Great Dorset steam fair

[Caz]

The start and end of the day:

Getting up steam

And the fair by night (handheld - sorry it's a bit wobbly, couldn't be asked to carry round a tripod for 10 hours a day!)

[coupekid]

Re: Great Dorset steam fair

oh come on Caz, only two shots!

Lets have a few more so we engulf ourselves in the day!

Where was this, I love Dorset!

[Caz]

Re: Great Dorset steam fair

Ben - I've put some more in my Misc gallery - you don't want all 49 I took over 3 days (though you if you do, I'll send you a link to my flickr set!)

I'm quite pleased with some of the night shots

... and, for those of you who like a beer (CAMRA, here I come - or perhaps alcoholics anonymous!) - Autostitched pano

The Great Dorset Steam Fair is held the weekend after the August Bank Holiday between Tarrant Hinton and Blandford Forum - it actually opens the Wednesday after the Bank Holiday, and goes through to the following Sunday. About 650 acres of steam, horses, collections, crafts, markets and beer tents!

[jojo]

Re: Great Dorset steam fair

Caz, now that's what I call a panorama My favourite though is the third one down: I can positively taste all that dust and oily smoke or smoky oil , very atmospheric, great shot.

Jo

[Caz]

Re: Great Dorset steam fair

I think that pano was about 7 pictures!

Unfortunately, the only downside to our time at the fair was going back to the tent about 12-45 a.m. on the Friday morning (having passed a very enjoyable few hours in the Real Ale tent) to find that someone had stolen our sleeping bags. Bob slept in the tent, I was too cold and went in the car (jeans, jumper & fleece over my pyjamas). Poor lamb tried to get in the car at 4 a.m. only to find I'd locked the doors

And to add insult to injury, after 3 hours sleep the first night the second night the campsite was invaded from the daytrippers car park by some people who took down the security fences so that their travelling friends could get in for free (being VERY careful how I phrase that!).

I'd go back to the fair, which was absolutely fantastic - but would take a camper or caravan!

Caz

[jojo]

Re: Great Dorset steam fair

Sounds like Dorset's version of the Glastonbury music festival

jo

[ekkl]

Re: Great Dorset steam fair

My mate Phil had a stall there at the fair. I was with him when he had to submit the forms and could have easily got in on his stall. Really gutted that I did not go as it would have been superb for taking great pictures.

Sorry to hear about the theft. You would have thought the steam fair would have attracted a better type of person who usually attend these gatherings.

[Caz]

Re: Great Dorset steam fair

Sorry to hear about the theft. You would have thought the steam fair would have attracted a better type of person who usually attend these gatherings.

My partner has been 11 times in the past 15 years, and hadn't experienced any problems before - the gap was due to meeting me and moving up to Northamptonshire from Devon! However, he did say that it was the most crowded he'd seen it. The chap who set up the fair has now passed the organisation to his son. Since I hadn't had previous experience, I can't comment but Bob did say that they'd opened up 2 extra camp sites this year - but no extra showers! As the crow flies, the shower block was about 200 yards away in the exhibitors' camp site but due to security fencing and the entrance from the day trippers' car park, it was a mile round trip

One of the managers from work said she might be coming down (didn't make it), but when I mentioned the problems we'd had, she did say that she'd heard of similar things in the past couple of years.

In fact, when I tried to report the theft to a passing policeman on the Thursday night, he told me they were more concerned about helping another man - who'd had his whole TENT stolen!

They really need to sort out their security - I spoke to security on the Saturday morning when I asked where they'd been the night before, and was told they were all in the bar........

Despite all that, I'll still say that I had a great time - and would go again, because it must be one of the largest steam fairs around. I just can't upload all the photos I took (although commercials, tractors and ploughing are missing - not my scene), so here's a link to my flickr set