POSTCARD FROM HAMPSHIRE

Bob Barton enjoys rides at the fairground, a voyage on a working steamship, revisits the golden age of aircraft and goes on the trail of Jane Austen

- Bob Barton

Trains and Boats and Planes. I found myself humming this Dionne Warwick hit from the 1960s on a recent visit to this fascinating county. I was in my element riding steam engines - trains, traction engines, even steam-powered fairground rides - on the edge of the South Downs. Later, I sailed on a steamboat and was awestruck by aircraft in Southampton.

Hollycombe (01428 724900, hollycombe.co.uk) is a woodland estate near Liphook. It boasts a remarkable collection of working steam engines. It features England's largest traditional fairground.

I visited with my granddaughter: nothing beats seeing an attraction like this through the eyes of a two-year-old. Florence shrieked with delight riding the steam-powered chair-o-plane and loved the miniature railway that traces a figure of eight around the garden. She was somewhat bemused, however, by the haunted house, with its shaking walkways, blind corners and wonky floors. Though simple by today's white knuckle standards, I am sure this antique had a real wow factor for fairgoers in 1915.

A highlight for children and adults alike is a ride on the gallopers, AKA the merry-go-round. Part of the fun is choosing your mount. There's a menagerie of animals to choose from, including cockerels and ostriches as well as horses. Built by Tidman of Norwich around 1912, the ride is driven by a central steam engine. Steam billows out of the roof and a fairground organ hammers out music as the ride rotates.