Twitter Steam Rally – the sequel...
In the June 2020 issue we described how young steam engineer Charlotte Coulls came up with a great idea to try and provide something for the hordes of enthusiasts stuck at home, as the Covid-19 pandemic caused the cancellation of a full season of steam rallies and events.
Charlotte, aged 14, created the 'Twitter Steam Rally', a virtual event held on 9th May and which aimed to fill social media feeds Twitter and Facebook with steam-related content. The response was unprecedented – within 48 hours of the event being launched more than 2000 internet users had signed up to be a part of it.
Over the rally weekend the net bulged with contributions, miniature and full-size steam, road, rail, stationary and more, vintage vehicles... you name it, if it had a steam rally connection it was there.
Charlotte's proud dad Anthony, a noted traction engine enthusiast and author and a senior curator at the National Railway Museum, told EIM that in the end more than 10,000 people took part in the virtual event and with such initiatives as merchandise sales more than £3,700 was raised for charity.
At the end of the year Charlotte's efforts saw her very deservedly named the Steam Apprentice of the Year by the Steam Apprentice Club, the trophy presented on Charlotte's birthday in December.
So what about a sequel? Back in the June 2020 issue we suggested that the rally should become an annual event but Anthony cautioned that it was strictly a one-off, responding to the unique situation we all found ourselves in through 2020. But of course neither he or any of us imagined that getting on for a year later we would still be in not much better of a situation, with swathes of public steam gatherings in 2021 being cancelled for a second year in succession.
So you guessed it, Twitter Steam Rally 2 is happening! It will be held on 1st May 2021 and we can do no better than repeat Anthony's words from the original; "We've created (the event) to allow more people to share their engines and vintage kit large and small for a seocnd time on 1st May.
"Photos, videos, live streaming, let's get it on Twitter and Facebook. Bring your own beer, chips and doughnuts and we shall enjoy our wonderful hobby hopefully across the world in our gardens, yards, fields and sheds!"
Can't say fairer than that – we hope many EIM readers will join the fun, perhaps sharing some of those excellent projects you have been working on during lockdown. It's really easy to sign up – simply enter the hashtag #Twittersteamrally2 in the search feature on Twitter and Facebook. See you on the (virtual) rally field!