Northchapel Working Steam Fair

Northchapel Working Steam Fair

Today’s guest post comes from Tina at The Soup Dragon Says.  If you get a chance have a look at some of the fab video’s Tina has on her blog – very clever.

The Soup Dragon SaysHi my name is Tina, and I write over at The Soup Dragon Says, Living on the South Coast of England. I am a wife and a Mum to The Boy who is aged 8 (where did the time go) and we love spending time as a family and writing about all the things we get up to and our days out.  I have recently decided to become a stay at home Mum, and am enjoying the exciting and very different opportunities blogging has brought to family life, I hope you will come over to my blog and have a look.

 

Thanks to Mary from Over 40 and Mum to One for this blog post, hope you have a lovely break.

 

 

 

 

Northchapel Working Steam Fair

Over the summer we had some fantastic days out, one of our particular family favourites was Northchapel Working Steam Fair. A few years ago this would not have been the sort of event I would have considered for a family day out. Now it is defiantly a firm favourite especially with the boy who gets very excited about going back to see his steam friends.

This was our second year taking part in the event, and we are lucky enough to have been invited as volunteers for their chosen charity to spend the whole weekend on-site. OK, so this involves a tent and not something I enjoy. Luckily I got out of it this year by having to go home to feed the cats! The boy and his dad took a tent and hot water bottles, and maybe next time if we have a caravan I might consider this rudimental camping.

Northchapel Working Steam Fair

 

The Northchapel Working Steam Show as the name suggests is everything steam, but there is a lot more and for a family day out there is something for everyone. The boy loves talking to the exhibitors, he has made a firm favourite in one particular engineer called Ted, who he spends hours discussing steam engines with. All the exhibitors at the show are very friendly and eager to share their knowledge, its like a little old world village and is certainly like stepping back in time a 100 years.

Northchapel Working Steam Fair

There are the usual traction engines from the full size to little mini ones, hundreds of tractors, horse drawn ploughs, vintage fire engines and a steam fair. With lots to eat and drink, shop stalls selling all sorts of interesting a different things, and demonstrations in a main arena. I think one of our family favourites has been the kite man, this year he was flying some amazing creations, from people and sharks to huge fighting kits that parachute teddies. The boy also took part in some long bow archery which was good fun and he was given a certificate to keep.

The weather has been fantastic for the last two years, and has added to the enjoyment, along with the fact that we know quite a few people and the boy gets invited to ride on some of the vehicles. He loves getting dirty and camping with no water, toilets of cooking! We also got to stay after the public had left, which is a real treat. Staying up late at night to see the traction engines all lit up and they bring them down to a bar where we eat hog roast and chat to all the exhibitors!

This is a really amazing weekend of old-fashioned fun, and I can recommend it as a fairly cheep day out for the family, I hope that next year we will be invited to join in again, and fingers crossed for more fantastic weather!

The date for 2014 hasn’t been confirmed yet so keep your eyes on the website for more information.

 

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