THERE?is a heart-warming family tale about the love of traction engines behind a steam day in Petersfield on Sunday (May 14).

Every hour between 11am and 4pm, from outside Petersfield Museum in St Peter’s Road, there will be steam engine tours around the town on gleaming traction engine ‘Victoria’.

There will also be people in costume and an old-fashioned organ playing to transport visitors back to the Victorian era, and refreshments will be provided by Folk Handles Kitchen.

‘Victoria’ is owned by Petersfield author Wendy Wakelin, who has written a series of children’s stories called Victoria’s Torton Tales, inspired by real traction engines. Wendy was taken to steam and vintage shows from a young age, and she always thought it would be wonderful to own a traction engine.

When she met Lloyd Wakelin, who was to become her husband, she discovered his great, great grandfather Walter Seward owned 13 traction engines for his haulage business. When the business closed, Victoria was sold on, but Wendy and Lloyd got the chance to buy her in 2002.

Stories she wrote about ‘Victoria’ were read to her young sons. Tickets for the tours are £7.50. They can be bought from the museum shop.