Manky Monkey Motors

Europe's biggest gathering of steam.
Traction engines, farm equipment, lorries, fairground organs ...
well, take a look at the list on the official site yourself.

http://www.gdsf.co.uk/attractions.html

A very, very full day out. 600 acres of non stop chugging & wheezing & clanking & steam type noises. Full steam fairground, powered by 100 showman's engines -a fabulous sight when they're all lit up at night.
Vintage vehicles, autojumble etc, etc.
No less than 6 music marquees, with continuous live music. 
Thoroughly recommended, though I would advise you wear a good pair of walking boots.
£15 per adult -sounds a lot, but well worth it I promise.

ooh there's so much going on this weekend, but I've heard this is a very busy event to go to.

Assuming I've recovered enough, Taz & I are planning to go on Thursday the 30th, (our day off), when hopefully we'll have avoided the first day rush & before the weekend tourists come out.
Definitely worth doing if you can make it Hon.

Not happy >:( >:( >:( >:( clashes with Stormin which I'm doing with the magazine team. Ken Fox and his wall are there and I will miss them yet again  :'( :'( :'( :'( :'(

We saw the Wall of Death at the Beaulieu Motorcycle Show a few months ago -a very short performance from memories of past ones, but one of those sights you really ought to see at least once if you get the chance.

Saw the wall of death guys at this two years ago. One of the most awesome things ever! Stood there grinning like an idiot for the duration of the show! The loony family would like to go to this one but doesnt look likely, as Im sick and the old man is playing saturday night. So if anyone goes we would like to see the photos. :)

You haven't got the lurgi as well have you.  Oh poor you!

Not the lurgi! ;D I get I.b.s sometimes and the last few days its been really bad. Rarely been far from the loo. >:(

Tazet says she gets it as well mate. Peppermint caplets are the way to go apparently -but they make your wee smell of mint.  :P
As a fellow sicky, get well soon Sir.

get a touch of that meself :-[ :-[ :-[ all the best Lunatic, I know how you feel :-\ :-\ :-\

Is there anybody here who's actually 100% fit & well?!

Shouldn't think so as most of us are old farts ;D ;D

True, all the well ones are out having a life!

Thanks guys! :-*

Oh Yeah !!!!! I've seen what having a life is all about ::) wearing footb*ll (can't bring myself to even type that word :-X :-X) shirts and swigging larger, following the latest no* footb*ller who has a pathetic hair cut.

Give me Manky's world and a bottle of French red and I'm happy, sad but happy ;D ;D ::) :P :-*

As you can guess I'm not a footy fan, sorry all you people who are :-[ :-[ :-[ its just that I have to do my last collection of the day up and down Tonbridge high street and those are the wa**ers who give me hassle on a regular basis ::) ::) ::)

I too shun the world of beer bellied blokes dressed like 5 year olds in calf length shorts & nylon copies of their favourite team's shirts. I have to listen to them all at work arguing about how "we" beat so-&-so & "we're" going to win -whatever, as if they've played the match themselves, when most would struggle to walk from the sofa to the TV & back.
When I'm asked what I've done with my weekend & I reel off a couple of shows or runs I've been to or I tell them about something I've built with my own hands in my garage, I'm met with utterly blank expressions -before they turn their collective backs on me & go back to their footie cr*p.
Maybe MankyWorld's not ruffty tuffty, or hard, or maybe even cool, but I know where I'd rather be. Good company wins every time.
Pass the wine Shaun.  ;)

maybe next time Manky 8) just finished the bottle :-\ :-[ :P

Git. >:(

Fo*t*all....I cant stand the stupid game or the stereo types whose world revolves around it. Have heard too many times about how many punchups they had while at some match somewhere, how much lager/p*ss they drank etc etc, (yawn, zzzzzzz). What's the sense in a bunch of "grown" men kicking a bag of wind up and down a field ??? Most of the time they can't even hit the target, that little bloke with gloves on dancing around in a wooden frame with a kiddie net on the back.

Football there its been said..... now I dont want to here another f*cking word about it !!!!!

if ive offended anyone.......DILLIGAF ::) ;D

Long live MMM, now get back out in the shed and make something useful ;D

Hey Shaun, you can keep the wine but I'll have a good real ale ;)

A beootiful morning here today. I'm almost back to full strength now after my bout of Tonsillitis. So a great day to get back in the garage & steam ahead with the trike.
So where am I spending the day? Tiling & painting in a 6 foot square bathroom. Bugger.
Getting close to signing the contracts on my flat now & promised months ago that the DIY in the bathroom would be completed before it was sold. I hate DIY! Especially when this won't even be for my benefit. Spent yesterday afternoon trying to cut a series of 2" wide strips of tile. Broke so many. Stoopid bathroom.  >:(

bang, oops just tripped over my tile cutter. ;D

Came past the Steam Fair site on our way home from Yorkshire today and I was saying that I haven't been to it for years - but I just can't face the traffic!

