The 2004
Great Dorset Steam Fair
It was our great pleasure to attend the 36th Great Dorset Steam Fair (GDSF from now on) on September 1st and 2nd of this year. While Roger had attended previously (1979 and 2001), this was a first for the whole family. A splendid time was had by all.
The Fair covers several hundred acres in Tarrant Hinton near Blandford Forum in Dorset and has to be on your must-do list if you have any interest in steam powered equipment or fairground organs, or any of a multitude of other related things. There were some 350 engines, close to a hundred large and small organs, hundreds of veteran motor vehicles of every size and description, small engines, displays of rural crafts, and many working teams of heavy horses. (and this doesn't begin to cover everything).
What is particularly exciting about the GDSF is that everything is working--there are steam engines driving carousels and large organs, teams building a road, threshers at work, sawyers sawing, thatchers thatching. Even more amazing, whatever is being done at full scale is also being replicated by the modelers! There is way to much to take in in just two days. Not to mention a great array of Real Ales and ciders. (I have to admit to having taken quite a fancy to the Badger Tanglefoot! (great name for a beer to boot!))
I'm going to mostly let the pictures do the talking, as I would undoubtedly get details wrong and enrage the nitpickers. This site is best viewed over a high speed connection, as there are a lot of large pictures. I've put them into several folders so that you don't have to download the whole bunch at once. Click on the pictures or words to take you to the indicated pages.
