A very active day at The Hoops, Bassingbourn…
There was a carnival atmosphere in the village of Bassingbourn on Saturday 20th May as the annual ‘Steam at The Hoops’ kicked off. This, the 9th such event, which was organised by local steam engine enthusiast, Clive Flack, and the day’s venue as usual hosted by Russell Woolaston, landlord of the pub, was sponsored by Mathews Haulage and Partners. It was supported by the Bedford Steam Engine Preservation Society and the Royston and District Round Table.
The activities opened at 11am with the main showpieces, the giants of former years, hissing, and whistling, being paraded on the pub’s forecourt. These stars of the day, amongst them ‘William’, a former road roller that was originally deployed by Cambridge Council for repairing the City’s network of highways until 1962, and a rare Foster 10hp Showman’s Engine, were augmented with an interesting collection of scaled down ride on models of the real goliaths, and their steam truck counterparts. One of these, a 4”scale of an Alfred Dodman truck was built in 2016, and was proudly presented by its current owner, Kevin Thomas.
Other attractions included a show of classic bikes and cars, with Hugh Dyson showing off his 1932 Riley 9 Plus Ultra in the latter section. An intriguing convoy of classic tractors joined in, and there was street food and children’s activities in abundance, with a fairground organ entertaining the crowds that turned out.
The usual raffle and auction were held with a whopping £1,740 so far being raised for the Bassingbourn pensioners and local charities.
A smiling Clive Flack thanked all those that assisted in producing a successful day. “We are grateful to Russell, Tracy, and the staff of The Hoops for making us so welcome. Profound thanks to all of our helpers and exhibitors who made the event possible and so enjoyable. We also are very appreciative to Jeremy Curzon from Cheffins for skilfully conducting such a wonderful auction.”
Article & Photography by Clive Porter Photography
