SEWARDS OF PETERSFIELD
Engineer, Threshing and Haulage Contractors
This weekend, the season finally started for Victoria and her assistants. On Saturday she attended the V.E. day commemorations in Liss, spending the afternoon standing alongside the village community centre providing an impressive backdrop to a great many peoples photographs.
Later that evening she was driven to Petersfield in preparation for the next days journey to Cheriton, here she was cleaned down before being put to bed under the watchful eye of her guardian spirit.
On Sunday, steam was raised and we set off at about 1210, driving through the centre of Petersfield and receiving many admiring glances from the crowds gathered on the square awaiting the V.E. day parade.
The highlight of the twelve mile trip to Cheriton was undoubtedly the ascent of Bordean Hill climbing out of the village of Langrish. Victoria rose to the challenge and charged up the hill not unlike the Royal Scot, the exhaust note being a thing of beauty! After that, the rest of the trip was over generally level road which gave the crew time to appreciate the wonderful Hampshire countryside, the woods full of bluebells, trees and hedges in bloom and even a startled hare running across a roadside field; there are definite benefits in travelling the highways at six miles per hour.
Cheriton was reached two hours and fifteen minutes after leaving Petersfield and both engine and living wagon were safely parked up in the custody of one of Victorias old friends. The trip had been most enjoyable, what better way to spend a spring Sunday afternoon?
