Barleylands

We have a Steam Rally on near us this weekend and that's all I am going to say about it.

Martin P

Always a good rally, very easy to spend a pretty full day there. Also heard tell of Peter Forbes but no sightings. Saw Pete Alduous and a couple of non-NG types though.

Quite a few interesting engines and equipment, I particularly liked a very ramshackle looking Tyzack saw bench driven by a Hartop which had apparently spent some time buried in pieces in the garden! Favourite though a very nice 1915 Detroit.

Tractor pulling had some tantalising looking beasties - including one with a ruddy great radial engine - but whenever I drifted to that end of the site all that was running seemed to be kids on garden tractors.

Barleylands never really has anything in the way of junk stalls in the market but as usual there were a few items on offer along the engine lines. I bought one of those little Bernzomatic oxy-propane set which looks like being a pig in a poke as apparently recent European legislation means that the disposable oxygen cylinders are no longer available - no wonder it was only a tenner! Better value was a nice brass wick oiler for 50p. I was tempted by a S-T P5LY for offers around £35 but a) I already have one and b) I didn't fancy trying to lug it to the public car park.

Thank goodness for a good - dry! - rally to end the season on.

NHH

We waited until 5pm and brought the van in to pick up our stuff, using Simon's exhibitor pass. Almost ran out of time as I stopped to video the cable ploughing on the bottom field!

Kettering is next weekend and the weather looks set to be dry all week.

Peter

-- Peter & Rita Forbes Email: snipped-for-privacy@easynet.co.uk

Forgot to mention I also paused in my step to look at a pre war Muncie Neptune at £50 - not bad but probably sell better in USA where there seems to be more interest in old outboards. Anyway, my feelings towards boats are somewhat similar to those of Dan Howden - though for some reason I seem to have an Evinrude N Sportwin hanging from the garage roof and a derelict BMB Britannia in the shed!

NHH