Whanganui steampunkers celebrate in style

Dianne Blair (left) and Terry Lobb celebrate steam style at the Rutland Arms Inn in Whanganui. Photo/Stuart Munro

Steampunkers party like it's 1899 according to enthusiast website Steamed and this week marked an international day of celebration for the movement.

Whanganui, with its Victorian-era buildings and monuments, is a perfect setting for Steampunk style and no one knows it better than Dianne Blair and Terry Lobb of Victorious Steam.

They are part of a small but growing group of enthusiasts in the region and they celebrated International Steampunk Day with dinner at the Rutland Arms Inn on Thursday night.

"We are a group of four regulars and we first got together during Vintage Weekend about four years ago," said Lobb.

"We share an enjoyment of dressing up and a love of fabrics as well as finding treasures in junk shops around the region."

The other Victorious Steam regulars are Leslie Peddie and Sally Rogers who joined the Thursday night dinner along with 16 other guests.

Blair is a member of Whanganui's ukulele orchestra and the group provided the post-dinner entertainment on Thursday night.

For the uninitiated, Steampunk is set in a world where steam and natural gas, not coal and electricity is still the primary power source.

To find out more visit the Victorious Steam (Whanganui) Steampunk Facebook page.