Straight from one show to the next at this time of year. By the time I was set up at the Weald and Downland museum last Friday night it was almost dark. The steam festival is always busy and great fun so its a good show for me. The museum has a great setting and the engines slowly puffing around the tracks seems to add to the effect.
The Steam engines were rolling in all evening and more arrived the next morning before the show began. Having been in woodsmoke all week at least it made a change to be surrounded by steam and coke smoke.
Steam enthusiasts can be a very anorak brigade, but this bunch don’t always take themselves too seriously as the steam bicycle and steam gramophone on display prove. One of the best events in the arena is when 50 odd parents and children attempt a tug-of-war with a 10 ton steamroller. Ebenezer the steam roller eventually lost, but mainly due to the surreptitious use of buckets of water under the wheels to help it lose traction.
There are always plenty of engines parked around for the crowds to mingle with and admire.
Having spent the week working with bowls and needing to do some treen for sale I went back to my old spindle lathe for this show.
Nothing like some hard work to make the time fly and suddenly it was a spurtle past dibber o’clock and time to stop work again. Though working in the evening was made more enjoyable by the lights of the fairground engines.
I think this one ran by the bar all evening aside from the odd run to the bowser for more water.
This old besom broom was found in a cottage in Midhurst when it was cleared recently. Apparently 3 old sisters had lived there and amongst the remains of many years of life were two of these clamps for making a simple besom.
Clearly home made and just nailed onto a broom handle. I wonder whether anyone has seen anything similar? It seems that they would probably have been used in the kitchen/scullery or on the cottage yard/paths rather than for the lawns and would have had a more rectangular shape than the normal besoms. Thanks to Dave for bringing it along for me to see. I took plenty of photos and will aim to make a replica soon (at least it’s in the list of projects to get around to).
Before I knew it, the show was over and time to pack up and go home again – sold out of rolling pins again.
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