Enstone-Nov 2005

An excellent day out, I bought all sorts of precious junk I don't need, and some John Dungan doesn't need as well! The car is still full of it at the moment as I had to leave it to cut overhanging branches in the meadows and light a bonfire immediately when I got home. It was for a firework party for various friends' kids (we had the temerity to be away on Guy Fawkes night). They've all just gone and the house is wonderfully quiet again. I'm still basking in the afterglow of the sloe gin :-).

Meanwhile back at Enstone, got two nice sets of trolley wheels, a Lee Howl centrifugal pump for loading Petter two strokes, odds and sods such as two petrol- paraffin changeover taps (one a proper Bamford one), a nice vintage oil can, some phos-bronze to replace a bush for the lathe. Saw no engine that attracted me enough to seriously consider it, apart from a pause for thought about a Stuart Turner gen-set. I managed to avoid further temptation by inducing Roland to buy the Thompson Bennett mag, and he also very kindly bought the other centrifugal pump Philip tried to get me to buy, phew! Philip also persuaded him to buy that piston ;-). I think Roland gets the prize for best haul this year.

I got the strong impression there were quite a few more engines, and rather more sellers there this time. Saw Martin all too briefly and wondered what had happened to Kim.

Well worth getting up in the middle of the night to drive into deepest England.

Regards, Arthur G

Unusually these days too much stuff

NOS in box Petter M piston. The latter

to use it or put on a plinth in a glass

My Scribing Block and Depth Micrometer are ready to use, stabbed myself with the former a couple of times whilst walking around, wondered how furniture figured amongst stationary engine and tractor parts though. My friend and I were supposed to be selling this time but didn't get home from London until late evening Friday night so had no time to load up. With have some goodies for you all next year :-)) Also bought a Dixon Bates Ball and Pin hitch for the Van, cheaper than replacing the towing eye on my next engine trailer.

A bit cold and the usual slimy mud covering the concrete surface, but plenty to look at. seemed to be an unusually large number of engines on offer, must have been nigh on a dozen open cranks including several Amancos and a Bentall Pioneer. I managed to resist, though I was rather taken with an AC Sociable unit and one off those nice little French 'engines in a box' (Bernard, Conord?).

All I ended up buying were a couple of derelict mags, some casters for a new workshop trolley and a shaft coupling which 'looked useful'.

Philip, Arthur and Roland were hunting as a pack, and I get the impression I might have gone home rather more heavily laden had I joined! Also saw Martin but no Kim, shame if he didn't make it as I'm sure he would have at least cast an interested glance ar a Vincent engined Versatiller.

Lunch and a bit of shopping in Burford,then down through Lechlade and home along the M4.

All in, a very pleasant day.

nickh=== Posted with Qusnetsoft NewsReader 2.2.0.8

I decided late on Friday night to go along to Enstone, with a friend and fellow diesel enthusiast.

We arrived a bit later than expected (having made the mistake of entering the airfield at the wrong entrance) at 10:30am and had a good look around.

Glad I wore my boots as the surface was definitely muddy, and the air a little fresh (Chicken farm nearby was decidedly fowl).

I photographed many of the engines until the batteries ran out on the digital camera. I was looking for a Lister CS engine and parts but failed to see any.

The sight of the 7hp Petter Atomic in good restored condition made up for the lack-Lister nature of the sale - unless you want Lister D's that is!

Bought a puller for a fiver, which will be used gently on my CS flywheel. Spent the rest of my pocket money on a bacon roll and a cup of coffee.

We then set of south through Burford, Cirencester, Dursley, Bristol and on to Wells to pick up a Lister CS 5/1.

The Dursley detour was a bit of a nostalgia trip, but sadly there is very little left of the Lister factory from what I saw, and it will soon be just another one of Prescott's new housing schemes.

Someone might tell me later when the decline of Lister manufacturing occurred at Dursley - saw the big "cam-shaft" and con-rods in the high street, no doubt part of some local council art project!

Was tempted to drive back via Yeovil, to see if the same fate has befallen Petter - but thought the better of it.

Now have a slightly grubby, but otherwise complete Lister CS 5/1/35 S/N 64755 sitting on my drive, a great restoration project for the coming winter months.

