A MINIATURE steam gala event will be held in Basingstoke this weekend for the 14th year, offering visitors the chance to ride trains, see steam vehicles and more.

The Basingstoke and District Model Engineering Society will hold the annual event at Viables Craft Centre on April 12 and 12 from 10am to 4.30pm.

The two-day event, which will be free for all to enter, promises to be an event that will be 'fun for all' to 'delight both steam enthusiasts and families looking for a fun day out'.

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Set on the large field by the craft centre in Viables, attendees can take a look at, and even get the chance to ride, steam vehicles including traction engines and lorries.

Visitors can also take part in a tombola with a variety of prizes, as well as enjoying refreshments at a number of stalls serving drinks and snacks.

Many of the businesses at the craft centre will also be open, including the Parlour Tearoom and Ma Humbugs on Saturday.

Rides will also be offered on the Miniature Railway all weekend, for a small charge, with the Garden Railway operating its small-scale steam locos.

The miniature steam gala was first held in April 2011, with the group starting the event to 'show model traction engines, road vehicles and similar models in steam, operating in the open air'.

After receiving hundreds of visitors at the inaugural gala, as well as Traction engines from across the UK joining in, the group decided to hold the event annually.

BDMES was founded in 1976 to provide a friendly club atmosphere for people interested in maintaining and preserving Britain's industrial heritage by capturing it in miniature form.

The steam gala will be free to enter, with free car parking also provided.