THE BARNARD Castle Steam Truck and Tractor Club is attracting members from over the border in Westmorland, who not only appreciate the pulling power of the great machines themselves, but enjoy pitting their strength against the powerful beasts.

Tractor pulling is now becoming a major activity in the club's events.

John Toulson, organiser of the events, said: "We are a private organisation that holds several events over the year. Our main business is haulage but the shows seem to be taking up more and more time as the years go on.

"When we started it was just one show a year - now we have two big shows and several tractor pulls a year as well as trying to attend all of the other shows that go on around the country such as Dorset and Pickering with our Duchess of Gloucester, which is a 1933 Foden D Type Steam Wagon, and our Forester 1919 Burrell Gold Medal Tractor.

"We first started out with a steam fair. We already had a personal interest in steam engines so it was no hardship for us to get things going. The first show was a huge success - we had people from all over the country attending, they came with everything from a miniature Fowler Showman's Engine to a six tonne 1926 Showman's Engine called Rhiannon. Any apprehension that we may have had about the show being a flop was totally uncalled for, we could not have asked for anything more for our first show."

The next tractor pulling event is to be held at the Barnard Castle Steam Fair on the bank holiday weekend, May 24-26, at Streatlham Farm, which is situated on the A688 Barnard Castle/Bishop Auckland Road.

John said: "New tractor pullers are always welcome, and there is cash and trophies for the winners. Come and be a part of a proper mans sport!"

The preparations are already under way for this year's Barnard Castle Truck Show, which will be held on August bank holiday August 23-25.

John said: "Last year we had nearly double the amount of entries then the previous year so who knows what this year will hold. We have a fun-packed show planned with a wide array of trucks on display from vintage steam trucks to custom working trucks which are spectacular to see with their gleaming chrome and polished paint work.

"When you have finished browsing through the many rows of trade stands you can relax around the food area and choose something from the huge selection of food stands or sample a pint in the beer tent. On the Sunday we have some of the North East's strongest men competing against each other for the title of North of England Strongest Man. You can see them pulling trucks and jeeps as well as a lot of other tests of pure strength.

"Throughout the weekend there will also be tractor and truck pulling - basically what goes on is tractors and trucks hitch up and try to pull approximately 60 tonne of weight on a huge sledge. The aim is that they pull the whole length of the track in one go.

"Evenings are well taken care of in the beer tent with nightly entertainment from Rick Jackson, the one man Irish Rock Show, and on the Sunday night we hold a Miss Wet T Shirt which is always a big attraction with its fantastic prize of a holiday abroad for two people among other prizes.

"We had a great weekend at the Third Barnard Castle Tractor Pull, we had visitors from all over the country.

"The younger end of the competitors - Martin Scott, from Newbiggen in Teesdale, who drove a Ford 4600, and Josh Bradley, from Hamsterly, and Patrick Wilson, from Langleydale, who shared an International 574, and Mark Thorn, from Evenwood, on his six cylinder Fordson Major - these are just some of our younger upcoming tractor pull winners."

There were eight classes in total for all the different horse powers and they gave the crowds a great performance of power.

May 21, 2003 09:30