“The summer looks out from her brazen tower
Through the flashing bars of July”
~Francis Thompson~
Hollowell Steam and Heavy Horse Show was now more than just a steam rally, from the original 11 acre site, it had grown into 100 acres of family entertainment with 40 steamers, around 30 heavy horses, over 100 tractors etc and an auction. It was one of the largest steam rallies in the country which also included vintage vehicles, a fairground, trade stalls, pets corner, displays, music and refreshments.
We left the casa at 9.11 am and it was a sunny, bright morning with the mercury reaching 16.3C. It was a lovely short drive from Coventry through the Northamptonshire countryside. It was easily accessed from the A14 and M1 and well sign-posted for miles around. As soon as we arrived, we parked in a field at the bottom of a hill. We could see as we drove in that the place was huge and buzzing.
With the programme in hand, we started off from the left hand side through the lorries, tractors, motorcycles and bikes. But the plan went AWOL because I needed to find the ladies which was situated in the middle of the field. Laid out around the field were vintage tractors from all over the world, vintage caravans, marquee models, and the piece de resistance, lots of heavy steam engines. There were scale miniatures which were barely bigger than a ride-on lawnmower but perfect in every detail.
Car collector clubs from all over the country were here to exhibit and then took part in the live drive-past. There were cars from the Kilsby MG Club, WOT No Brakes, Kettering Area Motor Club, Midland Vehicle Preservation Society, Northants Preservation Society, Coventry TR Club, Northants MG Owners Club and the East Northants Land Rower Owners Club. We also checked out cool bubble cars and 3 wheelers, huge American cars, kit cars and gentry.
We headed to the main arena where a programme of events ran all day. The heavy horses in hand was about to take place. These astonishing great beasts were spectacular and their handlers exhibit exquisite control. The Shire horse was a native of England, but the Midland counties of Lincoln, Derby, Cambridge, Norfolk, Nottingham, Leicester and Huntington, collectively known as ’The Shire’ were the special homes. At the end of the parade was a tiny Shetland who trotted into ring with a carriage of children and stubbornly refused to do what he was told.
Then it was the highlight, the tractor and steam engine drive-past. Watching a field full of old steam vehicles puttering around was incredible. There was plenty of dramas with machines breaking down and machines puffing out clouds of black smoke. Later, we browsed these full-size road going traction engine, relics of a bygone age. They were big and impressive and surrounded by a fug of oil, grease, smoke and heat. And the smell, like creosote but a bit more barbecue like. As to the operators, were mostly elder blokes with flat caps and oily overalls. I was pleased to see a few women drivers too.
A big locomotive has pulled into town,
Heavy, humungus, with sweat rolling down,
A plump jumbo olive.
Heavy, humungus, with sweat rolling down,
A plump jumbo olive.
Huffing and puffing and panting and smelly,
Fire belches forth from her fat cast iron belly.
Poof, how she's burning,
Oof, how she's boiling,
Puff, how she's churning,
Huff, how she's toiling.
She's fully exhausted and all out of breath,
First a toot!
Then a hoot!
Then a hoot!
Steam is churning,
Wheels are turning!
More slowly - than turtles - with freight - on their - backs,
The drowsy - steam engine - sets off - down the tracks.
She chugs and she tugs at her wagons with strain,
As wheel after wheel slowly turns on the train.
She doubles her effort and quickens her pace,
And rambles and scrambles to keep up the race.
Oh whither, oh whither? go forward at will,
And chug along over the bridge, up the hill,
Through mountains and tunnels and meadows and woods,
Now hurry, now hurry, deliver your goods.
Keep up your tempo, now push along, push along,
Chug along, tug along, tug along, chug along
Lightly and sprightly she carries her freight
Like a ping-pong ball bouncing without any weight,
Not heavy equipment exhausted to death,
But a little tin toy, just a light puff of breath.
Oh whither, oh whither, you'll tell me, I trust,
What is it, what is it that gives you your thrust?
What gives you momentum to roll down the track?
It's hot steam that gives me my clickety-clack.
Hot steam from the boiler through tubes to the pistons,
The pistons then push at the wheels from short distance,
They drive and they push, and the train starts a-swooshin'
'Cuz steam on the pistons keeps pushin' and pushin';
The wheels start a rattlin', clatterin', chatterin'
Chug along, tug along, chug along, tug along! . . .
