Our first visit to the Earls Barton Rally & Country Fayre marked the 10th anniversary of this event, after it's re-birth from what used to be the Ecton Park rally. I used to attend that event before Floods Ferry started up but it was startling to realise it was a decade since I'd rallied in this corner of Northamptonshire. However, the welcome was the same with a very friendly atmosphere and many familiar faces to be seen.

The site is advertised as being wheelchair friendly and much of it is lawned grass with the occasional hard roadway. The only exception is the working field, which was stubble, and this was also where the tractors and horses could be found. Earls Barton still carries on the tradition of a ploughing match on the Sunday, and also has a general collective auction sale on Saturday.

The tractor and working section was reasonably varied but with only one older tractor, a 1920s John Deere GP, the sole representative of the marque. Perhaps the rarest was the Kendal tricycle tractor. The rest of the static tractors were in the main classic diesel-engined machines but there were quite a few Standard Fordsons ploughing, along with the more common Fergusons & Internationals. The working display comprised of a Garvie drum with baler, a corn-mill and a static baler purchased out of the auction for the grand sum of £1 on Saturday. Also on display was a Lanz reaper- binder behind an immaculate Fordson.

In terms of exhibits, it is a medium-sized rally but the quality of cars in particular was very good. There was a varied line-up of commercials but it was noticeable that some left on Sunday night, maybe for valid reasons, but perhaps to travel down to the Great Dorset Steam Fair ready for later in the week? Indeed, the rally was not late in packing up on Sunday night with several exhibits leaving by mid-afternoon, which was the only down side.

The car section included some real old timers, including examples of Buick, Lagonda, Peugeot Lion, Allard, Bentley, etc. Slotted in amongst the passenger cars was a selection of light commercials including a GPO Telephones Morris Minor van complete with rubber wings and accompanying dent, hopefully just for effect, together with a varied selection of camper vans, including Commer, Bedford CA Dormobile, Ford Transit Landliner, Austin J4 and a Citroen H van.

Commercials included some decent heavyweights, amongst them several AEC Mammoth Majors, Leyland Comet & Octopus and a Scammell Explorer that used to work for Botham's Circus hauling their elephant trailer and living accommodation. There was the odd wartime Bedford painted up in a civilian livery and a selection of buses including Dave Hoyles' Bedford and a nice Leyland half-cab single decker. Motorcycles were also well represented with a wide variety of makes and styles.

The military contingent had a bit of a fracas late on Saturday night after a few too many beers, and put together a selection of Landrover including one dubbed the Pink Panther, plus some more ferocious hardware including a half-track, Bren-gun carrier and armoured car. The steamers probably lost out to Holcott which is a much bigger rally but still managed four full-size plus the Nuff-Rush diesel-engined conversion. It was good to see all four engines providing public steering opportunities several times over the weekend.

The stationary engine section seemed to have moved en-masse from Floods Ferry to Earls Barton with many exhibitors from our neck of the woods in residence under the stewardship of Tony Bradfield. Well marked out plots meant there was no arguments over space and full awnings were virtually none existent but at least it meant a regular spacing of engines. This was the section we were going to exhibit in only to be told it was full but half-a-dozen no-shows meant space was available on the day.

In the end we followed on from Lincoln with the same bygones display of milk bottles which at least meant plenty of opportunities to explore the show, particularly during the auction on Saturday. Models and bygones were pretty much interspersed along the line with a separate marquee erected by the Magpies who had their own club display.

About the only section left to mention is the trade which offered five complete rows of stalls plus others dotted around and in the crafts marquee, Here there was plenty to look at and rummage through with perhaps the best selection of second-hand goods stalls seen this year, just the thing for that elusive bargain. All in all, this is an excellent medium-sized show which is a great follow-on from the large Lincoln event the week before and we hope to be back next year.