Old Glory November 2021

Very much the home of pioneering steam preservation in the UK through all that Chris Lambert did with his collection, the village of Horsmonden hasn’t seen any steam since Don Eastwood left the area in 1982. Thanks to Bill Giles and Will Day, chairman of the Weald of Kent Traction Engine Society, that all changed on Saturday 25 September when three engines visited the village (although not ex-Lambert engines) in prelude to the big WOKTES road run that’s going to take place here next September where its hoped over 20 ex-Lambert engines will take part. All three engines visited what’s called Lambert’s Place now, built on the site of Lambert’s yard. We see Bill Giles’ 1901 7hp Burrell SCC No. 2386 Titaness arriving back from its visit by the village…

David Reed Editor-at-large - Former York school teacher who has worked with the editor since 1995 and has a wealth of knowledge on steam, commercials and tractors. Derek Rayner Technical and Vintage World Editor - Derek’s knowledge is extensive, a steam roller owner since the 1960s and a world traveller in search of nothing but the best. Bob Moorman Rally Archive Editor - This former engineering inspector is a fount of knowledge and has been rallying since the 70s. His own restos are award winners, as his ex-Kings 1927 Foden will be now that it’s finished! Mike Neale Diecast Models Editor – It’s a great pleasure to welcome this well - known model expert and photographer who is an architect by trade, to the magazine. Nick Baldwin Senior Correspondent -…

The month of September was a busy one, but was curtailed right at the end by the ridiculous fuel crisis, which stopped me travelling to the 21st Kettering Vintage Rally on Sunday 26 September, an event I attended in 2019 and enjoyed very much, and other places later on. However on Saturday 25 September I was able to travel just six miles down the road to Pevensey for the East Sussex Ploughing Match, where Bob Watts and Richard Wade’s 1914 Fowler BB No. 14213 Bob was ploughing with Bob Jameson’s very quiet 1918 Fowler No. 15257 Repulse. The ground conditions were perfect and the plough skimmed through the ground easily. This was unlike the week before at the Weald of Kent Ploughing Championships, when the ground was as hard as…

It was also a case of Daisy the steam roller meets Jack the 11-year-old Shire horse all in front of the magnificent 1683-built Ragley Hall on a balmy warm September day to celebrate the estate’s new road system, which will certainly help as it expands the corporate events on this stunning 6,500-acre estate. Here we were on the day, it had finally came to fruition after months of planning for S E Davis & Son Ltd of Astwood Bank, Redditch to celebrate working for the Marquess of Hertford for over 50 years. An added bonus was the fact that Bob Davis had purchased 1932 Aveling & Porter AB type 8 ton compound No. 14150 DW7867 some 50 years ago from Mr Stacey, Bridgnorth, Shropshire. Stacey had bought the engine from…

The Palladian mansion is located south of Alcester, Warwickshire, eight miles (13km) west of Stratford-upon-Avon. It is the ancestral seat of the Marquess of Hertford. The house, was designed by Dr Robert Hooke, built for Edward Conway, 1st Earl of Conway and completed after his death in 1683. The Great Hall is thought to have been decorated by James Wyatt in 1780. It became the home of Anne Conway and she was visited there by a number of notable people including Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, Thomas Vaughan, Lilias Skene, Henry More, Ezechiel Foxcroft, Elizabeth of Bohemia, and Christian Knorr von Rosenroth. Franciscus Mercurius van Helmont was Anne’s physician from 1671 until her death in 1679. Financial instability of the Seymour family left the house threatened with demolition more than once. In…

Once again the Statfold Barn Railway held its annual road and rail weekend over 11-12 September, writes Simon Colbeck. This event goes from strength to strength, hosting a wide range of classic vehicles and road steam to compliment the railway’s extensive collection of locomotives. The undoubted steam highlight of the weekend was the welcome return to the rally field of Marshall 8nhp traction engine No. 37823 Old Ned. Built in 1902 and exported to Australia with a long firebox for wood firing, the engine was brought back to the UK in the 1990s by Richard Pocock in pieces. Now owned by Chris Bowman, the Marshall was making its first public appearance in 10 years after the completion of an extensive restoration. Another interesting visitor was Mann steam wagon No. 1365 of…