Sunday 14 September 2014

Lincoln Steampunk Festival

Something rather different today, although one could say there is a fair amount of scientific equipment involved.

I went to Lincoln Steam punk Festival, another of my holiday adventures. I was (rightly) terribly afraid of looking horrifically underdressed and out of place amongst what I thought (again, rightly) would be a fantastic looking throng, so out came a black shirt, retro shades and my usually never seen in daylight bowler hat. Not so much steampunk as dismally failing goth, but better than nothing.

To the train!

It seemed odd to be heading up steep hill for an event other than the Lincoln Grand Prix cycling race, but when I got there it was worth it. So much to see and look at, and admire. Being what I am, I sometimes envy groups of outgoing people, and there was no question that the Steampunk crew of begoggled Victorian scientists, and pith hat wearing soldiers sporting badges relating to their membership of some form of Tea based regiment, was something I would want to be.

Being a fan of Verne and Wells, and the later "valvepunk" sci fi of the 30s to the 50s with Asimov and his joke analysing "Multivac", this I suppose is only natural. The practicalities of dressing like this in a town where sometimes wearing a hat makes you a target for a beating, well, that's something else.

There is a safety, in numbers.

One thing that was very noticeable that this was no youth cult. Many of the Steampunk folk were were well into their 50s, and some even older than that. As was pointed out to me by a friend, the look they sport is not a cheap one, and a fair amount of affluence might well be required to support the lifestyle. The other thing, was that it is a look that requires a little bit of weight to make it really work; skinny steampunks don't look quite right.

Apart from two people, it's a very white movement was well, the reasons for this I have no idea. They are hardly a right wing crew, after all.

The amount of material I've collected today is huge, I'll begin with thise images from the walk up the hill, and the Castle Square area where the first group of stalls were.


Waiting for the train

The crowds in Castle Square

Surprised the scooter wasn't tricked out. 

A senior gathering

Meta. Photographing one steampunk photographing two steampunks

Aesthetics versus functionality

The sun shone occasionally

The black haired woman sported horns of some description

Steampunk dog clueless on goggle wearing

The impermanence of flesh

It did indeed play a tune

Posing by accident with her wings

Retro Rommel and the flame haired girl

Slim

A group of ladies

Genteel stall owner

Militaria

Scary scary fellow

Loucheing for tea

Browsing in boots

Posing with tourists

On the Balegate

I advance, masked

Antique shop owner

He appears to have the horn

A mixed gathering

Spinal plumbing

Angel wings

2 comments:

  1. Looks like a brilliant event. I hope I find out about it in advance next time.

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  2. It was, I absoloutely loved it. Next year I'll try to do more than one day, and look a little more "the part" myself

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