Vintage tractor displays at festival of transport
The Gloucestershire Steam & Vintage Extravaganza, now in its 37th year, has moved to a larger venue at South Cerney Airfield, Cirencester, for 2011. From Friday 5th - Sunday 7th August 2011 the extravaganza will attract more than 15,000 visitors and raise money for local and national charities.
The show was originally conceived for steam enthusiasts, but the range of exhibits has grown year on year. It now boasts a huge array of vintage transport, from buses & coaches, commercial vehicles, classic cars and motorcycles through to military vehicles, tractors, aircraft, engines and historic caravans.
A live action arena will be an integral part of the show with interactive demonstrations taking place every day, and the popular vintage fun fair is sure to keep the children amused. Hundreds of curiosity stalls should also keep visitors engrossed for hours with displays of Victorian memorabilia ranging from antique sewing and knitting machines and model dolls houses to vintage garden tools and 1940s – 1950’s home wares.
Within the extensive show, there is a large section dedicated to the history of the "tractor". One could argue that there is no other machine as adaptable as a tractor. Yes, it’s a pretty basic machine to the uninitiated but how do you think we would get on in the world without them. We rely on them for so much even in today’s fast pace of farming, yet the basics have remained the same since they started to replace the steam engine.
It’s true to say that most people would define a tractor as being red, green or blue but take a step into the display at this year’s Steam event and you’ll be overwhelmed by the engineering, diversity of design, application and yes colours that these powerful yet perfectly formed powerful machines.
This year more than 150 vintage tractors will be displayed dating from the 1920s to the 1980s showcasing manufacturers such as David Brown, Massey Ferguson, Nuffield, Zetor, Leyland, Farmall and Field Marshall to name but a few. The now infamous ’Dancing Tractors’ will also return to the main arena, which is a fun display not to be missed!
Clive Osborne director of the tractors section Gloucestershire Steam & Vintage Extravaganza said "Each year the show just gets better and better and this one will be no exception. There will be a few surprises in the tractor display which will be of great interest to enthusiasts and general visitors alike".
