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War and Peace back at the Hop Farm !!


Meekumslr

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Caption compo' to the above pic?

 

"Its not how big it is; its what you do with it!"

 

Presumably the War and Peace website will be fully revised in line with the new venue.......I hope so, because currently the featured road convoys would be about 120 miles of driving to get down to Hythe and back! Mind you......

Edited by matchlesswdg3
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Hopefully the arena is still in place!!!

 

Was last year for Mitary World 😊

 

Race course was a good venue in its own right and - my personal opinion only - would have grown to be a second Beltring if (a) Rex had continued to run things and (b) the council wasn't so set on building a housing estate.

The new owners got off to a bad start with having the show in a new location, essentially slagging off MV owners as scroungers for having their family come with them and then charging for facilities whether used or not. I know a few PW owners who either took offence at his comments and never went or who, having gone, were upset at the arena timetables where the emphasis was primarily on WW2 instead of the nice mix we had grown used to.

It will be interesting to see the site plans for the Hop Farm given the new guys stated intent of having having history in a "time line".

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It is still the scroungers part that made my wife decide not to go anymore. She can hold a grudge a lot longer than I can.

 

I have been told that the new owners objected to the "free" list that Rex had. Whether this be for traders, friends, long time attendees, family of exhibitors etc.

It is his business, he can make the rules, but the punters will respond each to their own. Having it get out so early that he thinks so many are scroungers does not appear to me to be a wise approach to PR with his customers.

Time will tell which attitude prevails.

Does the objection also apply to assisting armour owners with transport? I know Rex was pretty kind hearted (or was that

PR and business savvy?) in that regard and if you were taking armour it was a fair chance he would transport it for you free,

PROVIDING you were willing to comply with his schedule, which could be as much as 2 weeks before and after Beltring. Which meant up to 5 weeks that your vehicle was not in your possession. Nobody has ever told me how Rex managed to keep the

vehicles secure and not have stuff disappear off them. Also, who drove them on and off the transporter at the Beltring end,

which would be a major concern for me if it was my vehicle?

 

At the end of the day, at least the show still exists, which it very well may not if the new owners had not bought it. I have not

heard why Rex so precipitously exited, the cynic in me says it was savvy business and he was able to get a quick sale and presumably the £ amount he wanted. On the other hand, there may have been personal reasons and he just needed to unload

and not have it all drag out.

 

As to the Beltring location, hmmm. My Dad used to say to me "the first rule in business is NOT to give someone else control of

your business". It all fell apart 5 years ago with respectively 2 different owners, we shall see what happens this time around.

Being beholden to a rental situation, such as is the arrangement for this year on, where you have to fit in with an

existing business would not be my idea of business nirvana. Then, just to make life more complicated, a whole heap of re-enactors are in the mix, digging holes all over the place, building "props" and dragging in all manner of stuff. Then the tracked armour owners show up and plough large areas into a churned moonscape. I do wonder if the Beltring owners have really grasped the scale of a real W&P as compared to last year's Military World?

I do wonder if they have a clue just how many people are going to want to shower, shave and s___ every day and what

that really means to their infrastructure.

 

Regards

Doug

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It is still the scroungers part that made my wife decide not to go anymore. She can hold a grudge a lot longer than I can.

We were all called "Scammers" but the red wording across the entry form, " It is a 5 show not a 3 day or 4 day show no one will leave before 6am sunday, if you are unable to meet this criteria then DO NOT APPLY!" ... so we all complied and did not enter, another arrogant insult and another reason why so many boycotted last years show !

Edited by Nick Johns
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We were all called "Scammers" but the red wording across the entry form, " It is a 5 show not a 3 day or 4 day show no one will leave before 6am sunday, if you are unable to meet this criteria then DO NOT APPLY!" so we all complied and did not enter, it was the final arrogant insult and why so many boycotted the show !

 

Really?

 

So no real world appreciation that some people have to travel the length of England (or further) to get home, pack away everything, do the washing, ironing, prep for work, get the kids ready for school and then turn up bright eyed and bushy tailed on the Monday and be meaningfully productive?

 

It would have got under my skin too.

 

The classic new broom sweeping too clean.

 

Although it is not 1% of W&P, our equivalent out here is Corowa. Maybe as much as 40% or more of the attendees roll in from vast distances in Oz on the Friday, usually appearing about 2pm onwards, catch up with as many as possible, do the Saturday morning street parade and swap meet then are gone by lunch time. It is astonishing just how the numbers collapse Saturday

arvo. Getting the Friday off work to make the trip is doable, getting the Monday off too is something most bosses won't tolerate

as the majority find that too annoying to roster around. The alternative is being forced to take 2 weeks holidays to get the

Friday and following Monday. I can't imagine it is much different in England?

Sounds to me that the new owners at W&P have either never worked for someone else or have forgotten what it means to do so and that time off is at the boss's pleasure not the employee's!

The keener Corowa attendees tend to leave on the Sunday at whatever time they get moving, I will add that they tend to be the

ones who have been there since Wednesday or so and are retirees and have the free time.

 

Regards

Doug

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I have been told that the new owners objected to the "free" list that Rex had. Whether this be for traders, friends, long time attendees, family of exhibitors etc.

It is his business, he can make the rules, but the punters will respond each to their own. Having it get out so early that he thinks so many are scroungers does not appear to me to be a wise approach to PR with his customers.

