, ,

Christmas 2021 – Life’s a Happy Song

Christmas 2021: Life’s a Happy Song

Are you adorned in your finest woollen Christmas jumper? Are your sprouts simmering nicely? The mulled wine gently warming and the chestnuts roasting by the open fire?

A festive welcome (yes, yes it’s still only November). It’s the annual Christmas Steam Traction World ‘thank you’ – a little something we put together to (hopefully) raise a smile and to wish all our customers, followers, friends and family a very Merry Christmas.

Steam Traction World Christmas 2021This year we thought long and hard for inspiration.

Once again our business focus is providing a quality product to our wonderful customers – so to you, both old and new steam enthusiasts, those who like to build, those that tinker, make and form, those that solve and fabricate and those that visit shows, display at shows and enjoy what we do. Our community of individuals, clubs, suppliers, businesses, events, magazines, historic collections and museums, those that like sheds and garages …and, finally the whole social aspect of our hobby, this is for you. Wherever in the world you are.

Steam Traction World Christmas 2021

With numerous references to current situations and featuring a host of characters previously appearing in our Christmas films, there’s a lot going on, so sit back enjoy and, if you possibly could, give it a like, a comment or a share over on Facebook. We’ll compile all the name-checks and add them to our website, so feel free to give a comment and wish someone you know a Merry Christmas, or give a shout out to your business, club or organisation and it’ll be a permanent addition to our site.
Thank you.

***

We have learned so much. Not just how the John Lewis spaceship crashes for their annual Christmas advert, but little things like, singing is really difficult. The limitations of double-sided sticky tape. Getting people to appear in front of camera is really difficult and how you can get pins and needles in your hands after rather a lot of retakes! With all things considered and our annual budget of nothing, for this, we hope you like our festive film for 2021. It’ll probably be the best thing on our screens over Christmas (with the exception of The Great Escape and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang). Remember folks, we are engineers, not Pixar.

Steam Traction World Christmas 2021

Merch Mugs as seen can be purchased (not only do they make excellent drinking vessels but superb Christmas presents too!)
https://www.steamtractionworld.com/product-category/merchandise/marvellous-mugs/

#steamtractionworld #lifesahappysong

, , ,

Christmas 2020 – Your Song

Christmas 2020: Your Song

It’s the moment you have all been waiting for!

The sprouts are simmering nicely, the mulled wine is warming and the chestnuts are roasting by the open fire. It’s the annual Christmas Steam Traction World ‘thank you’ – a little something we put together to (hopefully) raise a smile and to wish all our customers, followers, friends and family a very Merry Christmas.

We thought long and hard this year about whether we should put something together. Actually it wasn’t long or hard to decide ‘Yes,’ so we put the kettle on, scratched our heads rather a lot and came up with something – which we reckon you will find very apt for 2020.

We looked at the budget for our epic annual feel-good-presentation and agreed on matching the spend on the previous ones. Zip, nada, nothing. An all-star cast was drawn up, dismissed and the regulars brought out to feature: Dave returns (yet again, which means we both don’t have to pay him or take a member of staff away from their proper job!) as the flamboyant Elton Dave, with a familiar sounding (albeit not too familiar due to copyright, your honour) song, complete with a sprinkling of our previous favourites and even a few ‘characters’ from 2020 making an appearance too. See if you can spot them all.

In the dark times this year it’s you, our customers, that have enabled us to push forward and remain successful and positive. It’s your enthusiasm, knowledge, support, care, patience and good humour which means so much – we would really like to ‘buy a big house, where we could all live’ to keep you all safe.

This year too we’d like to raise some money, with the film, for some wonderful causes, Firstly, with every like and share on Facebook accumulating a donation. Can we get 500 shares? If we do, Steam Traction World will donate £500 to Prostate Cancer UK, our nominated charity. In addition, we have set up a Just Giving page to raise money for the NHS. Please click on the link and add a pound or two. We have set £500 as our target – if we can raise that Steam Traction World will match it, donating an additional £500 (so STW would like to donate a total maximum of £1,000 – £500 to PCUK and £500 to NHS). These charities really need your help, just by sharing and caring. Of course, if this takes off Captain-Tom-style and goes viral like mad, we’ll ensure EVERY penny of anything raised goes to the charities. How far can this go?
www.justgiving.com/fundraising/steamtractionworld

So with good news on the horizon with lockdowns end dates, a vaccine and now, with Steam Traction World, Christmas is officially underway. We really hope you like this one, let’s pass on the positivity .

