The Peterborough Evening Telegraph
Truckfest:
PETERBOROUGH’S annual haulage and trucking bonanza Truckfest celebrated its 30th anniversary in recordbreaking style.
Amid muddy conditions which led to at least one Twitter-savvy visitor re-dub it “muckfest”, the annual two-day extravaganza at Peterborough’s East of England Showground concluded yesterday.
Organisers Live Promotions Events expected in the region of 100,000 people to attend the event, with a record number of trucks – some 1,500 – on show.
Rain yesterday forced some changes to the programme in the main arena, but failed to dampen the spirits.
Robert Limming, director of Live Promotions Events and co-founder, spoke of the event’s history.
He said: “The original one was at Newark, but we outgrew the facility in the first year and moved it to the East of England Showground where it has remained ever since.”
He added: “I can’t believe the time has gone by so quickly.”
As well as Peterborough and its original home of Newark, Truckfest now holds events in Somerset, Scot- land and as of this year Northern Ireland.
Mr Limming spoke of the franchise’s appeal.
He said: “It’s a meeting place. It’s a sounding board and it’s an opportunity for the industry to launch and display their latest innovations.”
The event is also a significant draw for families, with monster trucks, bike stunt shows and celebrities such as Ice Road Truckers’ Lisa Kelly among the attractions.
Travelling from Martham, in Norfolk, for their first Truckfest were Sharon and Paul Rushden and their children Shannah (10) and Mitchell (8).
Of what drew them to the event, Mrs Rushden said: “My husband works for a haulage company and the little boy is Eddie Stobart mad.”
She added: “It has been very good.”