The St Albans Steam and Country Show and 50th Anniversary.

The St Albans Steam and Country Show have just celebrated the 50th Anniversary of their Society. Held at At Oaklands College (Smallford Campus) in St Albans the show celebrates a history of Steam Engines, Vintage Vehicles, Tractors, Stationary Engines, and Classic Cars, Bikes & Lorries. Also this year, Owners of cars, commercial and motorcycles built in 1964 were also invited to attend.

With many demonstrations of how the old equipment was used in past times, a working saw bench, threshing machine, stone crusher and other machinery were all at work.

Before the last world war steam wagons regularly pounded through St Albans carrying long distance loads and many of the older generation of St Albans will remember steam rollers at work. Steam threshing was carried out at local farms while steam tractors were used to carry stone, farm produce and even house contents within the area. Some of the steam rollers and machines that were demonstrated and in show are now 100 years old!

Marking their 50th Anniversary, the show had plenty for all the family to do from Craft Tents and a fairground to Working Models and lots of food and drink on offer too.

The society have said that “as a registered charity, our society's objectives are to encourage road steam preservation in an increasingly technological world” and with events like this, right on our doorstep, I think they are doing a wonderful job of keeping history alive and relevant today.