Steam fairs

 

Steam fairs

Today, the Glorious Twelfth, has felt like a Saturday all day long. It’s also hot.

We all have different interests and hobbies. Sometimes they overlap, perhaps the most obvious one being photography.

My eldest daughter and son-in-law spend many summer weekends at steam fairs across the country. It is a way for Gillian to ensure that Paul is released from the constant calls for him to sort out someone’s plumbing. He’s a reliable, hard-working plumber and has a reputation for charging fair rates. In fact, he doesn’t charge what he's worth, which is another reason his work is in demand. He has an abiding interest in military vehicles, not surprising, I suppose, since his father was in the army and Paul lived in army quarters for much of his young life.

He enjoys repairing vehicles and preparing them for exhibition. A few years ago, he acquired a 1956 Daf YA Dutch Army Weapons Carrier. He tinkered with it, found authentic spare parts, and eventually drove it to rallies. Then he painted a twin-axle caravan to match – olive drab! – and hauled that along, too.

Following that, he bought a Bombardier military motorcycle and a Hillman 12 RAF staff car. His daughters Marnie and Kiri take it in turns to drive the car. I’m not sure how the motorbike gets to the steam fairs – in the Daf, I suppose, along with the dogs.

Sometimes, Gillian and Paul go to rallies on their own. At other times, one or two of their children accompany them with their families, towing a more conventional-looking caravan – that is, not olive drab.

Luca, 2, and Ariella, 4, in camouflage outfits!

It’s a grand way to escape from the humdrum of daily life. The rallies are held in fairly remote locations in large fields, so there’s plenty of room for dogs and small children to play safely. Many connections are made, and much knowledge and experience are gained. Paul returns with ever more plans and Gillian smiles and leaves him to it.