Let’s raise both spirits and some money for the fantastic NHS as we introduce “Your Song.”

Still here? Er.. OK, thanks for reading. As Christmas draws near and the retail giants look to make as much money as possible, sorry er.. celebrate the festive season by offering a range of associated goods “Merch” to their customers who willingly part with their hard-earned cash for an in-demand fluffy creation that matches the retailers particular Christmas advert. So here, at Steam Traction World, we have jumped on the same rolling bandwagon* and are so pleased to launch our Festive-fayre-fancies for you.

*Not really. Enjoy whatever you purchase this Christmas – have you ever considered one of our kits?

, , ,

Christmas 2018 – Steve Traction World

Over the past few years our Christmas gift for all our friends and supporters has been a humorous adventure and song often featuring the engines and staff from Steam Traction World. Our very own character (we’ve called Dave) has been the performer for the previous two Christmases with a star-studded singing parody last year. This year, due to the sad and devastating news we all received, Dave doesn’t feel like singing anymore and, perhaps like all of us at the moment, heads off to find some answers. It’s a film none of us wanted to make.

With the commemorations of the centenary of the end of the Great War, there is a gravestone for Private James Amos Hughes (No. 46669) of the Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry in our local cemetery. James was killed on 11th November, 1918. Armistice Day, he was 22. There is no good day to die but perhaps if James had survived one more day, he could have lived for many more years.

Steve Baldock died one day before his 63rd Birthday. That wasn’t a good day. Perhaps if he could have lived for a couple more days, or to Christmas or the new year, or…

Steve recently said to me “Growing old isn’t very nice.” Steve wasn’t old he? He was a fantastic man – knowledgeable, clever, often very funny and ultimately very brave.

Diagnosed in the beginning of 2017 with the later stages of Prostate Cancer, Steve was able to spend some quality time for himself before treatment and the pokes and prods from all the specialists was to begin and travelled, visited friends and enjoyed life with the full knowledge of the dark days that were to shortly follow. Steve was able to enjoy the 10th Anniversary of Steam Traction World at the Banbury rally and to visit Great Dorset for their 50th Anniversary this year. He enjoyed both shows immensely. Steve was suffering in his last few weeks and the void he now leaves with his family, friends and colleagues is now helped a little with the knowledge he is suffering no longer. May he rest in peace.

Steam was Steve’s passion and we wish to continue his work. No doubt, Steam Traction World is a lesser place without Steve but it has galvanised the staff to ensure the company flourishes in memory of one of it’s founders. To work harder, to supply a higher quality, to send our your kits sooner, for you, both our loyal and future customers, to build a better engine, that will in turn be a fitting tribute to Steve. We look forward to seeing these engines continue to steam and win awards all across the showgrounds for many years to come.

#stevetractionworld

In memory of Steve, a donation page has been set up here: https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/SamanthaBaldock
All monies raised will be split equally between Macmillan Cancer Support and Prostate Cancer UK.

We wish you a Merry Christmas. Spend time with your family and friends this year and remember those that can no longer be with you.
Thank you

, , ,

Christmas 2017 – Build a Burrell

Well Tweedily deedily dee it’s time for some more festive fun with miniature steam engineers, Steam Traction World.
Each year, around Christmas time, to say thank you for the continued support of customers, friends and family, Steam Traction World offer a uniquely original, some may say masterpiece (most will not), yuletide yarn for your enjoyment. This year is no exception with some familiar faces returning to your screens.

Deedily diddy Dave returns after a triumphant introduction last year and, after whole 12 months of singing lessons for this time around, brings some of his old friends: Bear, Hare, Carrot, Coalaff (a slightly similar-looking character to a Frozen favourite*) and the staff at Steam Traction World.

This year has everything (sadly the kitchen sink did not make the final edit): steam, music, singing, dancing, steam, lights, steam (did we mention steam?) and a few slapstick jokes too. No characters were seriously hurt, although Dean did pull a muscle trying the splits. We didn’t ever ask Dean to do the splits!

So fetch a cuppa, a sherry or simply your favourite tipple, sit back and (hopefully) enjoy “Build a Burrell” from Steam Traction World. Please share on social media, comment on YouTube below and get involved to see if “Build a Burrell” can be the best ever Steam Traction World film.

