The County Armagh Vintage Vehicle Club are hoping to build back better with their Harvest Rally following the cancellation of their highly-anticipated annual event earlier this summer.
The event is set to take place at 10am on Saturday, October 7 at 14 Mullurg Road, Markethill and entries are now open for all manner of vintage vehicles and machinery.
All proceeds will be in aid of Dementia NI, in honour of club president Robert Lester, a founding member of the club who is currently in a home with the condition.
The club raises money for different local charities each year, with thousands of pounds having been raised so far.
The main rally was due to take place on August 5 and was expected to welcome over 2,000 people to Gosford Forest Park. However, following a ground inspection by a council manager only days before, the club were devastated to discover the event had to be cancelled.
The club have already held a number of events this year, including a ploughing match and a tractor run. The Annual Rally, which is normally the headline event for the club, was due to feature a range of vintage vehicles alongside a number of working models, including a threshing display.
Despite the disappointment, spirits are still high at the club with Janet Treanor, club secretary, saying that they hope the Harvest Rally can get a boost off the back of last month’s setback.
She said: “We are very excited and keeping positive following the huge disappointment of the main rally in Gosford being cancelled back in August.
“This is a smaller version of our main rally. It features a harvest theme with threshing taking place during the day on old threshing machines, how it used to be back in the day. All makes and models of vintage and classic vehicles are welcome along with stationary engines.”
Speaking on the origins of County Armagh Vintage Vehicle Club, Janet says that the club was formed in 1975 at a meeting between two men, Bob Dowey and Hugh Grant.
Bob had been renovating a steam engine and during the course of the conversation they decided to run a working day at Hugh Grant’s farm.
“It ended up that they’d raised that much money that they made a donation that year to charity. That’s what sowed the seed for the club to start,” says Janet.
“Then they got together with a few other people and found out a bit more about starting a vintage club. The rest, as they say, is history!”
If you wish to take part, you can download an entry from from the County Armagh Vintage Vehicle Club website.
