This is Cornwall --Historic vehicles come in all shapes and sizes at the Great Dorset Steam Fair – but one of the tiniest can measure up to the giants of the haulage world, at least in spirit.
The 1962 Heinkel Trojan owned by Den and Ethel Bull did the school run many a time with three young children packed inside. Den and Ethel's son, Chris, was one of them, and he recounted the story yesterday as the family's sturdy little transporter basked in admiring glances on the fair's opening day.
The big boys threw up a haze of dust as they chugged into action to demonstrate just what a working steam engine can do. Hauling tree trunks, threshing corn, sawing logs, powering fairground organs and rides, and helping to lay roads, it seems there is nothing that these great survivors cannot do – even providing the heat for a breakfast fried on a shovel over hot coals.
Around 200,000 people will have poured into the 600-acre site at Tarrant Hinton, near Blandford, in North Dorset, by the time the theatre of engineering comes to an end on Sunday night. Events include the world record steam roller parade bid on Saturday and a steam-up of showmen's engines by moonlight.
Among a wealth of musical entertainment, The Wurzels will be gracing the outdoor concert stage tonight and on Saturday night Chas Hodges from Chas and Dave will perform in The Real Ale Tent. Reported by This is 18 hours ago.