Dear Apprentices,
Before you read on I hope you have noticed that this is newsletter number 13, a number which has by tradition been associated with ill fortune. Newsletter number 13 has been no exception and should have been with you last September and during the long silence since the last newsletter you must all have been wondering what has happened to the club. As you will know the club is headed by Sylvia, who carries the vast majority of the workload running the club, with myself to look after the newsletter. By unfortunate co-incidence we have ·both, for entirely different reasons, had a very chaotic 1982 and the pressures have been such that the club has regretably been neglected. However, I think we are both now beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel and we sincerely hope that there will be no repetition of the silence from the club.
I have recently moved home and my new address is 61 Willow Walk, Crediton, Devon, EX17 lDD. As usual may I make a request for any news or articles. In this issue there are several rally reports from members, including a report of the S.A.C. event held at Weeting last May. Myself I only managed to get to just one rally in 1982 so I have very little to report but I'm sure that most of you were able to get to many more rallies. How about putting a pen to paper and making a quick report about where you've been, what you've seen and done. I know that some of our members help out at various rallies as well as others actively rallying engines. I hear that Brian Allison, as an example, helped at Beaulieu looking after t.hat highly sought after item, coal, (a job which I've done once or twice at Beaulieu and highly enjoyable too). Perhaps you have been refurbishing or restoring an engine or something similar during the winter months? What ever you have been doing please write in and let me know. The more you report, the more we can print and hence produce a bigger and better newsletter.
Moving on to a forthcoming activity, plans are well in hand for a visit to the premises of Michael Davies, who I believe can be found at Avon Dassett in Warwickshire. Ynis location is the home of some of the huge Fowler Z7 plough engines brought back from Africa some years ago. This visit will be in May, more details later.
May I finally wish all members and friends rather belated best wishes for the New Year.
IMPORTANT
Will you please look at your membe~ship is due. If it is please send it with a address at the back of this newsletter. usual reminders with tfuis issue.
Card to see if your suscription SAE and your £2000 to the We shall not be sending the
S.A.C. visit to Weeting, by Martin Hunt.
On May 1st and 2nd last year the club paid its second visit to Fengate Farm, Weeting, at the invitation of the Parrott family and a wide range of demonstrations of the uses of steam power had been arranged, including threshing, sawing and stone crushing. The engines present are listed below;
Burrell agricultural No.
Burrell agricul tura 1 No.
Clayton tractor No.
Marshall agricultural No.
Aveling roller No.
Burrell roller No.3994
Burrell agricultural No.2626
'2948
4088
49008
28334
5161
Ruston Proctor agricultural No.34987
threshing a rye stack timber sawing stone crushing chaff cutting rolling in stone
Burrell agricultural No.748
Marshall tractor No. 72808
Burrell Showmans tractor No.3444
On the Saturday evening a barbecue and film show took place which proved enjoyable. Slides were shown of Norman Box's heavy haulage engines, the restoration of the Froggatt family's Marshall traction engine and films of Weeting rallies.
Stone crushing was a new activity to many of the members and aroused much interest. The same could be said about the thrashing where two activities caused some humour, rat catching and tricking people into removing the cavings. The Monday gave some members an opportunity to see 3 Burrell engines back in their town of origin, taking part in the Thetford carnival.
Thanks are due from all those who attended to our hosts, the Parrott family, Sylvia, engine owners and drivers and all those who helped to make the event a success.
Ashfield and Elvaston Castle Rallies,~ Steven Wright.
The Notts and District Steam and Vintage Machinery Club, of which I am a member, organised the 7th tshfield Steam Engine Rally at Kirby-in-Ashfield last June. It was opened by Dale Winton of Radio Trent, he had never been to a rally before but enjoyed himself so much he wants to come again this year.