Tweedily deedily dee, tweet, tweet (and Facebook)

Merry Christmas!!

#buildaburrell #steamtractionworld #JohnLewisChristmas

Things we have learnt from this.
It would have been quicker to teach Dean and Steve to actually dance than to animate this.
Lip syncing is quite difficult – and certainly takes a long time too.
Don’t ever give Coalaff a warm hug. It will only go two ways. If he is cold, you’ll get covered in soot. If he is hot, you will get burnt. He is also incredibly annoying either way.
We are better off as engineers and makers of the finest miniature Steam Engine kits.
From your feedback, you do enjoy our festive films – we are really pleased for that. Give us a Thumbs Up (Youtube) if you like this years. Thank you.

*Coalaff is made from Coal. For legal reasons he is not based on any other character from any other film and any similarities are purely coincidental. Dave (Number 2) is not the Dave from Sainsbury’s Christmas advert last year, or the Carrot was never from the Aldi offering again, possibly from last year.
Bear and the Hare were however, blatantly half-inched from the John Lewis Christmas advert from a couple of years ago – only because we love the John Lewis adverts though. So much so we had to squeeze #UnderTheBed in this year – we launched our Christmas advert before John Lewis for 2017!
Please do not sue. We do actually have an awesome creative idea for a future John Lewis Christmas advert, we’d charge you 50% less than you’ve just paid for your 2017 advert. Get in touch. Never Knowingly Undersold.

, , ,

Christmas 2016 – Fairytale of Alvis Way

Fairytale of Alvis Way – Christmas 2016

Here it is folks – it’s the annual Steam Traction World Christmas film for 2016!
It’s December 24th and there is a very special delivery en-route from Steam Traction World to our hero – Dave. It’s the very last delivery of his…oh, we won’t spoil it for you, we’ll let you watch it for yourself. As fans of Christmas adverts – you may notice a couple of special characters from this years seasonal offerings, see if you can spot them. Plus a couple of characters from our previous festive films Bear, Hare and Coalaff, the loveable, friendly fella from Frozen, er we mean Brazen, made from Coal; and who knows Dean and Steve may also appear again this year!

The film was particularly well liked with a number of people commenting it was ‘the best yet.’ It certainly was the most demanding project to date as we produced, from scratch, every single element that you see on screen – remember folks, we are engineers, not Pixar! You can see the making of HERE.

Diddy Dave – Diddy Do It?

The Figures.
Steam Traction World’s Fairytale of Alvis broke a number of records:

48,194 People reached on Facebook. Over 19,000 views on Facebook
63 shares, 135 likes. (FB direct link)

30,712 People reached on Facebook
74 shares, 171 likes. (Link to YouTube)

During December 93,890 people were ‘reached’ by Steam Traction World via the Fairytale of Alvis Way film and the associated posts and updated.

YouTube
6,647 views
450 ‘Thumbs’ up. 0 ‘Thumbs’ down
100% ‘Thumbs’ up

(All Figures collated 5th Jan, 2017)

In addition to individuals, the film was shared by a record number of companies and groups on their own Facebook pages. The list included: The Shuttleworth Collection, Great Dorset Steam Fair, Old Glory, Ulster Vintage, Roxby Heritage Weekend, Steam & Rally Events, Australian Model Engineering Magazine, K&L Model Railways, Vintage Enthusiasts Worldwide, Steam Car Club GB, Steam Engine Heaven, Nottingham Industrial Museum, Hire Steam, Logs & Maintenance.

Facebook Likes:
November 28, 2016 – 3,072
January 5, 2017 – 3,181

Watched in:
United Kingdom, United States of America, Philippines, Australia, Ireland, Italy, New Zealand, Netherlands, Germany, Canada, France, India, Belgium, Spain, Sweden, Brazil, Portugal, Pakistan, Austria, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, Mexico, South Africa, Argentina, Czech Republic, Turkey, Indonesia, Finland, Japan, Denmark, Hong Kong, Egypt, Russia, Thailand, China, United Arab Emirates, Romania, Greece, Malta, Norway, Taiwan, Bangladesh, Iraq, Hungary.
(In order of most watched)

Your Comments:
“I love it! It’s charming. I love steam and a good animation.” Claire Dunning
“It’s great, isn’t it – very ‘Smallfilms’ in feel.” Paul Edwards
“Fabulous! I love a traction engine! It’s in the blood!” Angela Smyth

The best Chrismas ad of 2016. (Ahem), Might appeal slightly more to people who like steam engines, sheds, model-making and that sort of thing. Up with that sort of thing! (sort of Ivor The Engine style animation, too. Up with that sort of thing, too).

