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• You can always tell when it's a bank holiday — it rains: but even regular dousings from the clouds couldn't dampen the incredible spirits of the 70,000 plus visitors and exhibitors at Commercial Motor's fourth annual Truckfest at Peterborough Show Ground last Sunday and Monday.
Whatever your taste in trucks there really was something for everyone, from the hundreds of lovingly-prepared, highlypolished workhorses entered by hundreds of large and small hauliers from the length and breadth of Britain, to White Thunder — the latest Toyata Hi Lux-based monster truck looking more like something out of a giant's Lego set.
Famous Fodens
Truckfest is certainly a place foi the unusual. Take the Foden stand for instance: not content with having its beautifullyprepared Foden 6x4 4350 flagship on display, with pictures of famous Foden trucks painstakingly painted on the cab, there was also an unusual salesman with an engaging American accent wearing a Peterbilt truckers cap. Who was he? None other than Foden's managing director Mark Pigott.
What did he think of Truckfest? "Its fantastic.— I love it" He was no slouch as a saleman either. Owner-driver George Baxter from nearby Peterborough was looking for a replacement for his ERF and was impressed by Pigott's patter.
The intemittent showers created some interesting impromptu fashions. Among the myriad of truckers' anoraks, caps and umbrellas was a fair sprinkling of natty plastic-bag hats and the highly-effective Royal Insurance bin liner cape — clearly something for a rainy day.
While the arena quickly filled up on both days with spectators anxious to see the main displays and truck parades, others were happy just to wander around the hundreds of side shows, which were selling everything from cab heaters to chimney sweeping brushes (anew way of cleaning exhaust stacks perhaps),