Every year, the Old Locomotive Committee ('OLCO', the supporters group for 'Lion' and modellers of 'Lion') hold a good-natured competition to see whose live-steam model can produce the most work done in ten minutes. In 2007, Bristol Society of Model Engineers had agreed to host the competition, known as 'Lionsmeet', which took place on Sunday 29th July at Ashworth Park, Bristol.
England had suffered heavy rain with flooding towards the end of July and, until the last moment, it was feared that the event might have to be postponed. In fact, we could not have had a better day and the event was enjoyed by all.
Ashworth Park is a former 'stately home', now a country park. Bristol M.E.S. have a mature, well-developed site with both an elevated multi-gauge track which the 'Lionsmeet' competitors used and a 7.25 inch gauge ground level track which remained unused (when are we going to have another 7.25 inch competitor, chaps?).
Jan was once again press-ganged into being the observer, riding behind each competitor, recording the performance figures from the dynamometer car and ensuring that the competition rules were observed.
All the competitors put up good performances but, once again, John Swindlehurst carried off the Mike Parrott Cup for another year.
