Hay-on-Wye Steam Rally (11th August, 2024)
This is one of a series of pages which I have uploaded to illustrate facets of steam rallies we have attended in the UK. Such events occur all over the country in the summer months, they are easily found by using your favourite search engine and may have anything between a handful of steam engines and hundreds (as at the Great Dorset Steam Fair which could probably be fairly described as having an excess of riches). Click here for the overall 2024 index.
There's never been a great deal of movement at Hay, the site doesn't lend itself to it. However, there has always been a saw bench and even steam ploughing in 2013. Today, as tends to happen here, the engines came down for the noon opening ceremony, and immediately after did a slow engine race, gave some steering experience to a few ladies and buggered off to their pegs from where they didn't budge before we got bored and left. We enjoyed watching the Wye Valley Axemen and Axewoman but once the police dogs had come and gone there was just an endless procession of tractors and a few motorbikes trundling round, then nothing. After an hour of sitting waiting for something to happen, we wandered off as the 'hay making demonstration' finally started. Overall, we were disappointed, there was a very good crowd present and with a little imagination it could have been a good little show.
General Engines
Steam Rollers
