End of 2025 and here is 2026

First, we are telling ourselves off, as I notice that we haven’t posted anything on our website since summer last year! Not sure why this is, as I was sure I had posted news, etc., on here. Anyway, we have had a good telling-off, and I promise I will try to keep the page more up to date.

Let’s get you up to date on the end of 2025.
August and with Tracks Across the Fields done, an excellent event by the way, we headed back to Sussex, back to our friend’s yard, and from there we would head to Balls Cross Rally at the end of August. We roaded there with both Victoria and Albert. Victoria went like a dream, not so much with Albert, but we made it. The rally itself was wet, with rain from early Saturday afternoon through to Sunday morning. It was then decided that we needed to get the engines off the field, so by 3pm we were off out through the muddy gateway, we got out no problem. Victoria then made her way to Amberley Museum with our trailer and Living van, Albert would be loaded over the next day.

We then spent the next few weeks attending events at Amberley, steaming up on a few occasions, but we were heading towards Alberts birthday party, so the engines needed to be very clean and we spent hours polishing. At the beginning of October was Alberts party, an excellent event, with the Fowler Traction Engine “Endurance” joining us for the weekend as it was her 130th too and Marshall Roller “Joan” celebrating her 100th birthday this year, and of course Victoria had to join in, we had a nice few engines in steam.

November and we went for a road run to The Half Moon Pub in Kirdford, Sussex for a drain out party really, a lovely event with friends and the locals joining in.
Before too long it was December and Victoria returned back to Hampshire while Albert stayed at Amberley, we were hoping to steam up a couple of times but the weather was just awful and we decided Albert also needed to come back to Hampshire as he needs new tyres fitted and a few jobs done, so just after Christmas Albert came back over to be closer to us.

The start of 2026, and lots of things going on. First we had a life celebration to attend with Victoria, so there was lots of cleaning. Sadly Victoria’s previous owner, Shirley Fagg, had passed away in December. We have become very good friend with Victoria’s previous owners, Peter and Shilery Fagg, over the years and for us the right thing to do was to take Victoria to her life celebration, it was a very special day for a very special lady.
We are just starting the task of fitting tyres to Albert, some of the SOP crew are not looking forward to this job but it has to be done, we will keep you updated. Victoria is now back under her cover and waiting for drier, sunnier, warmer weather to appear before she comes back out.

We are filling our calendar with events and hope to be on the road a little more this year, if time allows, that work thing in the week can get in the way sometimes.

We will keep you posted on all things SOP, see you next time.

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Sewards of Petersfield
Victoria’s Torton Tales