We had 25 engines at the rally, including a 1927 Robey agricultural engine No. 42675 owned by Mr. Richard Booty from Barton on Humber and a 1925 Marshall portable No. 79936 owned by Mr. G. E. Jones from Shrewsbury. An unusual exhibit was a steam van built by Mr. J. Calder to resemble the type of light van used at the turn of the century. It uses a Hovis built body and a Locomobile engine (2 cylinder simple), both 70 years old, and a new oil fired stanley type fire tube boiler with vapourising burner.
A total of 9 organs were present with Mr. J. Swingler's 1926 Foster "Victoria" generating for Mr. and Mrs. D. Robinson's 89 key Gavioli, and Mr. Doug Ragsdale's 1927 Burrell generating for Mrs. E. J. M Riggall's 92 key verbeeck organ. Of the other exhibits their were 15 miniatures which put on a fine display in the arena, 46 stationary engines, 11 tractors, 50 models dnd a fine array of old cars, commercials and motorbikes.
A couple of weekends later it was Elvaston Castle rally and on the Saturday the Road Roller Association held their Driver of the Year competition. I took part on my fathers Wallis and Steevens roller No. 7539 and got through to the final against Barry Johnson, owner of a Wallis and Steevens Advance named ''Winifred George". The final took place on the Sunday with both of us having to drive an engine which neither of us had been on before, Steve Durance's Marshall roller, "Blodwen". I won by 5 points but Barry did very well as he had never driven this type of roller before. This is the first time a Steam Apprentice has won this competition.
The photograph alongside has been included for two reasons, firstly to show off the club T-shirt and secondly to put a face to a name. I'm sure the majority know Sylvia already but for those who don't you now should have no excuse for not recognising her should you come across Sylvia at any time in the future. The T-shirts come in three sizes, small, medium and large, and are navy blue with a white badge. They are available for £3.00 including postage from the Membership Secretary at 37 Overgate Road, Swayfield, Nr Grantham, Lines.
Dear Apprentices,
As Graham has said 'Lucky thirteen' ? Well not for me as after a busy summer divided between school and getting about to see you at rallies round the country early September saw me haunting hospital wards to visit Charles who some of you may have met. He is by the way the reason behind my change of name and addressit isn't a new person. All these events are why you have not heard from me for so long. I hope that if you are one of the people waiting for your subscription renewal you will accept my apologies and understand.
Now for the Good News! Graham has moved and is back in action. 1 am moving but back i~ action, and we have a much needed member joi~ing our team as Membership Secretary so that I can better do my jc,b as Chairman. r-'.ark ·.;al tham h·as been an active Steam person for quite a few years now and has been to rallies and other events over a wide part of the country so some of you will know him. We wish ~im well in his new role. By the way Mark has several times helped me at events and said longingly that he wished he wasn't too old to be an Apprentice so now he can wear a badge!
May 22nd is a date you should try and keep free if you possi~ly can as we have been invited by Michael Davies to visit hia home at Hill Farm, Avo~ Dassatt, Leamington Spa Warks to see the Z7 and other ~ngines that wiil be there. We are hoping the weather will allow it to be an action day and a wide range of en 6 ine types should be there. We also have the Naticnal Coal Board coming and hope they will provide some information for you - ~e can't do much without coal, and believe me, the ri8ht coa: can make or mar a days journey.
It will help us to kno~ if you plan to come but if Dad agrees to bring you at the last minuite COME.
The Road Locomotive Society will be there tie previous day and if anyone wishes to camp or caravan for the two days I understand you will be welcome. If anyone would like a map o: how to get '·here please send me a stamped addressed envelppe and I will send you the details.
I look forward to seeinz a large number of you both at Avon Dassett
'<Jld the seasons rallies
Chairman
Hds Sylvia Dudley
104D Station Road
Woburn Sa.ads
Milton KeJnes
MK17 ~SB
Editor
Membership Secretary
Mr Graham Gratwick Mr Mark Waltham 61 Willow Walk 37, Over:ate Road Credi ton Swayfield
Devon Nr Grantham EX17 1DD Lines