Some thoughts around MASHAM RALLY 1965
Circumstances have precluded the intended very special anniversary event at Masham taking place this year. However, it was felt extremely important that something should be published as a tribute to all those local people and others who have worked extremely hard to steer the rally in North Yorkshire through thick and thin over this very long period.
It therefore seems appropriate that it should be the author who has risen to this challenge, since he is now the only person whose name was in the 1965 programme associated with a steam exhibit displayed at that first Masham rally.
When anyone mentions that first event, my immediate thoughts are that it was a very wet rally - on one occasion we went to the toilet across the far side of the rally field by car as it was raining so heavily! However, the person who benefited most as a result of the foul weather was one of my co-owners of the roller at the time, Lyndon Shearman, as he spent most of the Saturday in the roller’s firebox, nice and warm, fixing a problem that had earlier beset us.
We three - John Charlesworth, Lyndon and myself - as a properly constituted partnership called the White Ros Steam Traction Co - had bought a 1915 Aveling & Porter roller No 8506 in May 1964 and named her after the company’s name. We were all
