THE sun shone on Abergavenny’s Bailey Park for the annual steam rally over the bank holiday weekend.

Organisers had feared that the 38th Abergavenny Steam, Veteran and Vintage Rally, which took place yesterday and today, would be a washout as they have previously been hit by torrential rain.

But this year the sunny weather attracted both locals and visitors alike in their thousands.

The event has been organised by the Abergavenny Steam Rally Co Ltd since 2010, with profits handed back to the Abergavenny Rotary Club to hand out to charities within the area.

Visitors enjoyed a vast collection of steam engines, classic cars and tractors, demonstrations, displays and sideshows.

Among the highlights were a parade of steam engines through the town, a display from the Mid Wales Axe Racing Team, who cut through lengths of timber in either the fastest time or minimum blows and climbed a 12ft pole using only an axe and foot boards.

Making a return this year was an old favourite: the children’s tug of war with a steam engine. On Sunday there was a dog demonstration by Paws for Thought, followed by Black Mountains Falconry today. The falconry display team is the only one in Europe to fly red kites ‘away from home’.