Simply Wet,Damp & Simplicity at Shackerstone

Following the disgustingly bad weather which the Midlands (and probably the rest of the UK!!) encountered this week,the Shackerstone Family Festival,due to be held September 6th/7th was unfortunately cancelled.This left many people dissapointed,none more so than the hard-working volunteers who had strived to organize it.But nevertheless the show and the railway went on(!). LNER B1 No1306 "Mayflower" hauled the days 5 main trains.Meanwhile 0-4-0 VBT "Yvonne" was steamed on the Saturday AND until 2pm only due to the appalling weather! 2-2-0 "Blue Circle" didn't appear, also probably due to the adverse weather...

"Emily" Steams Up

I had nothing to do on Saturday so having cleaned "Yvonne" a little I headed with Phil to meet "Emily", a 3-ton Wallis and Steevens Steam Roller.It was throwing it down with rain as Phil lit her fire and she began warming through.After steaming up and all the necessary checks carried out,myself and Phil took "Emily" out onto the driveway and turned her around. I then sat happily for a good few hours keeping "Emily" ticking over and fired up.At around 2pm,a small party of steam department staff had gathered,following the putting away of "Yvonne".So, after an attachment of her trailer, "Emily" headed off on the 1-mile ride to Congerstone with a few different steersmen at the helm but with Phil remaining as driver of course! It rained throughout the journey and the sun only came out as "Emily" was disposed of later on! But a bad day had been made good,for some of us at least, in my opinion and this was not the last I was to see of "Emily"....