Holiday type blog 2008

[Chris]

Well the family and I have just set off this last Saturday on our regular 2 week holiday here in the UK. And I thought I'd start another one of my blog posts which I will try update as much as I can throughout the break (although not sure of internet coverage in some of the locations as we are literally out in the sticks ).
Anyway the rough itinerary is as follows:
• We started off travelling from home on Saturday to a place called Scarborough (a small town on the East coast of Yorkshire). We stopped there for 3 nights and we go back there again next week.
• We are now at a place called Pickering, which is in East Yorkshire. We are here for the Pickering steam show, which is the biggest such event in the North of England. We arrived today (Tuesday) and the event is open to the public from Thursday to Sunday - we leave on Monday.
• Next it is back to Scarborough again for a few more days.
• Then on the Thursday we travel to a place called Driffield for the Driffield steam show. This show is much smaller but just as much fun. The show runs on the Saturday and Sunday only. We then travel back home

[luckydog]

I love the old callipioes, hit and miss engines and steam tractors and trains

Pickering Traction Engine Rally

the county fair up north had a lot of them

[hanabi]

I was at Scarborough on saturday, it was a very warm day, and the beach was packed with families


Did you notice that 'Harry Ramsdens' has now opened on the seafront??


it's about 3 doors down from 'Jaconelli's Ice Cream'

both were incredibly busy!!




have fun at the steam show, you know we love pics

[Chris]

Well today is our second day at the Pickering steam fair, which opens to the public tomorrow. Most exhibitors arrive today, we only came yesterday because we are on holiday and because as an exhibitor it is free camping - if we were back in Scarborough we would have to pay for an extra nights camping.

Although it is primarily a steam fair, it is pretty much anything vintage on show here. Classic cars, motor bikes, tractors, commercial vechiles and pedal cycles. I am registered with the pedal cycles as an exhibitor, normally it is only for people who have a bike that is pre 1950's, but I get to bring my Sinclair C5 as a 'special interest' exhibit.

So yesterday their was not much happening on site other than the amusement rides being set up as they have a fairground on site during the show also. They have both modern and vintage rides and I will post some pictures of the vintage rides tomorrow. I spent a lot of yesterday afternoon watching some of the guys assembling a giant portable ferris wheel. I have attached some pictures and it was pretty funny as I also shot some video on my camera phone. As I was filming though all of a sudden a hand was put over the lens and I was asked to stop filming, when I asked why it turns out this guy is the owner of the wheel and he thought because I had been there a while that he thought I was from the health and safety executive

Anyway after explaining that I wasn't and offering to delete the video off the phone he came round and in fact was a really nice guy. He then spent about half an hour chatting with me telling me all about the wheel. It was manufactured in Italy and is transported around the country on 2 low loaders, it takes 4 men 12 hours to assemble and 8 hours to take apart at the end of the show. The photos don't really show its true size and hopefully all the family will get to go on it in the next few days. I will upload the video that I was talking about when we get home as I only have internet access currently via my cell phone.

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[Chris]

I was at Scarborough on saturday, it was a very warm day, and the beach was packed with families


Did you notice that 'Harry Ramsdens' has now opened on the seafront??


it's about 3 doors down from 'Jaconelli's Ice Cream'

both were incredibly busy!!




have fun at the steam show, you know we love pics

Yes we saw the Harry Ramsdens, they were building it last time we came to Scarborough in May.

Listen Angie we probably walked past each other on Saturday without even knowing it as we spent most of the day down on the front and in the town.

[takethecastle57]

I thought that this might be appropriate

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eR4uiiHDubU

[Chris]

How about these as a different type of barbecues? They are made to look like traction engines. Of course Mrs Chrish thought one of these would look really nice at home in the back garden.

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Also came across these old style caravans, not much room in them at all.

Caravan4.jpgCaravan2.jpgCaravan3.jpg

[Chris]

Well the rally has opened and when we walked round yesterday the barbecue I posted pictures of had prices on. Can you believe that they want £2,000 each for them (roughly $4000).

Anyway I promised some pictures of some of the older rides here.
The steam yachts in the first picture date back to 1900 and these are the only ones left in the world.

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[drcrippen324]

just looked at the sat nave its about 2 hours from me would have come joined you for a couple of hours if you were any closer brings back memorys of going to bishops castle steam fair with my grandad back in the 80s

remember the steam yats the gallopers and the steam driven skids and cake walk

wow happy days

didnt realise you were in to steam what are you exhibiting chris

[dattia]

Beautiful pictures Chrish! Thank you!

[Sid]

just looked at the sat nave its about 2 hours from me would have come joined you for a couple of hours if you were any closer brings back memorys of going to bishops castle steam fair with my grandad back in the 80s

remember the steam yats the gallopers and the steam driven skids and cake walk

wow happy days

didnt realise you were in to steam what are you exhibiting chris

Spoiler

a top secret steam powered Sinclair C5... Owned by Queen Victoria herself!!!

[luckydog]

1985 Sinclair C5

[Chris]

Yes I am here at the rally showing my Sinclair C5, it is being displayed with the rest of the cycles - some which date back to 1880. I have taken some pictures and will upload them tomorrow (connection speed with internet is very slow here, as we are in the middle of a show ground and I am having to upload using my cell phone.

Anyway here are a few more photos I took last night.

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[luckydog]

looking at all those pictures reminds me of

Jules Vern, Chitty Chitty bang bang and Willie Wonka

[Chris]

I promised a picture of my Sinclair C5, which I have posted below in the first photo.
C5.jpg


For those that don't know the C5 was launched in 1985 by Clive Sinclair, it a battery assisted tricycle. It has a maximum speed of 15MPH (although I have converted mine to run at 15MPH on 12 volt, but 30MPH when I press a switch and run it at 24 volt. The C5 when it launched was expected to sell in its millions, but it was a total flop and only sold in a few thousands.



Also attached are a few photos of some of the other cycles at the show, which are some of the earliest examples still in existence, could you imagine riding about on these? The last photo shows an 1890 bike that was shaft driven, rather than chain driven - pretty cool I thought.
Cycle1.jpgCycle2.jpgCycle3.jpg

[dattia]

The much-publicized launch was an unqualified disaster. It was held in the middle of winter and the C5's bodies skated on the snow. The press was merciless. Safety and Advertising Standards organizations got involved. Sales and production nosedived, and the company was wound up in October of the same year, with an unfazed Sir Clive out of pocket some 8.6 million pounds.

I lifted that from Luckydog's C5 link. As the owner of one, do you think it got a bum rap with the misguided winter launch or was it deserving of the reception it got? Do you ever ride around on it?

[BigBearSteve]

Those old bikes are really neat.

It's amazing that shaft drive has been around since then, and still being used in motorcycles today.

[hanabi]

I really think Sir Clive was ahead of his time with the C5 when it launched,

I think he would have had great success launching it in the current climate of striving for alternative fuels and transport...

The C5 always looked a 'fun thang' to me, If I had the space I would have one for the right price

[Chris]

Unfortunately I cannot post as many pictures as I would like due to internet access issues, but here are some photos from the car section, some of which will be right up the doc's and Angie street.

My personal favourite is the first one which is a vintage Rolls Royce.


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[luckydog]

the second one looks like a shoehorn