Sewards of Petersfield

Top: Stood where she would have stood in Sewards workshop and yard.
Mid: Another view of Victoria stood in what was Sewards workshop and yard.
Bot: Victoria at the Harting festivities in West Sussex.

Over the bank holiday weekend at the end of May, we took Victoria to two events in the Petersfield area.

After the Eastleigh rally we brought the engine back to Petersfield for a couple of weeks as our next outings were local to the town, the first being an open day held at Lords Farm, Sheet. This event has been going for 12 years and raises money for local charities, it is a get together for owners of old machinery of all sorts, tractors are the main exhibits but cars, stationary engines, commercial vehicles and even heavy horses come along to support the event, all are welcome.

It was a fairly early start for us and after a short drive through Petersfield we arrived just before lunch. A good time was had by all and we left at the end of the afternoon for an appointment with a part of Victorias history.

Sewards yard in Petersfield, where Victoria spent the greater part of her life has long since disappeared to make way for an entrance to the towns car park and is usually pretty busy but on Sundays it is somewhat quieter so we seized the opportunity to park the engine in the position she was laid up in 1933 and where she remained until 1969. This involved facing the wrong way up a one way street but was worth it, a fact bourne out by the number of interested passers by. We could easily imagine the scene being 50 or more years ago, it was a thought provoking moment. Then back to park up for the night at our Petersfield 'yard'.

Monday we were booked to appear at the Harting festivities just over the border in West Sussex, we had to be in position by just after 10am so the fire had to be lit at 7, no lie in on this bank holiday! There is something quite satisfying about steaming an engine early on a summer morning, it was quite beautiful, the birds were singing, the sun warming the air and the promise of a great day on the engine, surely this is what our hobby is all about. We arrived at the village of Harting at 10 o'clock and set up camp, the main street was closed for the day, cars and buses were replaced by stalls and marching bands, crowds filled the space left and luckily the weather stayed mainly dry. After a really enjoyable day we left Harting and steamed back to our home base at Liss in about two hours, stopping only for water in Petersfield.

Next outing, Liss carnival.