After all the recent tinkering with the Ford GPW and after a year of being off the road, I wanted to take Hope to at least one show this year. I'd made four local trips since I fixed the engine block and put a new head gasket on, so I'd been building my confidence for a longer trip out. With several shows moved to earlier in the year, the August Bank Holiday saw what was probably my last show of 2024, at Ryhope Pumping Station.
 

It was the annual North East Military Vehicle Club Rally and at only ten miles away, wasn't too far to take the Ford. While the event was held on Sunday and Monday, I only attended on Monday due to a poor weather forecast on Sunday. Vehicle numbers were well down on previous years, but there were loads of public in attendance, with the café selling out both days.
 

The pumping station was built in 1868 and was in operation until 1967. It is a grand example of Victorian Architecture and a Grade II listed building and an Ancient Scheduled Monument. The beam engine inside no longer pumps water, but is kept in working order and demonstrated on public open days.
 

There were around a dozen vehicles on show, plus a couple of dioramas. There were a few different vehicles the previous day, but many other people have frequently only attended one day of the show.
 

Surprisingly, there were only four Jeeps, a few Land Rovers and a mix of wartime and post war vehicles made up the rest. It's quite a laid back show and while it is usually on until 4pm, those with a longer drive started packing up mid afternoon. The public started to drift away around 3:15pm and I hung around until about 3:45 before heading home.
 

I stopped for a few more pictures of the Jeep, in a country lane not too far from home. While this was probably my last show of the year, I'll still be making a few more outings before the year is out.