and a Triumph,

this one with a petrol tank baggage grill that so nearly severed two of my fingers when I crashed a similar machine in the 1960s,

an actor was dressed in a Hulk costume,

which was a little too scary for some, Diana included,

as we strolled around,

we passed this couple, the gentleman,

with his bubbling man bag,

on the horizon, not one,

but two balloon explorers,

who on segway type scooters,

 made for great entertainment,

as they ballooned off into the distance,

next more toys for the boys,

big and small,

a last look at the big toys as we made our way home,

what was that about speaking to the monkey,

and not the organ grinder?

we made our way up the hill,

to the bus stop opposite Pembroke gate,

over the arch,

the crest,

on the train over the River Medway, 

and home, over the last few weeks a flower spike has been growing from one of Diana's succulents,

and it now looks at last like it might flower, after our evening meal,

 we watched American Gangster, one from Have I Got News for You and we were then off to bed.