~Julian Tuwin ‘The Locomotive’~
We also checked out the 2nd smaller arena where the Midland Bernese Carters display was on. I found this a bit bizarre watching these Bernese mountain dogs pulling little wooden carts decorated with plastic flowers. These amazing fluffy work dogs were accompanied round the arena by their handlers dressed in Swiss outfit. In their native Switzerland, they were used extensively to pull small carts containing farm produce between mountain farms, dairies and markets. The display consisted of 3 minutes of manoeuvres, performed to a musical accompaniment, after which the audience were invited into the ring to meet the dogs and fussed of them.
Then it was time to browse what else this huge festival had to offer and it was mind-blowing. Bands were playing from huge barn boxes dotted all over the field. It was a very eclectic mixed of sounds. Among them were rousing performances from the Batteria Acid Samba Band, Raunds Temperance band, Moulton School and Science Band and the Nene Valley Pipe Band. There were also plenty of keyless organs belting out more music. And from time to time, the steam engines tooted their horns. It was incredible noisy.
There were so many marquee models and sited exhibits to check out. There were displays showing scale models of fairground rides and railway models. We oohed and aahed at the collections in awnings. Some were really out of this world like the collection of Guinness memorabilia, horse drawn cast iron implement seats, blowlamps from the 1890’s to 1950 and mustard pots with other mustard related memorabilia.
There were a lot of stalls selling pretty much everything imaginable. There were crafts, foods, clothes, toys and lots of things you wondered how you got by without
. I ended buying 3 books by my favourite author, John Clare, and a eucalyptus plant . We also spent time with our feathered friends at the Owls to Behold tent. It was lovely to get close to these amazing owls and was allowed to give them stroke, but only on the breast.
There was an agricultural auction of vintage equipment and collectors items at the bottom end of the field and it was attracting a large crowd. For the children, there were lots of different amusement and fairground rides. There was even a flypast by a Spitfire from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight. Actually, it made several loops around the field before flying back to its base.
The displays of strength and power from animals and machines thrilled visitors as heavy horses and huge machines showed off in the sun. Most of the enthusiasts who turned up to exhibit do so for the joy of showing off the vehicles and collections they loved and spending time with like minded enthusiasts. The main aim of the show was to have a good time, bringing people together and raising money for local charities. We thoroughly enjoyed the show and it had been a memorable experience.
Cotton candy, games of chance; the fair begins today.
Ferris wheels and rides galore; excitement to convey!
Sawdust sprinkled on the ground; candied apples sold;
amazing wonders inside tents for both young and old.
Vendors offer sweet delights; along the midway lights.
Win stuffed toys with a toss; or just for bragging rights.
Step on the rides to scream and shout; in doubtless fear;
Spinning round or back and forth; hearing children cheer.
Cotton candy, games of chance; the fair begins today.
Ferris wheels and rides galore; excitement to convey!
The child inside me rushes in; be a kid again for while;
I climb aboard the Ferris wheel; wearing childish smile!
~Ava Rosien ‘Country Fair~
We arrived opposite the gliding school at 10.30 am and wasn’t surprised to see a long row of parked cars, such was the allure of this ‘rock star status’ butterfly. The sight meant that it looked promising. We saw a group with a tour guide and kept a beady eye on them. Meanwhile, we walked along the northern bridleway, under the dappled woods and came across a White Admiral. It was a delight to have seen it as it literally glided along the forest rides, flying from tree to forest floor and back up with only a few effortless wing beats. For this reason, they were known as the ‘gliders’.
We followed the paths and through the trees could see the guided group. The woods were awashed with all sorts of bugs, birds and butterflies. We came across Speckled Woods, Meadow Browns, Ringlets, Commas, Gatekeepers and both Large and Small whites. Silver-washed Fritillary were patrolling along the woodland rides, too busy to pose.
From Cocoon forth a Butterfly
As Lady from her Door
Emerged—a Summer Afternoon—
As Lady from her Door
Emerged—a Summer Afternoon—
Repairing Everywhere—
Without Design—that I could trace
Except to stray abroad
On Miscellaneous Enterprise
The Clovers—understood—
Her pretty Parasol be seen
Contracting in a Field
Where Men made Hay—
Then struggling hard
With an opposing Cloud—
Where Parties—Phantom as Herself—
To Nowhere—seemed to go
In purposeless Circumference—
As 'twere a Tropic Show—
And notwithstanding Bee—that worked—
And Flower—that zealous blew—
This Audience of Idleness
Disdained them, from the Sky—
Till Sundown crept—a steady Tide—
And Men that made the Hay—
And Afternoon—and Butterfly—
Extinguished—in the Sea—
~Emily Dickinson~
With careful positioning, we were able to get the light to catch the wings right and showed up the vivid purple/blue scales on the wings, a truly stunning sight that really had to be seen with your own eyes. Only the males had the purple colouration. They flew down to the ground to feed on minerals in the mornings, especially soon after emergence, before settling in the tree tops in the afternoon. They were then very elusive, flying high in the tree tops of the woodlands, feeding on aphid honey dew and tree sap.