Tiles cut at long last. What a waste of a lovely day.
Welcome back Bobbi. I went to Blandford last year & didn't queue for more than 10 minutes. Just lucky maybe.

Just discovered there's a Wurzels tribute band playing at this year's steam fair!
Woo hoo! It just doesn't get any better than that!  ;D

The key to fast retiling is no more nails! They might fall off later, but you'll be long gone!

 ;D
British craftmanship at it's best eh!
Remind me never to buy a vehicle from you.

Oi, my craftmanship is superb, just not on houses! ;D

(http://i8.tinypic.com/5zem0wy.jpg)
(http://i10.tinypic.com/61xmw0h.jpg)
(http://i5.tinypic.com/62y1sg1.jpg)
(http://i12.tinypic.com/66tkftu.jpg)
(http://i9.tinypic.com/6fytndh.jpg)
(http://i2.tinypic.com/4lz96vc.jpg)

G.D.S.F. To much for one day, recorded as the second largest gathering of people to one event in this country, some thing for every bodys interest which changes from year to year, i know i've been to all 39 of them right back to the days when it first started as a one day event at the bushes.

Cool. We are going tomorrow providing Manky is well enough.

Great pics Rick. Gonna send me a discful? Please.
Really looking forward to this one. Went for the first time last year, in the pouring rain, & loved it.
I want that gorgeous little breakdown truck! Looks like Twizzle's truck.   
...God, I'm getting old.

Mum and Dad went yesterday. Got some photos, but i havent looked at them yet. They bought me a pressie too, a reproduction classic cast tractor seat!  ;D Got a seat for the trike now! So thats a seat, forks, front wheel and front brakes. Nearly there!  :P

You'll probably be on the road before me! Let's see this seat then mate.
Rick's taken a million photos today too, so I may break the habit of a lifetime & keep my camera in my pocket to concentrate on enjoying a day out with my lady.
Maybe.  ;)

We're going tomorrow too.Give us a ring and we'll meet you for an icecream.

I shall indeed. We can't leave Basingstoke till about 10 so will probably see you mid afternoon, depending on the queues.
When you're perusing the autojumble, remember I need door latches & window winder mechanisms for the Pop.  ;)

G.D.S.F. To much for one day, recorded as the second largest gathering of people to one event in this country, some thing for every bodys interest which changes from year to year, i know i've been to all 39 of them right back to the days when it first started as a one day event at the bushes.


well rick, are you gonna tell what is the largest gathering then?

is it the wooton annual duck race ;) ;D

Got it in one Pete

Taz & I visited the show on Friday. Had a fabulous day out.
We were driving along the Salisbury to Blandford road when Tazzie asked
Is that Brock's van in front?
Literally as she said it, my phone rang.
Hi Andy, is that you in the car behind us?
So we followed Steve & his wife Lesley into the showground. No queues, straight in. 15 quid each. Sounds steep, until you realise that we were there for 9 or 10 hours & could happily have stayed another 10. We only went home cos we were so weary from walking all day. So much to see. So many great people, all so eager to show you their machine & explain every nut & bolt of it to you!
Thoroughly recommended.
Full Photo Gallery soon. 
 

Taz makes an old man very happy by playing with his organ.

Tazzie meets a one eyed owl.

20 traction engines charging around the main arena. I didn't realise just how fast these things could go. Must've been doing 30mph, racing each other up & down the field -"More coal, more coal!" Impressive for beasts that weigh up to 20 tons each. Good job they didn't have to stop in a hurry.
Churned up dust, soot, wood smoke, steam -like a battlefield. You don't get the chance to see this many monsters in action very often.   

Chain gang.
4 traction engines, 2 pulling, 2 pushing, moving a load of nearly 80 tons around the arena.

Note the little steam car wizzing past on the right of the bottom pic.

Full photo gallery now added to the Rally/Show Photos bit of the main site here:

http://mankymonkeymotors.co.uk/Photos/dorsetsteam07/

Go. Look. Now.

Many thanks for your contribution Rick.  ;)