THE seventh annual Speech House Vintage Show welcomed a huge number of Landrovers and their owners as the iconic vehicle celebrates its 70th anniversary.

Among the Landrover owners was Lynne Peachey who was spinning some of the Shetland sheep wool from the animals she keeps at Pope’s Hill near Cinderford.

She said: “They are solid, practical vehicles – I can put a couple of sheep in the back of it, I wouldn;t want to be without it.”

Vehicles on show ranged from bicycles to giant traction engines and even a tank and dated from the earliest years of motoring to models from the 1980s and 1990s.

The bus section included a number of ‘vintage’ vehicles that many of the large number of visitors will remember using regularly such as the 1968 bus that plied its trade for many years crossing the Severn Bridge on service 301 between Bristol and Cardiff.

One of the stars of the show was a 212mph Toyota Camry which was driven by top American Nascar driver Matt Kenseth and is now owned by Forest-based enthusiast and racing driver Johnny Painter.

He brought along some of his collection of cars from the 1950s to the present day.

Rather slower were the traction engines which were demonstrated in the main ring.

They included a number from the Fores including a 1911 road roller owned by Ken Hickson of St Briavels and the comparatively tiny ‘Trotter’ roller built by Arthur Trotter of Coleford in 1933,

The working section included an apple scratter operated by Forest cider maker James McCrindle and a giant, steam-driven frame saw.

Among the other attractions were a display by Adams’ Axemen, falconry, a dog show and live music.

Sharon Vickers, who is a committee member of the Forest Vintage Vehicle and Machinery Club, which organises the show said: “It’s been a brilliant day, perhaps our best yet.

“We’ve had more than 70 Landrovers and this is its 70th year.

“We’ve had a large number of people through the gate and there is plenty for them to see and do.”

Procceds from the show will go to local charities.