Stuart and Chris Harrison’s Sentinel DG4 No 8714 steam bus Martha is seen running between Brough and Kirkby Stephen on Easter Sunday 23 March while participating in the Eden Classic Vehicle Group’s commercial vehicle road run in snowy conditions. GYLES CARPENTER

Firstly, a huge thank you to all Old Glory readers that made the effort to attend the Thursford Collection’s Founders’ Day on 16 March.

With over 800 visitors, which was a record attendance for the event, enthusiasts came from across the country to confirm our belief that we could convince the museum management to let unhindered access to their engines once a year was the right thing to do!

Our faith was justified and we hope that you enjoyed your day in Norfolk. Thursford are naturally delighted with the attendance and it seems that we are now assured of access to the George Cushing Collection of engines at each further Founders’ Day.

It was ironic that, after trumpeting the wonders of the Bass Museum (sorry, can’t bring myself to say the ‘C’-word) at Burton-upon-Trent in the last issue of Old Glory – that we then received the news the very day after we got the magazine back from the printers that museum staff had been given redundancy notices and that the museum would be closing in June.

The decision to close, made by its US-based corporate owners, came as a complete bombshell to staff, the citizens of Burton, and every right-minded enthusiast of industrial history and our great brewing heritage. How would the Americans like it if the British bought something very dear to them and then shut it down? I expect that we may not have seen quite the last of this yet, for there is much strong feeling against closure and the Burton MP has taken up the cause.

Unfortunately, this sort of thing can happen – a collection dispersed because it is essentially privately owned. If the museum had been a Trust, then things may have worked out differently.

I was also saddened to learn of the demise of the US-produced traction engine magazine Steam Traction; to which the editor cites the double whammy of a fall in sales and rising costs. This title was basically a relaunch from the ashes of a magazine that had a long and proud history, the Rev Elmer Ritzman’s Iron Men Album, which was launched in the 1950s – three decades before any similar national title in the UK.

The US market for specialist interest titles is vastly different to the UK newstrade-based one and has to rely virtually on subscriptions alone. But it is good to see that much of ST’s content such as US rally dates, etc will remain online. This is no doubt a good way of reaching the huge US geographical area and we can also recommend the website at www.smokestak.com for serving a host of US steam interests, which also includes gas engines and tractor sections.

It is always sad when a magazine has to fold, but as Old Glory strides into the middle of its 20th aniversary year we have never been stronger, so may I thank all of our loyal readers, subscribers and advertisers for your support.

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