Ken

I arrived at 8.45 & left at 11.00. I wandered around twice & saw no-one I knew but am beginning to recognise some of the vendors ;o)). Muttering "Book-Enstone, Enstone-book" in order to return Martin's dynamo book did me no good as it came back with me unclaimed. How you all managed to miss me I'll never know, but I'll pretend paranoia & suspect you were all avoiding me ;o))

I found a couple of sturdy knife switches about 8" across, a couple of meters, a decent tripod for a fiver, a very complete & tidy JAP 0 ts engine which will drive my ST compressor, and a couple of roof bars for four quid. The find of the day was a unmodified, complete and very tidy L'Aster, dating (tentatively) to the end of the First War or perhaps early twenties. With its hand crank and flat foot, it is not a modified car engine, but a genuine stationary lump - and for a price most of us would have paid for a WD Wolseley. What I just love is the impossible to reproduce "as last used" finish to the paint on the barrel & the oily dust on the crankcase, one I shall seek to retain.

Pictures later

Poor luck at home as Hazel arrived home within a minute or two of my arrival so I was not able to carry my prizes in without the Hard Look & meaningful sigh ;o((

Kim Siddorn

Kim,

You must have wondered around in total disguise as "everybody" was looking for you, I myself arrived at 09:15 and left at 12:00 and saw all and sundry except Kim. :-))

Martin P

It is a problem locating each other, when minds are on other things. I saw nobody until I had gone around the whole place a couple of times, as I had my head down looking through all manner of junk. I was there from about 8am until around one.

I unloaded my own junk this morning and in the cold light of a new day, it still looked a pleasing haul.

Kim was obviously in Viking stealth gear :-). Do you still want the video of the IF programme, Kim, or have you had the download already?

Regards, Arthur G

for you, I myself arrived at 09:15 and

but am beginning to recognise some of

Martin's dynamo book did me no good as it

but I'll pretend paranoia & suspect you

meters, a decent tripod for a fiver, a very

couple of roof bars for four quid. The find

(tentatively) to the end of the First War or

modified car engine, but a genuine stationary

just love is the impossible to reproduce

crankcase, one I shall seek to retain.

so I was not able to carry my prizes in

Arthur,

Save your stamps Paul sent me details and I have watched it ,

Thanks

Congratulations on the cloak of invisibility Kim ;-)

I noticed the L'Aster and thought it an attractive engine in very nice 'barn fresh' condition, already had Sold chalked on the flywheel when I arrived! Surprised it was your cup of tea though - being cooled by a non-gaseous medium and all. I remember seeing one at a rally accompanied by an original advert which listed among its features "starts automatically by handle". Are they any relation to the British Aster company?

BTW. Did you see the Vincent engined cultivator? How art the mighty fallen.

That is, of course, the trouble - our attention is elsewhere. Perhaps we should all wear red wellies, our eyes are downwards, after all.

It's Hazel's 60th today (that was the excuse for the American trip ;o)) ) so I doubt if I'll be able to slip away to pore over the L'Aster.

Regards,

Kim Siddorn

I don't care what Kim says, he wasn't there...we were ALL looking for him. Either that or he ran away and hid if ever we got too close :-)) I'm surprised the Vincent two stroke engined rotavator, or at least the Vincent two stroke engine, wasn't spirited away back to Bristol!

Regards

Philip T-E

He's going to have to tell me about his diet as in profile he must be so slim he cant be seen :-))

Mart> Nick H wrote:

- I even parked up facing up the pitch for ten minutes after I'd loaded the L'Aster to eat my bacon bun and absorb a coffee. Photos of same are at

I didn't see the Vincent motor - but I don't suppose he'd have sold it separately.

regards

Kim Siddorn Non magister mundi sum

In article , Kim Siddorn writes

If, as a mere punter at rallies etc. I may make a suggestion - OK, you may think it daft, or too much bother, in which case please say so, but at least it'd give you/us a better chance of locating each other.

The "PMR446" licence-free two-way radios are very small and cheap (19.99 a pair in Maplins last time I looked). Using the type which has CTCSS tones ("sub-channels") -the tone-less ones would respond to too many other signals - choose a channel and tone, say channel 6 with tone 31, and have the set in a top pocket or somewhere else where you'll hear it.

I don't know if you've ever met Kim, but he is a man of imposing physical prescence, and not easy to miss. We all just find it hard to belive that he managed to elude us at what was, after all, a relatively small event when the rest of us all seemed to find each other without any trouble...

Best Regards

Philip T-E G8PTY

I don't recall having done so (apologies, Kim, if I have, but have forgotten!)

Fair enough! It just struck me that PMR446s might have been useful in this respect. I certainly find them so, to keep in touch with my brother Geoff, or with others who may have come to a rally or other event with us.

I usually have a handheld with me when out and about, either set to a local repeater, or on the 2m or 70cm calling frequency. It's quite surprising the number of licensed folk you find at rallies (and on Usenet, for that matter).