:: [ The Lingfield Steam and Country Show - August 2002 ] ::

The Lingfield Steam and Country Show has moved to a  new venue at the Blue Anchor Show site and appears to be under new management. The following photos are by Tony Oakes and  Bozi Mohacek, who has also provided the text. Please click on any thumbnail picture below to see the full size picture. To return to the thumbnails please click the Explorer "Back" arrow (top left of screen). Pictures have been prepared for speed of loading, and the page viewed at 800 x 600. 



The Lingfield Steam Fair is the successor to the Redhill Steam Fair from where it moved a few years ago. It has always been known for a good display of Steam Traction Engines, Steam Rollers and Steam Lorries, and it was nice to note that the theme has continued. It was also nice to note that the SVVS has consolidated its vintage car paddock and that quite a few Members came over the two days. Further details of SVVS attendances at the bottom of this report. Steam comes first.

     

According to the catalogue the oldest steam engine was a 1900 Fowler 6N "Endurance" followed by a 1904 Aveling & Porter, 1909 Burrell "Princess Royal", 1909 Aveling & Porter GND "Daisy", 1910 Fowler A5 Road Loco "The Smuggler", 1912 Marshall 7N "Edan Laura", 1913 Burell 4N Showmans Tractor "The May", 1914 Aveling & Porter 10 ton Steam Roller "Hengist", the impressive Fowler Plowing Engine Class AA6 with the massive hawser plow pulling drum underneath, 1924 Foden C type Steam Wagon and trailer, the 1927 Fowler DAN Tractor "Coleen", 1912 Sentinel Superior "Shrewsbury Knave", 1930 Fowler 10 ton Roller, and a 1932 Aveling & Porter Road Roller "Heather Rose"; although not all were there when I was. There were also a number of mini steamers.

     


     

     

Being a Country Show it was nice to see the tractors there too; some were quite interesting and unusual machines but as I don't know much about them I wont guess which is what and what they are all for. The big and the little Lanz Bulldog tractors were interesting as indeed was the tracked International and the weird Farmall; what was it for?  The catalogue also had a 1969 Wheelhorse, a 1937 Patterson, a number of Fordson and  Forsdon Major, a 1948 Barford, a 1954 Lane Bulldog, a 1943 Leylamd AEC Timber Tractor, and a number of Ferguson, to name but a few.

     

     

The Show was arranged in a number of fields and access to all vas very easy. Despite rain at times the ground remained firm. All in all the show was very compact and I think a bit smaller than at the previous location. It had as usual a number of sub sections. One was the Stationary Engines showing engines by Amanco, Bamford, Bentall, BSA, Crossley, Hartop, JAP, International, Lister, Norman, Petter, Ruston, Scammell, Villiers, and Wolseley.  Model Steamers included a 3" Allchin, 2" Minie Minless, a number of 4" Foster and  3" and 4.5" Burrell and 3" Avelling & Porter, a 3" Mc Laren  and quarter size Marshall. Lorries, Commercials and Busses had mostly relatively modern stuff but included a 1939 Guy Wolf, a 1928 Ford Model A Pickup and a 1932 Dennis Lancet Single deck bus. Fire engines, also mainly modern, included a wartime National Fire Service Austin K2.

     

The Showground was also scattered with quite a few car club enclosures although a number of them came only on Sunday so Saturday was more sparse. Those with banners included the Jaguar Drivers Club, The Austin Seven Owners Club, The Reliant Owners Club, South Coast Truckers Club, The Land Rover Series Two Club, The Jowett Owners, and The Invicta Military Vehicle Preservation Society, to name but a few. While on the military theme there was a very noisy paddock near us where Messrs Partytank.com were trying desperately to blow up a couple of tank engines by racing them absolutely flat out in first gear only in tight skidding circles and churning up the field. It seemed to all go down well with the punters but interesting what the farmer will say.

     

     

Also as usual the Lingfield Steam Fair had the Amusement Park for kids of all ages and lots to eat and drink for the adults, including a nice size Beer Tent. Subsequent Loo facilities were good too !


     

The Surrey Vintage Vehicle paddock was set up and manned by David Cole complete with hand crafted SVVS signposts and loads of garden string to try and mark out the boundary. Main weakness of this show is that the organisers do not mark or provide any segregation; no stakes or rope to cordon off the cars or clubs. While some exhibitors may like hands-on, very many would prefer grubby mitts off and could therefore be put off from coming to totally open shows like this.

     

The SVVS cars that were there on Saturday included Tony Oakes who brought along the bigger of his two Humbers, the 1930 Humber 27/70 Snipe Saloon, while Bozi Mohacek bought the smallest in his stable, the 1921 Citroen 5CV Cabriolet. No risk of last year's ignominy of Bozi having to be towed out of the display ring; didn't take the risk of going in! Simon Bishop came in his much used 1925 Singer 10/26 Tourer and Frank Hayter in the much seen 1934 Morris Oxford 6 Saloon. Two more with multiple motors were Graham Martin who came in the smaller 1946 Standard 8 Saloon and Mike Fay who ambled in in the older 1933 Armstrong Siddeley LWB Saloon. 

     

Jim Blagden came in the not often viewed 1946 Rover 10 Saloon and Hon & Mrs. Editor Alderton were present and correct  in the very frequently viewed 1947 MG Y. The funny red thing was the Alan Reid1932 Austin 7 Sport while the sedate green thing was the Picnic Organiser's 1935 Morris 8 Tourer. The Lingfield Oganisational Dickey of David Cole was on the back of the 1933 Austin 10/4. At the end of the day the heavens opened up with thunder and lightning and much water was emptied out on Surrey for the rest of the night. A quagmire was expected for Sunday. Sunday however opened up dry. Only the very early vehicles got plastered with Lingfield clay, squeezing out the water before the rest of got there.

     

However, anticipating frequent and heavy precipitation Bozi Mohacek this time chose the biggest in his bunch foreseeing the possibility of having to house multiple wet SVVS two seater owners having their picnic. In the event, it stayed dry and even got sunny once, so the 1932 Rolls Royce Shooting Brake was only used for show. And no, it was never an ambulance, it was never a hearse, it was never a bread van and most definitely it was never an Ice Cream van. It was, and is, a Shooting Brake; a vehicle used by the Mann Family (as in Watney Mann) to exterminate some of their pheasants. Anyway, Simon Bishop was also back again in the Singer and Mike Gorman came in the 1934 Morris 10/4 Tourer, while Mr. Chairman Mike Erroll came in the custard 1928 Ford Model A. Graham Martin was back again too, this time in the 1931 Standard Big 9 Saloon. We were pleased to note the one and only visit of the white 1935 Riley Kestrel Saloon belonging to Messrs Cuss.

     

Messrs Alderton however were back in the Y but Roger Horstman was there the first time in the 1955 Triumph TR2. The organisational  1933 Austin 10/4 of David Cole was also there as expected parked this time next to the 1949 Nelco Invalid Car Electric from the stables of Messrs Picnic Organisers. May also be worth mentioning that some Members were elsewhere such as Chris Geary in the Alvis who was escaping the incessant grind of the Travelling Organ parked next to us, and Alan Benewith who preferred the company of the Jowett Owners. All in all a nice day had by all.

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