Dreaming Spires Rally 2006

Well it was July all too soon and the time for the Dreaming Spires Rally once again. This year it fell on the weekend of 22nd & 23rd July. The days and weeks previous to it had been very hot and sunny and all was looking good for the weather to continue. We got to the track mid morning to find work started on the site and caravans arriving. One caravan had already parked up and had to be protected by park staff because the field we had booked was already booked for a football match!! More caravans arrived and had to be parked outside the site gates. There was a good turnout of members to help erect the marquee and various tents but boy was it hot!! Everything seemed to get done and by supper time we were all starving. A visitor from Romney Marsh had bought with him a menu from last year of the Chinese take-away in Wolvercote. He offered to drive and orders were taken. Thanks Brian.

Visitors began arriving the next morning by 7.30 and continued all day long. The day was hot and sunny but rain was forecast later and come the afternoon down it came. And not just rain. The wind nearly blew the tents away and but for a few brave, or daft, souls hanging onto them they would have landed up in the next field. The wind and rain seemed to go on for ages with members and guests sheltering whereever they could. The main marquee was full and the Station was full with nearly three inches of water outside the door. One man appeared in the marquee and announced he’d been in one of the portaloos when it started to rain and his friend was still in the other one!! The poor man was eventually able to get out when it finally stopped raining. Almost as fast as the rain came it had gone, the sun came out again and it was business as usual. All the visitor signing on sheets got soaked and spent the following week hanging up like decorations in the station until they dried.

Over seventy people stayed for a fish & chip supper and still there were engines going round well into the night. Sunday was a much quieter day but still busy with a few new visitors but at least the sun was shining again. All too soon it was time to pack the marquee away again for another year. During the weekend we had 33 visiting engines. We had visitors from as far away as Leeds and Romney Marsh. We hope they all enjoyed the weekend and look forward to seeing them all again next year.

Our thanks go to MJ Engineering, Abingdon & District Model Railway Club and the Metal Men for attending.