Oz's travels.

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Phil was very kindly asked to help out with the commentary with Squirrel by Norman and Madeleine Young, So Sunday the Shed was loaded up.....
and Hue an I was bolted in an off we go down to Dorset.
Safely arrived  an soon found a nice spot in campsite red 1, the tent was bunged up an kettle was put on for a brew.
This year we was proud to fly the Warwickshire flag over our spot.
Monday, a trip into Blandford Forum to Morrison's for supplies. Now how's this for placing a shop. Next to Morrison's is the Greyhound pub, so at the entrance the wife turns left in to the shop and the husband can turn right in to the pub.

I had fun riding in the trolley. Phil did get some funny looks, but he stopped them dead when he proudly said "mine doesn't scream an shout!".

                                                                                          nice one Phil.

All the rubbish that go's into pet food, I'm glad I eat proper food, like stir fry's, salmon steaks etc...
Phil lifted the shopping out of the trolley, turned round and bunged it into the back of the car, just then the wind blew a gust an I set off down the car park. I heard Phil burst out laughing as I gripped on for sheer life. Luckily I stopped before a car came along.
After I calmed down, we had a walk around Blandford. I spotted Sweeney Todd's barbers, the thing is, next door to it is a fish an chip shop... Hummm think before you order the steak and kidney pie and a battered sausage!
There a quite a number of charity shops in Blandford an we had a gentle troll though them all, Phil picking up a Puma Tee shirt at a bargain price of £2.99.
Feeling hungry for proper food as I said in Morrison's earlier, we found The Gorge Café.
Very smart deco, with a lowered roof at the back to look like in was built in to a cave. A jacket potato with tuna an a cuppa tea was wonderful.

On the way back we past the Hall and Woodhouse brewery, the home of Badger beer, a quick stop for a photo.

              Next year we will hopefully pop in to the visitors centre for a look around.  

                                    A photo I took on our way back of the show ground.
Back at the show an while it was quiet I had a look around the lorries.
No stupid computer bolted to this Gardener engine.
The Walton family from my neck of the woods...Warwickshire.
I feel as safe as houses stood under this ramp. I road on one of these at Pickering Steam fair on the tractor pulling track.
A panoramic photo of the tractor pulling track.
A very smart Landrover Defender but with slight mods. MERCEDES-BENZ UNIMOG running gear.
With a BIG V8 supercharged engine. The Bigmin would look great parked next to this.
Norman Young surprised us by buying this puller off Tom Prout. Hot Pot with a petrol V12 air cooled 29.3 + a bit ltr Continental engine out of a WW2 American tank.
We only had one guest traction engine on the track. Maclaren 8nhp road loco/roller conversion built in 1910.
A Scammell heavy haulage just my size.

The one thing that I look forward most to coming to GDSF is the huge lardy cake that Shelley's bakery sell.

                                                                        I was served by Bexx.

A very nice wheat thrashing display with stationary engine powering the err one machine.....
and a small traction engine powering the thrasher.
This Foden steam lorry wasn't always a cider tanker.
It was originally was a tar sprayer. I do prefer it carrying cider..... Ahhhhhh CIDER!!!

Two tanks playing in the military section.

I do like this Austin K9 radio lorry, I would be a classic motorhome to go round the shows.
A trip into the food tent to find the burgers we had last year.
It was very warm in there, so the quicker we completed the mission the better..... YES!! we found them! Broke Wood Farm the most gorgeous burgers I have ever had. Plus we picked up some farm house bread.
On our way out the food hall, the area just out side was full of different food stalls and a live music stage. Check out the photo I appear in it three times. It was fun watching Phil trying to take this photo. On panoramic mode he took the first shot (me on the bin), he marked his spot with the bag of burgers and bread. He came across to lift me down of the bin, as I moved over to the next photo spot he turned round an the bag had gone. A chap had picked it up an was walking off. Phil shouted an the chap turned round an said "oh sorry I thought my wife had left it behind" Clown!!  So we started again, I was put back on the bin. This time ok he lifted me down an returned to his spot. I moved to position 2, when a number of people came along an stood between Phil an I. Phil patiently waited until they moved on with the odd person walking by he managed to get shot two. I moved to position 3 and you guest it people got in the way again. I was laughing at Phil face. Click... shot 3 was finality taken an he is the result.

The chap on the stage played to great music, his name is Adam Sweet. Cd's are available,  I don't know where from but they are out there.

The dray horses, The middle one was the Hall and woodhouse brewery dray.
Do you ever get that feeling your being watched?       Arthur n Alfie.

Getting a bit thirsty we came across the Authentic Lemonade stall. Phil recognised one of the chaps behind the stall, an asked "did you have a stall at Pickering Steam rally? "used to" said one of the chaps. Phil took his sunglasses off an the chap... whose name was Nick recognised Phil. Nick used to bring us free cups of lemonade across to the tractor pulling track when we was commentating. Nick very kindly gave us a couple of freebies for old time sake.

                                                                            Cheer's Nick an Chris.

Back to the tractor pulling. Hot Pot done its first run an was towed back to the start, Squirrel hopped on for a ride an to explain to crowed about the engine.
Here is Stormin Norman on Hot Pot on a run.
Looking over towards the fair.
Its late an we've got a busy day tomorrow.....goodnight.
Did I say busy! Next morning, a bit of a heavy due! Rain came in over night an that coal boxed the 11am to 1pm tractor pulling session.
It wasn't even worth trying to scrap the top off the track.
The hole show was held up by the weather. Luckily the day improved a lot an we was pulling at the 3pm to 5pm session.
Hot Pot always has done two runs, here is Normans first run, the second run wasn't filmed but Norman blew the diff. CLANG!!

The next day Hue an I watched  the pulling an I had a great idea.

How about Hue having ago. I bolted him to the sledge.
                                                                                                    HUE LORRY LET RIP!!
Over looking us was Stuart and Liam. Liam is sat on his puller called The Donkey.
CLANG OF THE DAY.. go's to Giles Moston..  On his run down the track he thought he had shut down on his mark but the tractor didn't pull up in time an went through the fence an into the ditch.
Luckily his weights on the front went over the ditch an stuck into the soft soil that was dug out of the ditch. It kept the front up saving the oil cooler that is positioned under engine. G forces front was lifted up an the dragged out still connected to the sledge by the pull back tractor.

Well what a thing to end on. Fantastic time by all down in Dorset. Nine nights in a tent, that's a record for us. Phil has been asked again next year, SO!! there is a lot of planning to be done for next year. One mission is to get a gas fridge, due to the 12/24 volt cool box soon flattened the leisure battery even with a solar panel to keep it topped up.  The milk turned to cream cheese an my cider went warm... NOT GOOD!

 (Its sorted! while I was working on this page on 04/09/2016 Phil has just bought one.)


                                    On our way home I pointed out to Hue Stonehenge.

BIG THANKYOU too Norman n Madeleine Young, Mark-Gass Brown aka Squirrel, Ned an Paul Parker also letting Hue have ago on the sledge, all the sledge crew, all the pullers and my best mate Phil for taking Hue an I and looking after us.














                                             Here's to 2017.