This Steam Fair which is has held every year since 1968, when it was established. The venue is enormous and takes a great deal of energy to walk round the whole site, be warned. There are people carriers ( a tractor and trailer ) that can transport you around the show ground if you don’t feel like walking everywhere. I have covered this event in 2013 / 2014 and again in 2016.. The 2013 visit was a hard work for me after having open heart surgery that year.
Steam engine exhibits, vintage vehicles, heavy shire horses and rural crafts are on dsplay here each year. Working rural displays on a 600-acre site including old time steam funfair. Widely recognised as the leading event of its type in the world with over 2,000 exhibits, 800 trade stalls and over 220 full size steam engines. The show ground is one of Europe's largest outdoor event locations.
For the first 15 years of its existence the steam fair then known as the Stourpaine Steam Fair ~ was held at Stourpaine Bushes, then in 1985 it temporarily moved to nearby Everley Hill.. In 1988, after 3 years at Everley Hill, where access by large crowds was difficult, it moved to its current permanent home at Tarrant Hinton, north of Blandford Forum, where access is vastly improved.
A great attraction at the show is the display of traction engines and steam rollers performing the work for which they were designed. Such displays include heavy haulage, threshing, sawing logs, ploughing and road-making. The main arena of the show is purposely sited on the slope of a hill to allow both steam- and internal combustion-powered machinery to demonstrate their capacity for heavy load hauling. One of the main displays is the ~ Showman's Line up, in the vintage fairground section, which is thought to be the largest collection of showman's engines in the world.
Since 2003, the show has contracted its own radio station, Steam Fair FM, broadcasting 24 hours daily from the Saturday prior to the show, to the Monday following – 10 days in all. The station, which is also streamed on the Internet, covers show news and views, weather and other relevant information with plenty of listener dedications and a format of Vintage Hits. During the event, the station is advertised on roads in the surrounding area and provides traffic news for drivers using the A354 Blandford to Salisbury road that passes the show site. The car park is vast and uses the fields of the farmers it’s a novelty riding over mown grass hearing the cut corn crackle beneath the wheels but great for anyone with a 4 wheel drive vehicle.
With 1,000 trade stands, 2,000 exhibitors and their families, together with our campers on the public campsites ( 5,000 caravans and tents ) it is estimated that the population living on site amounts to 25,000 people at any one time. The food sold here is from all over the world and people can sample the delights of culinary delights from sausage rolls to Thai cuisine. The entrance fee is not cheap but offers can be had before the event by pre~booking, I got my tickets for the 2016 event at the Bournemouth Air Show and were on offer for two tickets or more.
An army of workers distribute and collect the 2,500 litter bins on site and 180/200 tonnes of rubbish is taken away each year. Each year there are more than 300 paid staff and volunteers working during the five-day show period.
Each year we have 360,000 promotional brochures printed, 65,000 car window stickers and 50,000 posters. These are printed 10 months before the show and then distributed over the next few months all around the UK and to overseas destinations.
Due to planning regulations, actual site preparations do not begin until only 2 weeks before the event commences and we have just 10 days to clear the site afterwards and put it back to a working farm.
Over 2 miles of water piping is laid and over 3,100,000 litres of water is used during the show each year! 2,100,000 litres are used by the engines alone, along with 1,000,000 litres used for domestic and drinking purposes. 750,000 litres of all the water is brought onto site by tankers with a full time team of 6 workers during the show and for a week before.
Over 10 miles of electric cable are used with over 100 floodlights erected and 200 socket outlets placed. 30 large generators have to be hired each year and just one generator is powerful enough to supply electricity to a small village. Electricity has to be provided to 6 entertainment pavilions, 4 shower blocks and other marquees and to our administration and emergency services centre. they have 3 full time and one part time electricians on site.
