Statement: Border City Steam Rally cancelled

[Clayton 36731]

With regard to the annual whit bank holiday Border City Steam Fair at Carlisle.

The steam fair was founded in 2009 with full backing of the Conservative Council as a charity event. It was organised and ran by volunteers and fellow enthusiasts. The fair has been a success and has donated many thousands of pounds over the years to local charities such as the Eden Valley Hospice, North Air Ambulance and Maryport Inshore Rescue Team.

The fair has found a firm footing in the steam calendar and boasts over one thousand exhibits and around 10,000 visitors from far and wide. This has generated some 2.5million pounds for the local economy.

Last year we (the organisers) were given disappointing news that the newly elected Labour council were hoping to put the steam fair site Rickerby Park into a DEFRA scheme. This scheme would be for the next 10 years and would give an income of somewhere in the region of £8,000 to the Council. The scheme has many stipulations including no vehicles or events on the land. Obviously this was frowned upon by many Councillors and local people, and we have tried our best to fight it.

Unfortunately Carlisle City Council passed this decision and consequently the Steam Fair lost its site.

We have put much time into seeking a new site and have even had the local press involved in hope we would find somewhere suitable, with no luck.

It is with great regret that we have had to make the difficult decision to cancel the event.

We would like to thank all who have been involved in the Border City Steam Fair and all who have came and supported the event.

[Burning Oil]

It’s a sad fact that councils are making bad decisions throughout the land just to add a few quid to the coffers so the same morons can waste it on utterly stupid schemes and over paying themselves!

[FOWLER16400]

Disapointed to here this! It was a top class event last year!

[Mr. Fettler]

Me thinks someone on the council is making money out of this somehow !!
or am I just being cynical ?

[Steamhead21]

what a shame never attended but looked like a good rally.
Barnard Castle instead ??

[StoneRoad]

That is most disappointing news, I was looking forward to making a visit this year.

[mikem]

Originally Posted by Steamhead21

.
Barnard Castle instead ??

Isn't that show run by a company with the aim of making a profit? I try to avoid these and go to the ones that raise money for chairty or are run by preservation clubs etc.

[craigctt]

Originally Posted by mikem

Isn't that show run by a company with the aim of making a profit? I try to avoid these and go to the ones that raise money for chairty or are run by preservation clubs etc.

Barnard Castle is run by a company, and by a man (JT) who has owned various steam vehicles in his time. I would think the company would like to earn a profit on the rally. Without the profit, it would not continue the following year. This dose not mean that the rally is only there as a business. I for one and , if willing to organise a rally would put it into a company. If it was in my name and I had paid out for everything, to find out its a loss. My house, business, car, engines etc could be taken from me. (Personal Bankrupcey) over a rally and your passion. I have not talked to JT for a few years and not been up to the rally for a while. But don't knock a company who is only trying to keep our hobby alive........................on the same note I do no of companies running rally's as a profit making business and take the pi$$, but I'm not going there.

[ttp2011]

Originally Posted by Burning Oil

It’s a sad fact that councils are making bad decisions throughout the land just to add a few quid to the coffers so the same morons can waste it on utterly stupid schemes and over paying themselves!

Please do not tar all Councils with the same brush - not all Councillors are paid.

I am a steam enthusiast, I write for Vintage Spirit and I am currently working on two books, one about engines which I have seen in Devon and Cornwall over the past 40 years and the other about Tritandem Road Rollers.

I am a UNPAID Town Councillor on Ivybridge Town Council ( as are my fellow Councillors) and I am only too aware of the problems being caused to Local Councils by the continuing lack of funding by Central Government. Councils such as ours have two options, either to raise the shortfall by using facilities under their control to generate revenue to pay for essential services or, raise the level of Council Tax to make up for the shortfall. Under these circumstances probably most councils would choose the former route however unpopular it would be. It is unbelievable how much time nowadays is spent at Council meetings trying to decide the best way forward for the community when we are faced with such large funding cuts so that the Taxpayer can pay for Polish Children to come over to the UK for two days to have sibling contact with their 4 year old half brother after their mother has been banned from being with children unsupervised due to her abuse of them. This is costing the Tax Payer £500 for a two day visit. This is being arranged by Social Services for a ex Devon family who now live in Sussex.

I am sorry that the actions of Carlisle Council have resulted in the cancellation of a popular rally and I am sadened to see Charities being deprived of vital income as a result. However, I am not sticking up for the Council concerned as no doubt the situation presented to them made the final decision quite difficult. And yes, we do take all facts into consideration before making a decision and yes we do look at the knock on effect to the local community etc.

Regards,

Councillor Thomas Bowden.
Ivybridge Town Council.

[Burning Oil]

An interesting point of view, and one that is well put, however when you see county farms being sold off along with any small piece of land that was in the main given to the local councils by past generations of local people for the people it does not stack up.
Keep up the good work on those meetings, its a tough job but someone has to do it.