Memories of yesteryear were brought firmly into the 21st century when one of the oldest fully working steam wagons took to the road with Bishop’s Move this summer.

The company covered more than 750 miles in the historic Foden HH Steam Wagon and encouraged those who it met on its travels to enter a ‘Spot the Steamer’ photo competition on Bishop’s Move’s official Facebook page and ‘tweets’ on Twitter.

Liveried in the Bishop’s Move colours of its time, the 1929 steam wagon made its merry way around much of southern England, with pit-stops along the way at several major steam shows, turning heads and getting cameras flashing wherever it went. 

The Foden HH Steam Wagon is one of only three in existence and runs on coal and water, with an average speed of around 18 miles per hour. Restored in 1994, the wagon has an early lift-van dating back to 1901 fitted as a body, which would have been used in the early days of Bishop’s Move to ship clients’ belongings over long distances.

By the end of its journey this summer, the steam wagon, which is owned and driven by Gareth Jones and fired by his son, Ian, had prompted dozens of photos to be entered into the Bishop’s Move Facebook competition. The five best photos were chosen and the lucky winners each received a limited edition Corgi Vintage Glory of the Steam Foden with a Liftvan, as a wonderful keepsake of the memorable tour.

Neil Bishop, Business Development Director at Bishop’s Move, commented: “The Foden certainly offered a novel way to recognise just how far the company has come since those early days of its foundation, and also to reflect on how important our history is to us.”

Two of the winning entries:

Above right: Bishop's Move Foden HH Steam Wagon Heads West, by Kevin Lean
Left: Bishop's Move Foden HH Steam Wagon on the A30, by John Reeves