Photos of British revellers at the Great Dorset Steam Fair
- Text by Huck
- Photography by Theo McInnes
![Photos of British revellers at the Great Dorset Steam Fair](https://images.huckmag.com/tco/images/Huck/437A5231-scaled.jpg?w=1920&q=75&auto=compress&format=jpg)
Every summer since 1969, around 200,000 people descend on the sleepy village of Tarrant Hinton for the Great Dorset Steam Fair. The five-day event takes place over 600 acres, and usually consists of exhibits of traction engines, tractors and farm machinery. There are also sections for classic cars and commercial vehicles, working shire horses, rustic crafts, along with many other curious displays.
Photographer Theo McInnes attended the event last year to document the festivities and the colourful characters in attendance. “The vibe was strange: lots of big, drunk tattooed men looking at tanks and race cars,” recalls McInnes. “It was like going to a festival that was purely for farmers and war-enthusiasts.” McInnes’s vibrant photos show men staring at monster tanks, clutching pints and driving tractors, and children playing on the rides in the blazing hot sun. McInnes says there was also a “good element of family fun to it”, with “lots of kids and happy families” milling around, adding that “It felt quintessentially British”.
With the exception of three years of closure due to Covid-19, the Dorset Steam Fair has taken place annually. This year, however, the event has been cancelled due to rising costs, calling into question the future of large-scale events in the face of inflation. In this context, McInnes photos – which offer an intriguing snapshot of contemporary Britain – might be seen as preserving a tradition with a precarious future.
![](https://images.huckmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/437A5135-scaled.jpg?w=1920&q=75&auto=compress&format=jpg)
![](https://images.huckmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/437A5144-scaled.jpg?w=1920&q=75&auto=compress&format=jpg)
![](https://images.huckmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/437A5179-scaled.jpg?w=1920&q=75&auto=compress&format=jpg)
![](https://images.huckmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/437A5279-scaled.jpg?w=1920&q=75&auto=compress&format=jpg)
![](https://images.huckmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/437A5409-scaled.jpg?w=1920&q=75&auto=compress&format=jpg)
![](https://images.huckmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/437A5686-scaled.jpg?w=1920&q=75&auto=compress&format=jpg)
![](https://images.huckmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/437A5688-scaled.jpg?w=1920&q=75&auto=compress&format=jpg)
![](https://images.huckmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/437A5726-scaled.jpg?w=1920&q=75&auto=compress&format=jpg)
![](https://images.huckmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/437A5773-scaled.jpg?w=1920&q=75&auto=compress&format=jpg)
![](https://images.huckmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/437A5884-scaled.jpg?w=1920&q=75&auto=compress&format=jpg)
![](https://images.huckmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/437A5925-scaled.jpg?w=1920&q=75&auto=compress&format=jpg)
![](https://images.huckmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/437A5940.jpg?w=1920&q=75&auto=compress&format=jpg)
![](https://images.huckmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/437A6044.jpg?w=1920&q=75&auto=compress&format=jpg)
![](https://images.huckmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/437A6047-scaled.jpg?w=1920&q=75&auto=compress&format=jpg)
![](https://images.huckmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/437A6055-scaled.jpg?w=1920&q=75&auto=compress&format=jpg)
![](https://images.huckmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/437A6410-scaled.jpg?w=1920&q=75&auto=compress&format=jpg)
![](https://images.huckmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/437A6479.jpg?w=1920&q=75&auto=compress&format=jpg)
![](https://images.huckmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/437A6480.jpg?w=1920&q=75&auto=compress&format=jpg)
![](https://images.huckmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/437A6483-scaled.jpg?w=1920&q=75&auto=compress&format=jpg)
![](https://images.huckmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/437A6516-scaled.jpg?w=1920&q=75&auto=compress&format=jpg)
![](https://images.huckmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/437A6526-scaled.jpg?w=1920&q=75&auto=compress&format=jpg)
![](https://images.huckmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/437A6540.jpg?w=1920&q=75&auto=compress&format=jpg)
![](https://images.huckmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/437A6601-scaled.jpg?w=1920&q=75&auto=compress&format=jpg)
Follow Theo McInnes on Instagram.
Enjoyed this article? Like Huck on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.
Latest on Huck
![Autism cannot be cured — stop trying](https://images.huckmag.com/tco/images/Huck/shutterstock_2322534063.jpg?w=1920&q=75&auto=compress&format=jpg)
Autism cannot be cured — stop trying
A questionable study into the ‘reversal’ of autism does nothing but reinforce damaging stereotypes and harm, argues autistic author Jodie Hare.
Written by: Jodie Hare
![Bristol Photo Festival returns for second edition](https://images.huckmag.com/tco/images/Huck/Hashem-Shakeri-from-the-series-_Staring-into-the-Abyss_.-%C2%A9-Hashem-Shakeri.jpg?w=1920&q=75&auto=compress&format=jpg)
Bristol Photo Festival returns for second edition
After the success of it’s inaugural run, the festival returns this autumn with exhibitions, education and community programmes exploring a world in constant motion through still image.
Written by: Ben Smoke
![Documenting the life of a New York gang leader paralysed by gun violence](https://images.huckmag.com/tco/images/Huck/web-Eyanna-has-always-been-Maliks-primary-caregiver.jpg?w=1920&q=75&auto=compress&format=jpg)
Documenting the life of a New York gang leader paralysed by gun violence
New photobook ‘Say Less’ is a complex yet humanising look into a life wrecked by gun violence and organised crime.
Written by: Isaac Muk
![The woman who defined 80s Hip Hop photography](https://images.huckmag.com/tco/images/Huck/7_ULTRAMAGNETIC-MCS_NYC-1990.jpg?w=1920&q=75&auto=compress&format=jpg)
The woman who defined 80s Hip Hop photography
A new exhibition brings together Janette Beckman’s visionary and boundary pushing images of an era of cultural change and moral panic.
Written by: Miss Rosen
![In photos: the dogs of Dogtown](https://images.huckmag.com/tco/images/Huck/saguy_dogtown_02_RGB.jpg?w=1920&q=75&auto=compress&format=jpg)
In photos: the dogs of Dogtown
A new photobook documents Venice Beach’s four legged friends and their colourful cast of owners.
Written by: Isaac Muk
![Inside the battle to stop coal](https://images.huckmag.com/tco/images/Huck/DSC00173.jpg?w=1920&q=75&auto=compress&format=jpg)
Inside the battle to stop coal
As the legal challenge against Britain’s first deep coal mine in 30 years reaches the High court, we talk to activists at the centre of the fight to stop it.
Written by: Ben Smoke