Steam Rally Welland

There is both a Titanic Experience and a monument to the Titanic’s Engineers who perished that night.

We headed vaguely North and a little West from Southampton aiming for a little spot named Welland for a Steam Rally. By chance we passed a sign for Highclare House which for all you Downton Abbey fans is the actual place where the TV show was filmed. Unfortunately when we got there they told us to keep moving as all available tour spots were full and only advance reservations made on line would get us in.

Highclare Castle

In another of those chance happenings Barbara posted a picture of Highclare on Facebook and my Cousin John and his wife Claire asked where we were because they lived not far away! We found a really nice pub stop at the Two Watermills Inn, had a great evening in the bar and lunch with John and Claire the next day before we left. Another confirmation that NOT making plans can pay off in wonderful ways!

Some of our neighbors along the way

Welland was next.

Some explanations may be helpful.

For the Facebook haters we have to say “Sorry”. We love Facebook and we have got back in touch with people we have lost touch with otherwise. People we have known since we were teenagers or even before that.

When we posted that we were coming to UK and thinking about buying a Motor Home one of those old friends Keith Arthurs popped up and offered help and advice.

Thanks Kit!

Then he told us about a club he belongs to the “Motorcaravanners Club” who have great rallies. Being rally fans we were interested. When he told us that one of the rallies was at a Steam Rally and it would fit our timetable we were even more interested.

We have been looking forward to this.

Keith fixed us up with membership to the club, even putting up the cost of membership for us when there was a problem with our US debit card and the club website! Good man Kit!

We now got to meet up with him and Carol, Poppy and Daisy (the last 2 being their dogs).

Keith and Carol

The venue was a HUGE farm and took up I would estimate to be seven massive fields. It looked like every RV club in the country had a section for them to camp together. “Our” club, the Severn Valley chapter had over 100 RV’s on site and a wild guess had me thinking there were over 1000 total RV’s camped around the event.

Part of the Motorcaravanners club.

It was a 3 day affair although we arrived a day early and got set up ahead of most people, giving us a chance to explore the place before the big crowds arrived.

Large and busy beer tent

Vendors and fun fair

For the uninitiated a Steam Rally is an event where enthusiasts of antique steam powered farm and industrial equipment can get together and show it operating as it would have when it was new.

A steam powered truck

My favorites the Steam Traction Engines

There were Steam powered traction engines, saw mills, road rollers, trucks, stationary engines, operating scale models of them too and most fascinating of all a STEAM POWERED FUNFAIR!

Yes that's a steam powered carousel

The traction engines provide the electrical power for the rides too.

As if that wasn’t enough there were vintage cars, motorcycles, trucks, tractors, military vehicles, construction and earth moving equipment. Models of all those too including radio controlled construction equipment digging miniature holes and moving the dirt around in RC trucks.

Tanks!

Working steam models

Radio controlled earth moving equipment

Working model steam locomotives

Just in case you got bored there was a market area that sold everything under the sun, a food area and a massive beer tent selling micro brewery beer. Oh and tractor pulling in the evenings!

For the finale on Saturday night they had an ABBA tribute band and a fireworks display.

Antique Motorcycles

Gorgeous cars

What with “Happy Hours” with the club, dinners with Keith and Carol, a club raffle etc., the weekend just flew by and before we knew it it was time to pack up and head off again.

Great meeting everyone, thanks Keith and Carol see you again soon we hope!

Suddenly it’s August!