11:25am Friday 4th August 2006
By Daniel Orr
The sights, smoke and loud sounds of the ever-popular Cumbria Steam Gathering, in Flookburgh, drew in large crowds at the weekend.
An estimated 40,000 people converged on Cark Airfield, near Flookburgh, for the 34th show to view hundreds of vintage steam engines, motorcycles and cars alongside Rolls Royce aeroplane engines and even rare German war vehicles.
Organiser Tim Holt said: "Most of the people have gone away very happy with a smile on their face and that is the major criteria for the event.
"We try to put on interesting activities which will cater for all young children right through to the elderly."
Carl Gleave, 27, and his toddler son Jonathan had travelled from Whitchurch, in Shropshire, to display a Foden steam trailer and Foden steam wagon used in the First World War to carry ammunition in France.
Although only two years old, Jonathan was eager to help his dad and worked hard cleaning parts of both engines.
Mr Gleave said: "He's still a bit young to really understand it but he's just starting to get in to it like I did when I was younger. I've always grown up with steam engines in the family and it's an enjoyable hobby looking after and displaying them.
"We usually visit Cumbria's gathering every other year. It's worth the journey because it is a nice set up here. If it rains at other gatherings you get stuck in the field but, because of the runway here, there's no problems."
The vintage motorcycle display proved a major attraction and Bill Hanna, 65, from Kirkby-in-Furness, with his seven-year-old granddaughter Kerensa as a passenger, showed his 1954 500cc Triumph Tiger to the admiring crowd watching from the grandstand.
The bike had been sitting in a shed in Barrow in a state of disrepair for 20 years before Mr Hanna bought it from a friend. It took him two years to transform the bike in to a shining metallic blue spectacle.
"Once I left the Navy and retired for good I started collecting bikes and now have seven Triumphs. It's better spending money on this rather than women and song that's what my wife says anyway."
The skies were filled with colourful kites while people wandered around the various stalls, and large crowds gathered to watch two displays by the No Limitz junior motorcycle team, from Bournemouth, with members aged from seven to 19 showing their skills in the main arena.
Catching the eye among the classic transport vehicles was a bright yellow Salvador Caetano coach owned by Margaret and Ralph Jagger, from St Annes. They brought along their 42-year-old very talkative parrot Carl, who chatted away to passers-by.
Mrs Jagger said: "We bought the coach 11 years ago and four years later someone set fire to it outside our house. It took us months to get it back together but we were so determined. Showing the coach at exhibitions keeps us young."
Mr Holt said a scheme to help reunite lost children with their families was proving very popular. Youngsters are given a free wristband with a telephone number on when they arrive in case they lose their way among the crowds.
He said: "I came up with the idea about four years ago and it worked again at the weekend. I hope more festivals will use it because lost children are a major problem at events like these."
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