THE sound of steam whistles drifted across a field in the Flintshire countryside as hundreds of vintage vehicles, tractors and engines gathered for another successful Vale Vintage Machinery Show.
Held over the weekend at Ty Ucha Farm near Caerwys, the annual event welcomed visitors from across Wales and beyond to celebrate Britain’s agricultural, industrial and military heritage.
Across the sprawling show field, rows of beautifully restored vintage tractors, classic cars, motorcycles, steam engines and military vehicles were displayed alongside working machinery, trade stalls and family attractions.
From veteran agricultural machines that once powered farms across the country to gleaming classic cars and impressive steam rollers, the show offered visitors a chance to step back in time and explore the engineering that shaped generations of rural life.
The show field featured an extensive collection of exhibits, including vintage and veteran tractors, classic commercial vehicles, motorcycles, military vehicles, stationary engines and historic engine parts.
Many of the machines remained in working order, with owners demonstrating their vehicles throughout the weekend and sharing the stories behind their painstaking restorations.
The unmistakable sound of steam whistles echoed across the show field as traction engines and miniature steam engines made their way around the site, drawing crowds eager to watch engineering from a bygone era brought back to life.
Among those exhibiting was Marcus Hamner, from Shrewsbury, a member of Cheshire Live Steamers, who owns two miniature Garrett traction engines.
Having owned the engines for around five or six years, Marcus and fellow club members spend much of the summer travelling the country, attending rallies and heritage events every couple of weeks.
For Marcus, however, the greatest reward is not simply driving the engines but sharing them with the next generation.
“Getting the kids involved and sitting them on the engine and taking them around for a ride is what I like doing,” he said.
“We generally like to give the kids rides and engage with the public.”
Marcus said he was pleased to see the range of exhibits on display at this year’s event.
“There’s a nice selection of engines for the public to see,” he added.
His four-inch scale Garrett traction engines, complete with working boilers and authentic engineering features, gave visitors a closer look at the craftsmanship involved in recreating the iconic machines that once played a vital role in Britain’s farming and industrial history.
Elsewhere on the show field, David and Rachael Hughes, from near Mold, were showcasing a very different piece of history – a 1953 RAF Emergency Pump chassis.
Although often mistaken for a military vehicle, the couple explained the vehicle was originally commissioned by the Home Office during the Cold War as a self-propelled high-capacity water pump, designed to respond to major emergencies.
Similar vehicles later became widely recognised when they were brought into service during national firefighters’ strikes.
Their interest in the vehicle began after spotting another example slowly deteriorating in a local scrapyard.
“We used to come to these shows and decided we’d like to take part and exhibit something,” David said.
“We actually saw one of these in a scrapyard locally to where we live, rotting away. It was still there for years and years and we felt quite sad really.”
After researching the history of the emergency pumps, the pair found themselves fascinated by the story behind the vehicles before eventually travelling to Oxford to buy their own example around a year ago.
Since then, they have become regular exhibitors on the vintage machinery circuit, with the Vale Vintage Machinery Show marking around their seventh event.
For them, the experience is about far more than displaying an unusual vehicle.
“It’s the people,” David said. “Interesting people that have used them in the past, worked on them, been in the Army, been in the RAF. We’ve learned so much from it.”
Elsewhere across the show field, visitors browsed trade stands, food vendors and a large craft marquee featuring local makers and artisans.
Families also explored classic caravans and model engineering exhibits, while demonstrations took place throughout the weekend, giving visitors the chance to see many of the historic machines in action.
Organised by the Vale Vintage Machinery Club, the annual event has become one of North Wales’ best-known celebrations of agricultural and industrial heritage, bringing together collectors, restorers and enthusiasts from across the UK.
Share