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18
Jul
Sights, sounds and smells from another age as Masham Steam Rally gets underway
As you read this, there is a field just outside Masham alive with the chug of engines, the music of fairground organs, and the smell of hot oil and burning coal.
The 59th annual Masham Steam Rally has taken over this corner of North Yorkshire for the weekend, and more than 6,000 visitors are expected to come and breathe in the fumes, and take in the machinery: about 60 large steam-powered road vehicles, from the huge showman’s engines down to tiny ones that look like toys, as well as vintage tractors and motorbikes, military vehicles, trade stands, food stalls and a very big beer tent.
According to Judith Nicklas, secretary of the organising committee, the tension has been building for some days.
She told the Stray Ferret:
You can feel it bubbling, waiting for the big day. People who only meet each other maybe once a year come together at Masham – it's like a big family, and it’s got that electric vibe.
Graham and Judith Nicklas.
Like most niche hobbyists, the steam community are dispersed, so many of the exhibitors at Masham – most of them from the north of England – have some way to come.
Most of them, including the ‘big beasts’, are transported here by van or low-loader, but some owners prefer to come the old way, says Judith’s husband Graham Nicklas, who is the committee chair and chief organiser.
He told us:
One engine set off three weeks ago, calling in at shows along the way. It’s steaming all the way, so we’re hoping it’ll get here on time.
It’s instructive to remember that some of these vehicles – traction engines to haul goods, steamrollers for roadbuilding, and showman’s engines to power fairgrounds – are over 100 years old.
Graham said:
The big ones can reach a top speed of 15-20mph, but the road-rollers can only manage 10-15mph. You don’t want to get stuck behind one of them!
Graham is a Steam Rally man through and through. His father Alan was on the committee, and he can still recall the smell of the engines when he went to his first rally in 1970.
He said:
We boys used to pick up litter at the end, and we’d sometimes find a £1 note – that was a rare find!
They used to hand-dig the toilets in those days. We’ve come a long way since then.
Fairground organs will also be at the rally.
Like so many “boys’ toys” – and the hobby is very definitely male-dominated – these steam engines do not come cheap: £60-70,000 for a showman’s engine, or more than £500,000 for “something special”.
Graham says he’d like to own one “if I could afford it”, but for now he’ll content himself with organising one of the best-loved steam rallies in the North.
A mechanic at nearby Lightwater Quarries, he takes 10 days off work to organise, set up and take down the rally, and everything he does is voluntary.
The committee is looking for more volunteers, but finding willing young helpers is hard.
Graham said:
We’ve had a few young people asking about stewarding, but then they ask how much the pay is. They don’t realise that everything we do, we do without pay.
Even many of those people – of all ages – who do volunteer cannot always be relied on.
Graham said:
A good 120 people have signed on for the weekend, but on the day, we often only see about 50 really getting stuck in.
The voluntary element is important, because all proceeds – which can be considerable – go towards the upkeep and development of Masham Town Hall.
Although it sounds like a council building, it's actually more of a grandiose village hall, built in 1912 thanks to a bequest from Samuel Cunliffe Lister, the first Baron Masham of Swinton.
It’s a big building, with downstairs hall and committee rooms and a larger hall upstairs, whose fully-equipped stage is home to the Masham Players.
Masham Town Hall. Photo: David Dixon.
It attracts touring acts too – ex-Young Ones actor Nigel Planer is coming in September, folk rock legends Lindisfarne are booked for October, and a parade of tribute acts keep things ticking over in between times: 10ccLO (10CC and ELO covers), the Rock of Ages Experience (80s rock classics), and Weetwood Mac (Leeds-based Fleetwood Mac tribute band) are all on the roster.
Despite the full programme, the town hall still takes a lot of money to maintain, and the Steam Rally is vital to its survival.
Graham said:
This place is part of the reason why I organise the rally. We’ve put a lot of work into it over the years. A lot of places like this are gone – disappeared – but we’ve kept this going.
Which is why the warm weather forecast for this weekend makes Graham a happy man.
He said:
We’ve done some research on this: wet weather tends to put a lot of people off. If it’s dry in the morning but forecast rain, they’ll set off – and keep coming, even if it rains. But if it’s forecast rain in the morning, they tend to stay away.
Some years, the rally’s suffered because of wet weather, and profits can come to just £4,000. But when the weather’s good, profits can be more than £20,000.
Graham Nicklas with one of the large traction engines.
Although the financial benefit to the Town Hall is a major motivator, for Graham and Judith one of the highlights of the weekend is the Steam Gathering on the Saturday evening. Unoffocially known as the “road run”, it sees many of the engines leave the showfield from 5.30pm and steam into Masham Market Place, a celebratory convoy of engineering brilliance, with sights, sounds and smells from another age.
Judith said:
It’s so exciting – the atmosphere is electric. I love the really little engines too – the ‘put-puts’ – I can sit and look at them for hours. They all have their own sound, and it’s magical really.
Masham Steam Rally starts today (Saturday, July 18) at 10am, and continues tomorrow (Sunday). Tickets can be bought online.
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