Rally proves real crowd puller

Vintage vehicles had to take care not to get stuck in the mud when they rolled up for a show near Bewdley.

The 6th annual Trimpley steam and vintage rally was held on fields near the village yesterday. It was hosted by Bridgnorth Vintage Machinery Club and secretary David Spruce said there were 350 exhibits on show.

They included lorries, tractors, steam rollers, classic cars, bikes and military vehicles.

Mr Spruce aged 41, from Chawn Park Drive, Pedmore, has a collection of vintage motorcycles running into double figures including a 1920 Douglas which won highly commended at the classic bike show at Stafford earlier this year. He says the bike is unusual because its wheels are filled in. He is also the owner of 1943 Austin K5 lorry made at Longbridge, Birmingham, which would have been used to transport troops during World War II.

Mr Spruce, who runs DRS Motorcycles, said: "It is a day for enthusiasts to come out and feast their eyes on an array of vintage vehicles.

"We have visitors from all over, one man who rang up about the show was coming from Penzance and one of the exhibitors was bringing a tractor from Cambridge."

Among the exhibitors was pattern maker Alan Davenport, from Valley Road, Cradley Heath, who took along his eight-ton steam roller. The machine dating from 1923 is worth £50,000.

Mr Davenport, aged 52, said: "The steam roller belonged to a man in Blackpool and basically we did a deal, he bought a miniature I had built and I bought the real thing."

"It was restored in the 1960s and then when I bought it it had been left in a barn for 30 years so I repainted it and did some work on the wheel bearings, it was a labour of love.

"When I drive it I find a lot of women will wave at me in the traffic."

It took Mr Davenport two hours to drive the steam roller to the show..