Clinton News-Record, 1984-09-05, Page 30Page 10
Earl and Martha Heywood from Wingham will be or hand to provide musical entertain-
ment at the weekend show. The country and western performers have been taking part in
the thresher show for the last two decades. (Shelley McPhee photo
451
Thresherman's Reunion
has entertainment for all
Watching large steam engines, model
engines, shingle machines, braker fans, hay
presses, gas tractors and engines, horse
power and hand fed separators at work is
still the main attraction at the spectacular
Blyth show. However, the reunion also
features many old time crafts, contests and
musical entertainment.
The indoor Craft show, clown acts and
puppet shows, step dancing and fiddling
contests are included in the fun.
Musical entertainment also includes an
afternoon show put on by country and
western performers Earl and Martha
Heywood of Wingham and Old Tyme Music
by the Heritage Fiddlers of Komoka. The
Heritage Fiddlers will also play the high
stepping music for a Saturday evening
dance in the arena.The dance starts at 9
p.m. and winds down at 1 a.m.
The Brussels Legion Pipe Band will enter-
tain on Friday. The Clinton Legion Pipe
Band will perform on Saturday and Sun-
day's entertainment line-up features the
Mount Forest Cameron Highlanders and the
Wingham Optimist Band. '
No celebration is complete without a
parade and the. Blyth Thresher Reunion
features four of them. $team engines, old
cars and tractors will roll around the com-
munity park in three parades, on Friday,
Saturday and Sunday, starting a 4:30 p.m.
As well,, the Village of Blyth will be
celebrating Ontario's Bicentennial with a
gala parade, scheduled to begin on Saturday
morning at 11:30.
More than 30 floats and two bands will
wind their way through the village streets in
the hour long parade. The parade route will
follow Dinsley Street, along Highway 4 to
Wellington Street and west to the communi-
ty park.
Official opening of the reunion will be held
after the village parade.
. The 23rd annual reunion will Conclude on
Sunday with a giant morning service at
local churches and on the grounds at 10:30
a.m.
From the start of the show on Friday at
1:30p.m., Saturday at 9 a.m. and Sunday at
1:30 p.m., there will be something for all
ages and interests at this family styled
country event.
6LYTH
Best Wishes
to the 23rd Annual
Reunion
Geo. Burkholder
AUTO BODY
COLLISION REPAIRS
AND REFINISHING
24 HOUR TOWING SERVICE
523-9474 j
1
.Bigger,,: beuer each year
By Shelley McPhee
•In 1962 local threshermen met in Blyth for
the first time to show off their giant 'steam
machines. Approximately 400 people attend-
ed the event.
In the past two deaceds the reunion has
grown beyond the originators' • wildest
dreams and in 1983 more than 12,000 people
attended the three day event.
The annual reunion, has grpwn from a
steam engine display to a full fledgedcoun-
try style family affair, with exhibits and
contests of interest to all ages.
Huron Pioneer Thresher and Hobby
Association past president Wayne Houston,
his wife Bea and family have been involved
in the show for 15 years.
It all started when Wayne bought a steam
engine. Bea recalled, "It was a big deal
when he brought it home. I never realized
what was going to. be involved, I thought it
was a small- gas engine. My first reaction
was where we'd put it."
Wayne's interest in steam engines did not
come as a complete surprise to Bea. As she
explained, "He'd talked steam engines for
years."
Wayne has always found a challenge in
fixing engines and repairing old steam,
machines appealled`to this,sense,
He explained, "You can .have one of the
roughest days at work. Then you start work-
ing on an engine and in half -an -hour you
don't` know the world exists:"
*Threshing shows havebecorne -a family
tradition for the Houstons, Wayne has just
finished a term as president of the associa-
tion„ and Bea is second vice president.
Before that she was publicity chairperson
and official babysitter. Wayne boasts that
his wife is, "the push behind the whole cot-
ton pickin' business."
Their son Bob of Owen Sound co-ordinates
the steam engine section of the reunion and
daughter ,Joan, also of Owen Sound is in
charge of the craft display.
Eventhe young Houstons get involved.
Wayne and Bea's 8 -year old granddaughter
has never missed a show. She was only six
weeks old when she attended her first
thresher reunion.
It's the entertainment; the fellowship, the
competition and ,the fun that draw families
like the Houstons to Blyth each year.
Farm machines are unique
By James Friel
The Threshermen's Reunion in Blyth is a
gathering of hobbyists and fans dedicated to
preserving the machines and the memories
of traditions of an unique period in history.
So it follows the special events derived from
the old farm machines are of a unique
nature as well.
Last year, the special events were not
finished during the weekend so both Satur-
day and Sunday, September 8 and 9 are
devoted to the three major skills to be
showcased.
On September 8, belt settings' with trac-
tors, log sawing and bag tying are featured,,
The belt setting competition requires a
two-man team to set a belt from an idle trac-
tor to a threshing machine. The team using
the least time to complete the connection
and set the thresher's feeder to take in
sheaves of wheat wins the race.
This competition i3 repeated on Sunday,
September 9 but with a major difference:
the threshing machines will be driven by an
original steam engine instead of a tractor.
The boys' and girls' under 16 divisions in
bag tying and log sawing started just last
Welcome to
Blyth's 23rd Annual
Pioneer Thresher
Reunion
While driving through
drop into
CLINTON
DOMED
EAT
r
>1
WEST SIDE OF HWY. NO. 4
41/2 MILES NORTH OF CLINTON
WATCH FOR OUR SIGN
, .. and pick up a price list on our
bulk meats and compare!
We hove a wide variety - from
beef steaks and roosts - spore,
ribs - smoked pork chops - smok-
ed sausage - smoked. cod , -
seafood - pizzas - vegetables -
mushrooms - and morel
Buy by the case or by the pound
- we have weigh scales/
SEE OUR WEEKLY
SPECIALS IN FOCUS
OPEN: MON.-SAT. 9 A.M.-6 P.M.
`CALL COLLECT 523-9508
year and proved to be very popular. The
youngsters raised withfamily and friends'
interest in the 'old steam driven machines
can finally get involved and develop the
traditional skills only their elders could
compete at in the past. Thelog sawing has
especially captured the interest of the boys
12 and up. •
"It was something we could do to keep the
kids interested in steam engines," said
Marian Hallahan, secretary of the Huron
Pioneer Threshers and Hobby Association.
Other youngsters try -their -skill- °irr-thet,,
races. "Most of them are our kids but other
children wander over and get involved too,"
said Mrs. Hallahan.
Men's and women's events remain un-
changed. While the log sawing requires a '
simple cross cut in all four divisions, the bag
tying criteria are a little tougher for. the two
older _ classifications. The bag must -'be
knocked over and rennin tied as a test.
Both first and second place finishers are
rewarded for their efforts. First place wins
a trophy and second place receives a pla-
que.
GOLDEN
HARVEST
KENNELS
• Boarding of dogs and
cats —
• Grooming
• Golden Retriever puppies
available now.
ROBIN G. WILEY, D.V.M.
Hwy. No. 4, North of Blyth
R.R. 2, Blyth, Ontario
NOM 1H0
(519) 523-4443