Appleford 75 Steam Rally (21st - 22nd June, 2025)
This is one of a series of pages I have uploaded to illustrate facets of the steam rallies we have attended in the UK. Click here for the 2025 introduction and overall index.
75 years ago on 30th July 1950 Arthur Napper and Miles Chetwynd-Stapleton pitted their traction engines 'Old Timer' (Marshall 37690/1902) and 'Ladygrove' (Aveling and Porter 8923/1918) against each other in a race at Appleford south of Oxford. Arthur won as I believe he tended to when such events were later repeated against other owners. The original event has come to be recognised as the start of the (road) steam preservation movement and there followed regular annual gatherings / rallies in the area which lasted until 1971. In later races 'Ladygrove' was replaced by 'Eileen the Erring' (Wallis and Steevens 7683/1919). This weekend saw invitations extended to all the engine which had attended the rallies and (on the Saturday when I attended) there were 51 present, together with 3 guest 'supporters'. For the record these were A&P 8489, Garrett 33091 and Hornsby 6557.
Despite the forecast of bright, almost unbroken sunshine, for most of the day it was dull and grey with occasional spots of rain and I made no attempt to record the commemorative races and other events. As such, the vast majority of pictures here were taken 'early and late'.
The organisers had clearly put in a lot of hard work to stage the event and everyone I spoke with was very disappointed with the sparse turn out of visitors which meant that it lacked the atmosphere of the average better attended rally. That's a great shame as it was 'top of my list' for the 2025 season and the fact that I saw 5 'new' engines didn't really make up for it.
There were any number of possible reasons for this that spring to mind:
Limited publicity, the well established (and attended) rally at nearby Stoke Row 2 weeks earlier, even the 'steam only' nature of the event.
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