Newark Steampunk Festival took place in and around the market place on bank holiday weekend

Hundreds of Steampunks flocked in their finery to Newark at the weekend to showcase their creativity.

Newark Steampunk Festival took place in the Market Place over bank holiday weekend with craft stalls, fashion show, a gala ball held in Newark Town Hall, a pirate-themed cruise on the River Trent and communal teaparty in the gardens of Newark Parish Church.

From industrial Victorian-inspired creations, to fantasy with fairies, there was even a visit for the first time from Steampunk vehicles.

Sonya Mullarky took inspiration from the classic Victorian tale of Around The World In 80 Days to create an outfit with a theme around transport and time.

She said: “We’ve been helping to promote Steampunks in Newark for a while now and it’s really just taken off.

“The event is incredible because we’ve been wanting to get the Steampunks community to Newark so they can see what we have to offer and eveyone seems to love it.”

Maggie Baker, said: “I didn’t know I was a Steampunk until 2014 when the lady I bought my clothes from told me, because I like to dress up wherever I go.

“I sometimes go into second hand shops and pick things up, put outfits together and see what works.

“Somebody asked me what this all was and I just told her think about if you were a Victorian, it would be whatever your idea of science fiction is and it’s as big as your imagination.

“When I was a teenager, I used to try and fit in, but I realised that you just have to embrace who you are and wear whatever you’re comfortable in.

“I’ve been walking around smiling to myself because nobody knows who I am and I can be whatever I like.”

Jenny Garside, owner of Wyte Phantom, handcrafts corsets which many steampunks use to accessorise their outfits.

She said: “I’ve been making corsets for about 25 years now. It was a hobby at first, then I was made redundent and thins became my full time job and I love it.

“It can take anywhere from six hours to six weeks to make one, depending on how much detail I’m putting in.

“I get bored of making the same thing, so I like to just create whatever weird and interesting thing is in my head.

“The first festival I went to was in 2008, but I’ve been a Goth since I was a teenager and some friends introduced me to the Steampunks.

“I moved to the midlands just before the first lockdown, so Newark is local to me now and I just love it here.”

John and Jools Broadhead first got involved with the Steampunks when they retired a few years ago.

“We decided to go along a military theme, I loved the jacket and so we put together outfits that compliment each other,” said John.

“The theme is generally Victorian but people can go in whichever way they want, whether it’s engineering, militaria, fantasy. I’ve said now for many years that anything goes.

“There’s so much going on, there’s a gala ball in the town hall, there’s a pirate cruise on the river and they’ve held a teaparty in the church gardens and we turn up by the hundreds.

“We are fortunate because the north has so many events which people travel from all over to visit and Lincoln, which is the biggest, is right on the doorstep which can get 20,000 Steampunks all in one place.”

Phil and Mary Mathison travelled to the festival from Hull and took inpiration from the fashion of classic Westerns during the late 1800s.

Phil said: “There’s quite a strong strand of Americana within the Steampunk community, but then there are airship bosuns, mermaid catchers, Martian explorers, there’s a whole ragbag of personas.

“We went up to Whitby Goth Weekend one year, admired the outfits and loved the idea of dressing up in elegant Victorian fashions.

“Then we got introduced to the Steampunks who are a little more lighthearted, whimsical, H.G Wells, Jules Vern, alternative histories and we’ve been along for the ride ever since.

“We came to the Christmas festival last year, we thought Newark is a such gorgeous place and we love coming back”

Mary said: “There are some amazing outfits and what I think is incredible is that it’s encouraging the younger ones to get more creative.

“Because you can’t just go out and buy exactly what you want, more and more people are making clothes and taking up leather and metal work.

“So it gives access and a creative interest to a whole new generation which I think is great.”

Andrew Spencer took inpiration from The Rocketeer with his outfit.

He said: “I’ve been a Steampunk for over 15 years. I first got involved as a way to do something with my son.

“It’s escalated from there and now I go to conventions dressed as Captain American, Batman and other characters too.”

Amanda Harvey and David Jackson are recent converts to the Steampunk culture and ran a stall at the festival.

“It’s just good fun, there’s no prejudice. There’s only two rules, be nice and have fun,” said David.

“You wear whatever you like and you see people’s creativity coming out,” said Amanda.

Some people took their creativity a step further with one amateur engineer, John Adlington, creating a Steampunk inspired robot called Victoria Wood.

John said: “I’ve got a few different robots I take to events including a dog and a talking dragon.

“I first saw the Steampunks in Lincoln, got talking to people and one thing sort of led to another.

“My niche is that I like making robots and so I try and make a new one each year.

“They have programmed animations, so they can move and wave their arms, blink etc. Unfortunately a lot people think Victoria is creepy but I love it.”

Neil Flinn was a stallholder at the festival and travels to events up and down the country, saying: “There is no wrong or right with the Steampunks.”

The Newark Steampunk Society is always looking for new members, so if you’ve been inspired, why not give it a go?