Oakwood Hill Flower Show – 12th August 2023

We arrived at 9 a.m. and were welcomed by friendly, helpful marshals who directed us to our pitch. We were allocated a large area with ample room for vehicles behind our engines. There was a very slight slope coming away from the playing field. It took great expertise, experience (and a thin piece of wood) to level the displays to perfection with knowledge SEAMS members have in abundance.

After a calm and leisurely setting up there was time for a cup of tea while watching other exhibitors preparing their displays including the classic cars opposite us. When the announcement came on the tannoy to say the show was officially open, there was a mad dash to cover up the engines as the sky darkened and heavy rain fell. Luckily it only lasted a few minutes and we were up and running again in no time.

Jen happily cooked delicious sausage and bacon in rolls for members,
a welcome treat keeping a past tradition going.

The visitors came in thick and fast and expressed a lot of interest in the displays. They were particularly impressed with the engines in the well- equipped cow shed of Addlestead Farm with its abundance of farm animals. There were lots of discussions with members of the public of all age ranges about the engines their history and workings. As the afternoon sun appeared so did the ice cream cones. At the end of the day several young children found it hard to tear themselves away for the journey home, waving goodbye enthusiastically as they went.

Many thanks to Luke and Jen for organising such a pleasant event.

By Jacqueline Mitchell