In aid of Wiltshire Air Ambulance and local community projects
Farewell from Market Lavington Vintage Meet Family Fun Weekend
We have had great fun seeing you all.
But all good things must come to an end.
This event will no longer be held
About the Event
The Market Lavington Vintage Meet Family Fun Weekend in aid of Wiltshire Air Ambulance and local community projects was held on Saturday & Sunday 20th & 21st July 2024
This popular event authorised by the National Traction Engine Trust and in aid of Wiltshire Air Ambulance and local community projects had displays of vintage and classic cars/vans/motorcycles/commercial and tractors, military vehicles, stationary engines, miniature and full-size steam engines and miniature train for kids to ride on. A very special guest - Lord Roberts a Fowler B5 steam road locomotive number 8903 delivered to Holloway Bros of Market Lavington Brick and Tile Works on January 31st 1900, was with us for the weekend. Several car clubs had club stands. Wiltshire Air Ambulance fund raising team was with us, as well as Wiltshire Police and Dorset & Wiltshire Fire service. We had a static display of birds of prey from K&H Falconry, who also did a flying demonstration in the arena on both days. We had gun dog demonstrations in the arena from BASC. A fun dog show took place in the arena on Sunday. There were numerous trade and craft stalls as well as demonstrations and collectables. Several catering outlets provided a delicious range of food and Botanico bars provided beer, wines and spirits from their converted classic Citroen van. Children's entertainment was a bouncy castle, swing carousel and miniature steam train.
Numerous pictures were taken by our official photographer Jon Bastin of JJB Images which can be purchased by going to his Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/JJBImages or visit his website https://jjbimages.com/
Event History
Market Lavington used to have its own factory, producing award winning steam engines, on the site of what is now the Scout Hall. However, Mr Cambridge the inventor of the eponymous clod breaking roller, needed more space and better communications so the factory was moved to Bristol.
Rallies used to be organised on The Elisha Field by Mr John Kyte for a number of years and many in the village still remember those days.
A group of organisers decided to resurrect the event in 2018 with the support of the Parish Council. However, for numerous compelling reasons, the event will no longer be held.
Photo JJB Images.
2024 PHOTOS CAN BE FOUND AT HTTPS://WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/JJBIMAGES
Sponsorship and Supporters
We are very grateful to our generous sponsors
In aid of
poems by kooky the clown
"Lord Roberts" returns home for a visit. A poem by Kooky the Clown
To Market Lavington Vintage Meet I have been,
saw "Lord Roberts" NR. I haven't seen since 2018.
Since then, we had the Covid pandemic for two years,
then bad weather, event cancelled, now no more my fears.
But the event was back for one final time, this year the last,
a great shame as to Lavington it has brought a look at the past.
It was delightful to see him again looking spick and span,
in case you don't know who, this is a clue, it's not a man.
But a John Fowler B85 8903 road locomotive built in 1900,
a magnificent sight to see as into Lavington it thundered.
Capable of pulling up to ninety tons which is some load,
Had spare "belly tanks" fitted for water storage on the road.
Along the country roads from Leeds, under its own steam,
a sight not seen by many before, enough to make them scream?
Sold to Holloway Bros on New Years Eve in 1900 by the way,
to work at the old brickworks which were on the Broadway.
This was the start of road locomotive 8903 and of its history,
here it remained for several generations in the same family.
In nineteen - twenty one W.E. Chivers, procured the brickworks,
life then for engine 8903, the future came in fits and jerks.
From general haulage to moving fairgrounds to their location,
a chequered history had taken its toll , now needing restoration.
After thirty years of service the early fifties it was in a state,
Tom Paisley spent twenty years restoring, starting to look great.
at Paisley sale it was sold to John Bailey, carried on restoration,
for thirty more years in his lifetime, now in its present location.
Cared for now with new owner Stephen Cotton of Realty,
THANKS for bringing Lord Roberts to Lavington for us to see.
Will this be the last one? A poem by Kooky the Clown
July 20th and 21st 2024 this may well be my last appearance,
to attend Market Lavington Vintage Meet if I get the chance.
I have been invited by organiser to attend once again this year,
as this may well be the last year there will be one, I do fear.
I was at the first very first ones in the eighties run by John Kyte,
no health and safety in those days, now would cause a fright.
Were more a social gathering for Johns friends a small event,
most of the stationary engine exhibitors slept in their tent.
They were really a lot of fun because they were so small,
for everyone who attended it was like family it really was a ball.
Then they stopped for a long time, too long one might say,
but the cost of organising and running the event now no way.
This is a great shame as lots of these events are now going,
lack of volunteers, cost of insurance and such keeps on growing.
Soon there will be nowhere for people to experience the dream,
of seeing a traction engine or the like fired up and in steam.
It is all the industrial history that we are losing really fast,
I was hoping that these kinds of events would continue and last.
If it carries on this way our industrial history will be just a dream,
there will be very few places where traction engines do steam.