With any event there is always a certain pressure during it, hoping things work out and the show passes safely.  It is only after it has finished and the visitors and exhibits have safely returned home that a certain euphoria can be allowed to creep over us!

The Great War Steam Fair was a risk of sorts, in that we were worried that there might not be sufficient exhibits to create a sufficient ‘wow’ and really bring the site to life.  In the end these worries were totally unfounded and the site was positively buzzing with action throughout the four days.  We had over 18,300 visitors attend and many favourable comments.  There were also many comments about how we beat this!  I think maintaining the standard will be challenge enough and in 2017 we return to the Great North Steam Fair format but will retain the very heavy WW1 influence that worked so well this year.  We won’t set an upper date and this will allow a broader range of exhibits to appear, as has been the norm in the past.  We also have several ideas for developing the working displays…

In the short term we can look forward to June’s Power from the Past weekend, then July’s Somme commemoration (see main website for details of dates etc.).  We are anticipating a selection of visiting vehicles as well as our own fleet appearing during these, including, hopefully, some narrow gauge attractions – watch this space!

I’ve created a gallery for the GWSF under the heading ‘galleries’ at the top of this blog.  I’ll continue to add images to this, but many more can be found online for readers to enjoy.

Meanwhile, here are just a few ‘highlights’ (featuring military themes) to sign-out this episode in our programme, as we look forward to this weekend’s Horses at War event (featuring the narrow gauge and Colliery Railway too) then the Old King Coal event over five days (which will feature Lilla in action on the narrow gauge, probably giving footplate rides).

Our thanks to everyone who came – exhibitors and visitors – and made the GWSF such an amazing event and one that we will all remember for a very long time…