Euston Park Rural Pastimes  June 8th 2008
by Pat Freeman  

This, the 17th such event, took place at the Euston Hall Estate, in Norfolk, by kind permission of the Duke of Grafton. Over the previous 16 years, just under £300,000 was raised  for St Nicholas Hospice and local Churches.

   It was pleasing to see two traction engines that had not been at any event for about two years which were celebrating their centenary year.

   One of these was Ernie Eagle's Marshall Old Nick , No. 149725, delivered on May 13th 1908 to a client in Oxfordshire. Ernie bought it in 1984 and during the last two years had extensive boiler work carried out and a new tube plate, smoke box and chimney base fitted. Standing beside Old Nick was its 'son'  Little Old Nick, a 6" scale model that was completed in 2002 after a 6-year build period.

 

    

 

   The other centenarian was Rodney Timson's 1908 Fowler The Countess, No.11421, delivered to Alf Morgan on September 11th 1908. It passed, 3 years later, to the Griffiths family and remained with them for the next 85 years, when it was bought, in 199 6, by the present owner at an auction in Bewdley, Worcestershire. Rodney believes The Countess was thus named in 1908 as its plate is curved to fit the boiler cladding. Can anyone suggest to which Countess this name refers?

   Euston Park was the third event it attended since having a new firebox which was made and fitted by Melvyn Mayes of Yaxham. Previously, the firebox had been welded, but the new one is rivetted. Rodney took the opportunity to have four gears refurbished, the radius link re-machined and a new die block fitted. Rodney's co-driver was David Chilvers who has been with him for seven years, since the age of 14.

   Jonathan Wheeler of South Lopham, Norfolk, was there with his 1920 Ruston & Hornsby  T. E. Oliver , No. 113043, which was belt-coupled to his Sawbench, demonstating  log sawing.

   Also there was Natel Taylor's 1916 Wallis & Steevens T. E. Faith, No. 7497. Natel bought this in 1965 after it had stood derelict for 16 years beside a road at Lavenham in Suffolk.

 

     

 

   Alan Hines of Wattisham, Suffolk, was steaming his 1924 Robey Showman's Tractor, No. 41492, which he acquired in July 2007 from Richard Scourfield of South Wales.

   This engine finished its showman's life in Romford, Essex, c. 1935 and was sold to a timber merchant in North walsham, Norfolk. It eventually turned up in a scrapyard. in Coltishall, Norfolk, and was then rescued in 1959 by Fred Howline of Kings Lynn who restored it to a showman's. He used it for a number of years and Les King finally finished off the refurbishment.

   Seemingly it never had a name, but two months ago, Alan decided to call it Bathsheba. He chose the name as he likes reading Thomas Hardy's novels and Bathsheba is featured in Hardy's 'Far From The Madding Crowd'.

  

   Alan is very pleased and proud of his Robey which will be seen at many events in the future.

 

         

 

   This event is held annually on the second Sunday in June.