The Purple Emperor was rare among butterflies. They avoided flowers, preferring rotting animal corpses, faeces, mud puddles and even human sweat. They dwelled high in the tree tops in the domain of birds. The males, who boasted the deep purple iridescence, spent their brief lives "drunk on oak sap, brawling in mid-air battles and chasing down virgin females".
They’d bewitched butterfly aficionados and lovers for centuries, inspiring great names such as Purple Shades and Purple Highfliers.
“That dark prince, the oakwood haunting thing
Dyed with blue burnish like the mallard’s wing’
~John Masefield~
We also drove over to Draycote Meadows, which was looking stunning in the sunshine. We’d missed the green-winged orchids that bloomed in May and the Common Spotted Orchids were also scarce. I think the lack of rain was the main culprit. But it was still spectacular at the moment and we were wowed by waves of Yellow Rattle, Adders Tongue, Green-flowered Twayblade, Meadow buttercups, Meadow vetchling and Knapweed crammed into this place . Twenty species of grass had formed a sea of tawny green with bursts of colour. This resulted in the whole meadow transforming into a kaleidoscope of colour.The diversity of flowers supported a huge range of insects, butterflies and bees dancing across the meadows. We’d a wonderful time photographing them. Often, we just don’t know where to point our cameras.
The piece de resistance to this oasis was the Marbled White Butterfly, a distinctive medium-sized white butterfly with a black-chequered marking. Despite its name, it was more closely related to the subfamily known as the ‘browns’. They seemed to show marked preferences for purple flowers such as the thistles and knapweeds. We often found them, well camouflaged, roosting halfway down the tall grass stems and was flushed as we walked through. The air was thick with sounds of insects chirpings.
As usual, we walked on the main path that divided the meadows. We scanned the grasslands and couldn’t see them at first. But other summer grassland butterflies such as the Ringlets, Small coppers, Common Blues, Small tortoiseshells, Meadow Browns, Speckled wood, Burnets, Skippers, Brimstone and Gatekeepers were fluttering effortlessly through the meadows with grace and serenity. Their delicate, colourful wings allowed them to silently soar through the air like confetti floating in the wind. Since ancient times, butterflies had been considered symbols of the soul, so it was no surprise that these flitting beauties had somehow managed to soothe any sad spirits.
This 5.5 hectare reserve had been designated a Site of Special Interest and as the best example of unimproved grassland remaining in Warwickshire. It consisted of 2 wildflower meadows surrounded by ancient hedgerows, a spring-fed stream with pockets of scrub and wet rushy grassland. These meadows owed their existence to medieval farming practices that created the distinctive ridge and furrow pattern on the landscape. They were superb examples of how the countryside looked before the 20th century agricultural improvement. In 2013, it had been declared the Coronation Meadow for the country of Warwickshire.
'Twould ease—a Butterfly—
Elate—a Bee—
Thou'rt neither—
Neither—thy capacity—
But, Blossom, were I,
I would rather be
Thy moment
Than a Bee's Eternity—
Content of fading
Is enough for me—
Fade I unto Divinity—
And Dying—Lifetime—
Ample as the Eye—
Her least attention raise on me
~Emily Dickinson ‘Twould ease –a Butterfly~
For most of the year, bucks and does remained in separate single-sex herds.These young bucks had joined the bachelor group. Some were feeding on the fresh shoots of the holly, brambles and nettles while a few were ‘lying up’, where they lay down to ruminate and chew the cud between feeding bouts. We spotted a few with impressive palmate antlers which became full sized after 3-4 years of age and could reached up to 70 cm in length.