“Just watched the Xmas video – I just don’t know where you find such creativity and talent, I hope you can afford the singers!!”
Paul Hawkins

“It is great, well done xx.” Jane Perryman
“Love it thats brilliant.” Lloyd Harrison
“Best one yet.” Steve Hull
“Geweldig mooi” (Amazing beautiful) Jan van der Woude
“Absolutely, brilliantly funny. Well done!” Mike King
“Good work :)” Thomas Doherty
“That’s great” Gareth Johnston
“Luv it. Very clever :-))”
“Brilliant. Thank you.” Marian Dolphin

, , , ,

Christmas 2015 – Piling on the Calories

The annual tradition from Steam Traction World to produce some seasonal silliness for the Christmas holidays and this year see’s a new video based on the festive favourite ‘Stop the Cavalry’ by Jona Lewie. We have changed the words slightly but added them so you can sing or dubba, dubba dum hum along.

 

, ,

Christmas 2014 – Brazen

Frozen Parody by Steam Traction World – Brazen

No one can deny the appeal of Frozen throughout 2014 with Disney Frozen toys set to be some of the biggest sellers this Christmas. Steam Traction World have launched their Christmas campaign called Brazen – a wonderfully witty take on a ‘typical day at the office’

Parodies are nothing new with Steam Traction World taking on the John Lewis advert the Bear and the Hare last year with their own delicious twist. Which will triumph? Brazen had over 2,500 views on Facebook within the initial 24 hours of launch and has been presented earlier – one day before the John Lewis Monty the Penguin advert of this year, and a whole month earlier than the STW Bear and Hare of last Christmas. Have a look – see what you think. Do You Want to Build a Showmans?

Steam Traction World’s Frozen Parody – Brazen had over 2,700 views on Facebook within the initial 24 hours of launch

Brazen, the name given to the presentation this year, was very apt as it has two meanings: 1. Bold and without shame – very apt for a parody and 2. Made of Brass, again so apt for Steam Traction World

Your Comments:
“Very well done guys it’s brilliant” Edward Jones

“Good one again, and as I served on HMS Brazen during the Kuwait / Iraq conflict even more special to me” Neil P Cotgreave

“I think you got the sinking in the mud part right at the GDSF this year, well done.”
Philip Keith Gomez
“Really good video” Laura Rolph

“Brilliant :0)” Diana Brown
“Superb well done chaps” Steve Hull

“Well done good but to be fair not quite as good as your kits lol”
Alex Wilson

“It’s really good. Well done to the singer” Trudi Werrett

, , ,

Christmas 2013 – The Bear and the Hare

John Lewis Parody by Steam Traction World – The Bear and the Hare

John Lewis Bear and the Hare Parody The best advert around for Christmas (again) the Bear and the Hare by John Lewis has been a huge hit – here’s our version albeit not costing the reported £1m of the John Lewis advert to make and £6m to air, for a bit of fun for Christmas. All the artwork for the backgrounds have been redrawn, the characters have been changed (slightly) and there is, of course, a slight twist to the original. We hope you like it – Merry Christmas!

A bit of fun for Christmas with our (slightly) cheaper version of the John Lewis Bear and the Hare Christmas Advert – Enjoy!

Thanks for all the feedback to our Christmas extravaganza (ahem) we launched our version of the Bear and the Hare on 10th December on Facebook with over 15,000 people viewing the post throughout the festive period!

“Another excellent advert” – Brian Steele
“Excellent , merry Xmas folks” – Richard Raven
“Merry Christmas to you all, I love the bear and the hare” – Stephen Honey
“Brilliant. liked and shared” – John Webb
“Haha great video” – Joy Rogers
“Brilliant!” – Kelly Thrower
“A clever spoof, the bolt dropping down like a snowflake was brilliant” – Rambling-Sid Rumpo

, , , ,

Christmas 2012 – The Showmans

It’s how it all started with our Christmas present. An endearing ‘quality’ to this film that started something of an annual Steam Traction World tradition.

It’s a Merry Christmas from Steam Traction World. This year our festive treat is based on the classic story of The Snowman. Isabel starts with a piano solo, Steve is the ‘Sticks’ and Dean is obviously wearing trousers that are far too tight!