The 33rd annual Haddenham Steam Rally in Cambridgeshire enjoyed brilliant sunshine and vast crowds to surely make this year's show a success, after the wet and miserable 2005 event. Tribute was paid to a trio of East Anglian steam enthusiasts who've died this year, namely Michael Gates, Jimmy Key and Stan Burgess, in whose memory the rally was dedicated.

As has become the norm at Haddenham rallies in recent years, many of the showmen's engines were to be found at the top end of the ring near the beer tent, supporting the Gavioli Symphonique Fair Organ and stage show of Graham Atkinson of Scarborough. These included such famous names as "British Hero", "Iron Maiden", "His Lordship", "Ex Mayor", "The Busy Bee" and "Princess Maud". Amongst the steam tractors and traction engines muscling in were "Morning Star", "Monarch" and "Mtoto". With the exception of "Silver Streak", most of the rollers were away down the field and honoured with being on the front line this year.

There were some excellent working displays this year, with steam powered wood-sawing complete with sawdust extraction, portable steam engine on a Barford & Perkins corn mill, a traction engine powering a Blake Marston stone crusher, another steam engine with a Marshall threshing drum and a Davis stationary baler, an orange Fordson N on an Albion corn mill, the excavator giving demonstrations beside the pond, Fengate Forge's blacksmith's display plus the heavy horses on show in the adjacent field.

The stationary engine line-up was quote colourful this year with displays of 1-gallon petrol cans, cast iron names plates and implement seats, and horticultural seed drills on show amongst the section. As reported in previous years, there are always some beautiful open crank engines on show here and this year a 1903 National Junior and a 1913 Stickney stood out as unusual. However, the engines I most admired were the 1909 International Nonpareil, and for their finish, a 1938 Fowler 1PDM and a 1929 Lister D Ricardo with Bruston spoked flywheel. Dad was very surprised to come away with the Kelvin Young Trophy for his unusually blue-liveried Wolseley WDII and Archibald Kenrick corn mill, which was producing wholemeal flour.

The tractor section was split into two parts this year with most of the boring stuff in the prime position where some of the model displays used to be going top to bottom down the field. At first glance, this seemed disappointing with only Allis Chalmers, Ferguson, International, Fordson, Field Marshall & Nuffield to be seen. However, if you ventured towards the horse arena, you then came across a few more interesting items, including a colourful display of tracklayers, Caterpillar, County & Marshall, as well as examples of Zetor, Deutz & Garner.

The commercial vehicle section gathers together both fleets and individual vehicles from the Fens and surrounding areas. Amongst the Fenland fleets were Salter's quartet, Greenwoods' pair of AECs and the Gowler family's pair of Leyland Comets. We mistakenly reported that the later Ergomatic cabbed Comet in Wadsley livery as seen at Walpole and Skylark belonged to the Gowlers but of course, the Fox family of Manea owns that vehicle. Cars and motorbikes were in plentiful supply both days with both offering a fairly even mix of vintage and classic machines.

Elsewhere around the site is an excellent relatively modern fairground, combination bygones and craft tent, plenty of catering and stalls, where bargains were available. At the risk of causing some grief, I found most traders of used goods and collectables seemed prepared to drop their prices after a bit of haggling and deals could definately be done. It all bodes well for next year with the date set as 8-9 September 2007.