“In my cosmology, indigenous wild deer are more important than exotic ornamental shrubs”
~Elizabeth Marshall Thomas~
We continued walking when I spotted a Little Egret feeding on a shallow pool by the River Lin that ran through the park. We found it hilarious that a dozen or so picnickers around the pool wasn’t even aware of it. We crept slowly and made ourselves comfortable among the rocks. The wader was so engrossed on chasing after its food that it completely ignored us sitting just 3 metres away. It came so close that we could see its attractive white plumes, on crest, back and chest, black legs and yellow feet. The bill was long and slender and the lores were black.
We spent nearly 2 hours here observing and photographing the Little Egret. The elegant sentinel was mincing through the shallow water, and used a variety of methods to procure food like stalking its prey in the shallow water, running with raised wings, shuffling its feet to disturb small fish or standing still and waiting to ambush its prey. It was a successful hunter.
Although we were busy with the Egret, we still kept an eye around us. Small Whites and Ringlets were busy feeding on the Common Ragwort. I was hoping to see Cinnabar Moth caterpillars feeding on it but they were not there. Ragwort was an important nectar source for hundreds of species of butterflies, bees, moths, flies and other invertebrates. Black-tailed Skimmer was basking on the rocks, Damselflies were busy mating and a Demoiselle male was resting on the vegetation waiting for the females.
Nearby, the back of a Mute Swan, neck submerged, resembled a plump meringue. Again, the pair had another 5 cygnets and they were very popular with the visitors who had turned up with pieces of bread and seeds. They swam close to the banks when they spotted the visitors. These cygnets remained with their parents for 4-5 months and might be driven off the breeding territory as soon as their plumage was predominantly white during late autumn or winter. Since the Little Egret had flown off, we made our way home.
Apart from gallivanting all over the countryside, I also made my way to London to attend a DCRM
workshop at Lambeth Palace in London. Although I have been a professional cataloguer for the past 30 years (that long, huh?), cataloguing rare books and special collections were a whole new kettle of fish. It required a fuller use of notes and access points and more detailed description.I had arranged to meet SB from University of Birmingham outside Boots in Euston. The organisers had advised attendees to bring their own lunch because it wasn’t provided
. We dashed into Boots to get their lunch meal deal. After taking the tube, it was about 30 minutes walk to Lambeth Palace. We met everyone else, there were 30 of us, by the security office and was ushered to the meeting room. Security was tight and they don’t want us wandering around.
After coffee and biscuits, we promptly sat down in one of the meeting rooms in the impressive Morton’s Tower, overlooking the well-kept gardens. Medieval manuscripts were laid on cushions for us to oohed and aahed over. But, we weren’t here to admire the books. It was a very intensive session and I felt that it should be more than a day. There were lots to cover in such a short time and we were given piles of notes and references to take home. I think there was still plenty that I needed to learn.
Since it was still the month of Syawal, the 10th month of the lunar Islamic calendar, I brought curry-puffs for my colleagues to enjoy. It was still Eid which was celebrated through out the Muslim world for a month. Curry-puffs were popular snacks in Malaysia and available at all hawker stalls. They were similar to Cornish pasty with fillings of curried potatoes and meat but I preferred to make it vegetarian. I don’t fancy crimping the edges so used a mould that I brought with me from Malaysia.
Vegetarian Curry Puff Recipe
Filling:- 5 tablespoons oil
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 2 tablespoons curry powder
- 3 large potatoes, peeled and diced
- 1 carrot, diced
- ½ cup peas
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
Heat the oil and fry the onions until golden brown. Add in curry powder, potatoes, peas, carrots and 1 cup of water. Cook until the potatoes are tender. Add pepper, salt, sugar and cook until filling is dry. Leave aside to cool before wrapping with the pastry.
Pastry Recipe
1½ cup plain flour5 tablespoons margarine or shortening
½ teaspoon baking powder
¾ cup water
½ teaspoon of salt
How to Make the Pastry:
To make the pastry, mix the flour with margarine/shortening, salt and baking powder in a food processor until it looks like breadcrumbs. Add in water and mix into a dough. Let the dough rest for half an hour.
Roll the dough into a long piece and cut into ten small portions to make the pastry for each curry puff. Roll each portion into a thin round piece about 10cm wide. The round pastry is ready for wrapping the curry puff filling.
Wrap the Filling in the Pastry:
Put the filling in the centre of the round pastry you have made, fold the pastry in half and seal the edges by pressing and folding them with your fingers.
Heat up some vegetable oil in a deep pan or pot for deep frying.
Deep fry the curry puffs until they turn golden brown in colour.
Bonn appettit.
All the flowers in this post were from the garden.