Harvesting the Old Fashion Way, West Sussex
This weeks collection of photos were taken at Harvesting the Old Fashion Way held at Oldwick Farm, West Stoke near Chichester in West Sussex which was held over the weekend of 11th & 12th September 2010. This is an event which we always enjoy, lots of things to see including ploughing with tractors and horses, cutting the crop with many different types of machines, collecting the stooks and then onto the threshing machine.
Although the Saturday at this years show was wet and it kept the public away, on Sunday we had lovely weather and we really enjoyed the day. Talking to friends, steaming around the field on "Victoria" (our traction engine) and just having a good time.
It is held each year and if you are looking for somewhere to go and like all things old and farm machines it's a good day out. We had a great time so hopefully see you there next year, come and say hello...
Victoria on the bridge
Well this is a photo I've been waiting to take for a while, you may remember a while back I took one of the Burrell showmans engine "Lady Pride of England" coming over this bridge, well here's Victoria. Not the best photo with no sun and lots of cars but hey never mind....
Sausage roll holder
While we were waiting for Victoria to fill up with water we had our lunch, Lloyd had gone off to check something and this is where he left his sausage roll, on her lamp!!!
The Wall of Death
The wall of death is something to be seen, men and sometimes women ride motorbikes around the inside of the walls doing tricks and hair raising stunts, it truely is a sight to see and I'm sure that it's the last thing you expect to see at a harvesting event but I think this is a great bonus to the event.
A new driver
We had taken along one of Harry's friends to stay with us for the weekend, having never been on Victoria or driven a tractor I think it was an exciting weekend for him. I have to say he drove the tractor and steered Victoria very well.
Tractor boys ploughing
This whole weekend is based around old fashioned ways of harvesting and here we see the tractor boys doing their ploughing after the crop has been cut and then it's ready to receive the next batch of seeds. It's a great atmosphere to stand and watch as they go about their work, a wonderful way to spend a weekend.
Watch while they work
This is many of the paying public watching the tractor boys plough, further along the field they were cutting the crop with their machines. Then in another part of the field there is a tractor driving a thrashing machine doing there bit of work, threshing the crop and separating the grain and the straw. A steam traction engine also provides the power to the saw bench where they are sawing the trees up ready to be made into something.
Horses pulling the binder
This was lovely to watch, horses pulling the binder which cuts the crops and goes through the binder and comes out at the side as a stook. This must have been a long and tiring job years ago.
Jack and his load
Jack was going to refill our water container which meant going to the other end of the field so all in the trailer and off we go....
Tractor parade
All the tractors go into the arena at the end of the day in the tractor parade and Jack always goes with them, here he is amongst them.
Tom having a go
This is Harry's friend having his first go at steering Victoria which I think he enjoyed.
My Mum's go
This is my Mum having a steer, she loves having a go but she's always nervous. Our boys think it's great when there 70 something nan is having a steer.
Victoria after her busy weekend
After the weekend was over and many of the exhibitors had gone home I took this black and white photo of Victoria in a near empty field
Ready to move on
We are ready to move on, this is one of our favourite events of the year, a small friendly weekend where we are left to enjoy our engine with friends and family, here's looking forward to Harvesting the Old Fashion Way 2011...
So after Victoria's busy weekend on the Monday morning we steamed up and it was time to steam to our next event which would be at The Weald and Downland Museum at Singleton.