Having settled into our new berth, we went out exploring on Saturday. We called in at Market Bosworth station for a cup of tea before climbing the hill to the town itself, we wanted to check on the train timetable for Sunday when we intended to visit the Shackerstone family festival. In the station car park was an exceptional example of the Mk 1 version of my favourite car, the Austin Healey 3000.

Mk1 Austin Healey 3000

I don’t profess to be an expert or expect to be able to own one but the 3000 is the car that does it for me!

I’m still recovering so after a walk to town and back we just settled down and watched a bit of television before turning in for the night.

It was already sunny when we awoke on Sunday morning, we got ourselves ready and walked to the station where we caught the train, first to Shenton and then back to Shackerstone some forty five minutes later. Working boats lined the canal, many of them Braunston Rally regulars but quite a few that were new to us. Once we were in the field where the festival was being held, we wandered around and took some pictures. Some examples are posted here, the full collection can be found in the photo album here.

Cowburn & Cowpar “Swift”

GWR 3803 provided the service all weekend.

I used to work on one of these about 35 years ago!

Military version of the Austin Load Star

My first car was a Mk1 Capri, it didn’t look like this though!

What a beauty, this fine Stingray turned a few heads.

The first air display of the day came in the form of a Spitfire which performed magnificently overhead for five minutes or more before zooming off into the distance. We did wander into the area where the traction engines were but the smoke was everywhere so we turned around and made our way back to the station. We made our way back to Caxton where we settled down in the cratch where we watched the second air display, The Aerostars in their YAK aerobatic planes. We had a perfect view across the marina and it really was an entertaining routine.

Formation loop

Loop complete

Perfect view

And that was it, the show was over, not just the air display but our holiday as well. We quietly got our stuff together and packed it away in the car before locking Caxton up and driving home (for a few days anyway!)