On the last Sunday in May, the happiest place in Hampshire must have been the home of our member, John Lovell, where the 16^th Annual Vintage Event took place on a beautiful, hot, sunny day.  HMG had its usual pitch, along with HIAS, and Tony Yoward and John Silman did brisk trade in book sales; listened to people’s tales and reminiscences about mills they had known or their families who actually worked them.  Elsewhere hundreds of curious ‘event-goers’, young and old, drank in the sights afforded by the myriad collections of rural and domestic bygones, dolls houses, vintage lawn mowers, rollers and yes, even sack trolleys, vintage tractors, commercial vehicles, classic cars and motor cycles, housed in barns, sheds, on table tops or in the field.  A pair of Shire horses, tethered amidst the motorised farm vehicles were unfazed by the  clamour of engines, hoots, comings and goings, and total admiration of all the humans there.  At noon in the marquee, Professor Ray Riley spoke to us about “Portsmouth and The Corset Trade”.  Tony had his Sunbeam rally car there, complete with photographs, certificates and many stories to go with them!

John Lovell is one of those rare people: a quiet man who is very active and caring in his community  and generously throws his home, and vast collections, open to the public every year for good, local, causes.  This year the proceeds were for The Wessex Cancer Trust, dedicated in the memory of Sylvia Barnes MBE.  John also has a passion for helping to re-home German Shepherd Dogs through an organisation called Vigil who also had a stand at the Event.

Thank you, John, for your kind hospitality to all comers, and for helping us enjoy a day in rural bliss once again.  Roll on next year!