It’s full steam ahead for some very traditional British fun this Easter weekend.

Now in its 15th year, the Historic Dockyard’s annual Festival of Steam and Transport promises classic transport displays and everything from running steam trains to street jugglers.

Distinctive sights and smells will transport visitors back to the age of steam. See the engineers working up a sweat in the Railway Workshop.

The dockyard’s own trains will be running along the entire site as well as travelling in a special enclosure, where visitors can watch the engines pulling their wagons. Make sure you don’t miss the finale – the Parade of Steam – which will showcase the heavyweight visitors.

Vehicles dating from 1890 to 1990 will jostle for attention as the heavy metal, while military might will be on show along with veteran emergency services, motorbikes and kit cars. The star of proceedings will be a free traditional funfair with rides to take some on a trip down memory lane and others to new heights.

The funfair features rides such as a carousel, Masters of Preston Chair-O-Planes and funfair favourite the Ferris wheel, plus Punch and Judy shows and a tin can alley.

The festival brings vintage engines, cars and locomotives along with street acts for two action-packed days.

Visitors can wander through the maritime heritage site and dip into the festival’s highlights, or try some of the regular activities on offer from joining one of the Call the Midwife tours to climb aboard the three historic warships.

Motion Picture Motors will be there with stars from the big and small screen, including Mr Bean’s Mini and the Mustang Fastback and Dodge Charger from the 1968 Steve McQueen movie Bullitt.

LIVE MUSIC

The dockyard’s programme will be music to your ears.

There’s a range of walking entertainment and live music across both days. Vibrant street performers Cosmic Sausages will be providing plenty of party atmosphere, while the six piece Gator Dog Snappers bring a taste of the Deep South to the dockyard with their New Orleans gospel-inspired sounds.

Among the other bands are modern folk band Little Beach and Kentish soul veteran Clea Llewellyn.

Steam of another genre also comes to the dockyard in the shape of the popular Steampunk Village, with its Victorian-inspired fashion and gadgets, plus fairies, music and entertainment from the likes of Pretending People Theatre, Victor and the Bully, Mandi Harkett and Moth and Scarlet Butterfly.

DETAILS

The Festival of Steam and Transport is at the Historic Dockyard, Chatham, on Easter Sunday and Easter Monday. For details visit thedockyard.co.uk or call 01634 823800.