Newark Gathering 27-31 May 2026 - Official Announcement

@IRM sorry you can't make it, you'll be missed!

 

@Ian

So sorry to hear this news. Best wishes to you and Nick. Jeremy

 

Chez Blackdog assembled- thanks to a couple of willing helpers- and mealtime over.

 

Very nice my friend

 

@Blackdog - I like your tent!


-R

 

Sorry to hear that guys.

Hope to see you next time.

The edge of the field is filling up. Please feel free to set up in a row down the centre.

 

Ian and Nick, so sorry to hear that you guys are having problems this year! I hope you get better and that all will be back to normal soon!

- Doc

 

@Ian I hope the health issues aren't severe and life will normalize a bit for you guys.

 

Currently enjoying the final brew of Newark 2026 before hitting the road.

 

It all became too much for some people, apparently. Źzzzzźź

 

Back from Newark. Great folk, great time.

I don’t know if anyone noticed, but I packed a 6kg Calor Gas propane cylinder this year, not to power a twin-burner+grill but a Bullfinch floodlight, ignition by tugging on a wire loop to trigger a piezo spark.






Though “wonder if it would project a beam to light my way to the toilet block?” crossed my mind, I decided not to create dazzle in camp, but used it to illuminate my display.

My table and some favoured items I took along, daytime.




Tabletop inspection, courtesy Jim, @Wayland and Steve (on loan from Texas, USA).




At night, capably assisted by the Bullfinch flood.






Better yet, the Bullfinch facilitated instant halos for those inclined to try out the effect - Chris @Blackdog Jeremy @Jeremy Belgrave-Lock and a selfie for me.








Playtime over, I got down to some baking with my Outback Oven using an Optimus Vega butane stove to power it. The Vega is a perfect choice, being low-slung and not wobbly, offering highly controllable output (avoids scorching the bake) and with the remote fuel source well away from the hot zone.






River Trent’s right alongside the site, herons stationed like human anglers might at each individual’s favoured fishing spot. Three I counted in the space of a hundred meters.




My French alcohol stove embellished with aeroplanes gained admirers, taken with its whimsical flight of aeroplanes heading into the sunset.




Suitably shielded from the breeze (and to create a bit of shade from the bright sunlight in order to gauge a simmering output flame) the stove wasn’t just pretty, but was ideal for thickening up my meatball sauce for a pasta dish.




An excursion into Newark with Jezza for some excellent ale at the Prince Rupert pub, formerly the Woolpack and originating as a Wealdon house in 1452.








Thanks Ross @Spiritburner for making it possible and to all for your wonderful companionship. May your flames continue to shine bright - selfie halos can be arranged for a small fee.

John

 

Thank you John

 

Great post John! Been a great event! Thanks to everyone who came. Grand effort & excellent company. It was a hot one!

 

Amazing displays! A big year...

 

Excellent!


Tony

 

Oh so flattering! Was it the sun that caused so much red skin over the weekend, or your portable propane tanning salon?

My first stop at Newark is always Ian's domain to decide which of his well used and abused stoves to take home:




The Black's Icelandic tent was pitched promptly (and my fault if badly) with the help of Jeremy and John, thanks both. Archie (@junior trangia master) arrived by train and bike on Friday night and set up next door to my travelling workbench:



These three came along to provide illumination, the GSW hurricane lantern to lend some light while I overhauled the Radius No.119 to give some proper light. The beautifully battered Radius No.102 caused a lot of frustration and going round in circles, thanks to all who pondered over why it was running incredible rich, it was only when Henry Plews magiced up a proper spanner with jet height gauge we discovered the air gap was too small and the mantle was a tad undersized as well:




I was on bland food, mostly based around steamed salmon:


While Archie did all sorts of great stuff on his Trangia, including precisely burning this omelette to the required level:



Mobile toolbox....



...as well as the lanterns all sorts of stoves came along to be overhauled or repaired as I have been struggling to find time at home. First up was this 1919 Primus No.96 which needed a foot soldering back on and all the perishables replaced, proving a strong performer once done heating my one cup kettle:


Archie and I gatecrashed @Twoberth 's gazebo to cook lunch on Saturday, the sun was fierce. Proper British sit down cooking! The stove nearest the camera is a very early Thermidor cooking its first meal in a very long time:



Meanwhile high class cheese and onion toasties were being prepared by Trangia:





On with the repairs while some layabouts slept off their lunch, an Optimus No.96 having its blobily soldered feet removed and replaced:


That quiet part of evening before lighting up time, it's easy to forget to eat with so much to see and so much talking to do:



Illuminations beginning:

 

What a great lot of photos!
I hope my luck is better next year and I can attend again.

 

While my Radius No.102 was finally returned to life after a long slumber, Archie discovers his newly purchased Optimus No.99 needs some pricker rack adjustment:




Meanwhile, opposite the CCS youth centre, things are being taken less seriously:



The highlight of my weekend was 'my' Høvik Værk No.1 returning to me, one of my few regrets in life was selling this stove on ebay years ago. Thankfully is was purchased by @igh371 who decided to let me have another chance at owning it. Thank you Ian, you are a kind gentleman.

Just when it seemed life couldn't get better I acquired something which had been on my list for a long time, a Høvik Værk Nr.50 lighting torch to get the glorious thing running. Huge thanks @Spiritburner, here's the pair in action:


Archie had brought his Primus No.96 and we repaired a leaking filler neck. He suggested we light up all the stoves that had been serviced and give the lantern people some competition:



Front row- 1919 Primus No.96, Radius No.20, Archie's 1949 (or was it 48?) Primus No.96, Optimus No.111
Back row earliest known Høvik Værk No.1 to date, Radius No.13 pre 1920, Kenrick Aurora:




For some unfathomable reason I bought a No.111 despite not being able to stand them. It was serviced during the light up so it could join in:




The constellation of hurricane lanterns displayed by The Steam Tent Co-operative, under a day-off-full moon:


It all went downhill from there as an expedition was made to see the tractor, which involved a lot of laughing:



Smeaton's arches by moon and lamplight:




Sometime after midnight Willie the Steam suggested I tried to get his Primus No.212 running, it had never run in his ownership or with Ross before. First step was new seals and pump leather- apologies if anyone was awoken by the sound of seals being punched out at 1am. It then ran but incredibly rich and flipping into underburn/lighting back, a new nipple improved combustion but it still lit back. Glowing carbon was visible inside the UFO burner, it was clear the enlarged jet had caused rapid carbon buildup. The two parts of the UFO cap were gingerly separated to allow removal of enough flakes of carbon to almost completely clog the cap. It then burned steadily but the cap glowed red enough to make me chicken out and go to bed without any photos.

This morning before packing up it was given another test run and it behaved perfectly, especially once a cooking vessel was placed on top:



Out with the fabric windshield for brew up by No.212, before returning it to Willy:



A check inside the cap again showed no sooting inside, and Ian observed there was none on the top of the cap either, a common occurrence with UFO caps so the mixture seems to be spot on:



All packed up, final brew on the Høvik/Høvik combination under a threatening sky before heading back home:




What an amazing time! Two lanterns and seven stoves back in running order, and despite this no lack of talking and laughing. There is always something different to see here, and much to learn. Thanks to all of you lovely people for your company, and the time and effort input for those who displayed, and to Ross for making it all happen. Looking forward to next year already!