Time will tell which attitude prevails.

Does the objection also apply to assisting armour owners with transport? I know Rex was pretty kind hearted (or was that

PR and business savvy?) in that regard and if you were taking armour it was a fair chance he would transport it for you free,

PROVIDING you were willing to comply with his schedule, which could be as much as 2 weeks before and after Beltring. Which meant up to 5 weeks that your vehicle was not in your possession. Nobody has ever told me how Rex managed to keep the

vehicles secure and not have stuff disappear off them. Also, who drove them on and off the transporter at the Beltring end,

which would be a major concern for me if it was my vehicle?

 

At the end of the day, at least the show still exists, which it very well may not if the new owners had not bought it. I have not

heard why Rex so precipitously exited, the cynic in me says it was savvy business and he was able to get a quick sale and presumably the £ amount he wanted. On the other hand, there may have been personal reasons and he just needed to unload

and not have it all drag out.

 

As to the Beltring location, hmmm. My Dad used to say to me "the first rule in business is NOT to give someone else control of

your business". It all fell apart 5 years ago with respectively 2 different owners, we shall see what happens this time around.

Being beholden to a rental situation, such as is the arrangement for this year on, where you have to fit in with an

existing business would not be my idea of business nirvana. Then, just to make life more complicated, a whole heap of re-enactors are in the mix, digging holes all over the place, building "props" and dragging in all manner of stuff. Then the tracked armour owners show up and plough large areas into a churned moonscape. I do wonder if the Beltring owners have really grasped the scale of a real W&P as compared to last year's Military World?

I do wonder if they have a clue just how many people are going to want to shower, shave and s___ every day and what

that really means to their infrastructure.

 

Regards

Doug

 

Don't know about "Free lists" - the only free part I knew of was that for long standing members of IMPS who got in for free - the gist of the comments as I understood it was that MV owners were"only" paying the entry fee for their vehicle and bringing the whole family in for a weeks holiday. Well - for many people it WAS their annual holiday. I'd have to go dig out the (CMV??) article that carried the remarks to be 100% certain. For sure he totally ignored the fact that to have a show he relies on said MV owners paying the fuel bills out of their own pockets both for the trip there and back as well as the running around whilst there - arena, convoys etc. The large gaps in the fields last year bore silent witness to the numbers so affected.

 

As for armour movements - I can only speak as to my experience and that was Rex offered to pay a % of the cost - usually 50% which I felt was fair. If your vehicle, like mine, did not fit on his unit then you could either deal with Ovendens who invoiced Rex directly so you only paid the 50% or used your own nominated firm, paid them in full and then submitted the invoice to Rex. In my case where ever possible I dealt with Ovendens and the total cost was between £900 to £1000 for the return trip. Meant I only had to find £450 to £500. Schedule-wise they would collect the vehicle the week before the W&P week and collect it sometime in the week after the show finished. At the Hop Farm there were usually people on site during thus time who kept an eye on the vehicles. Not sure about the Racecourse. Loading and unloading of mine was done by me. I'd meet the truck at the store and load the OT on then drive down to the show and unload it. Reversing the process to get back home.

 

As for the new owners - I tried getting an answer out of them for months regarding whether or not they would continue to honour this cost sharing arrangement - got to March last year and still could not get an answer beyond "we'll know in a couple of weeks" which had been the standard response form the prior September so I wound up having to sell my OT-90 as W&P was now the only show it went to because of transport costs and no way could I afford the whole £1,000 :(

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I like the seperate fields layout of the hopfarm as well as the shortcuts (from America field) to the arena.

Never liked the one way driving system at folkstone.

Also the evening driving and Friday evening tank ride I missed at Folkestone.

 

Yes the hop fam can be very dusty and muddy but that never bothered me.

Also the hop farm hade diferent weather? I remember less wind and the wind coming form the same direction instead of turning during rain. It did get colder at night at the hop farm in my opinion.

 

Also were we were at Folkestone, on the edge of the WW2/postwar field we hardly saw any people walking by.

Combined with the few vehicles driving around made it boring when at our pitch in Folkestone.

I think the scale of the area combined with the open view stopped a lot of people to continue walking further. The patchy layout of the Hop farm didn't look as big which may have prompted people to walk further.

Edited by Enigma
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The booking in page for WPR looks a bit more promising in that it says the site is open from Wednesday, rather than don't come if you cannot be there all the time. Lets hope this is the case

 

https://tickets.warandpeacerevival.com/ticket/5

 

 

I think that refers to Wednesday the previous week for setting up. The show opens on Tuesday as it did last year.

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Yes, thats correct, Richard. When you use the online booking form, you will see that site availability starts from the 17th and you choose your arrival date. I am pretty sure that like last year, actual arrival and departure will work the way it always did and the organisers are just trying to encourage folk to stay for the duration with their usual level of diplomacy! "Flogging will be continued until morale improves"

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Well, we have attended all of the Beltring and Folkestone shows from the start and are delighted to be back 'home', warts and all.

Clearly there are always improvements to be made but ultimately it is, for us, the place where we have made many friends and where our children have joined in.

I sincerely hope that it is a sucess for all involved.

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Yippee!- count me in! can't wait to get back there. I always thought the hop farm a laid back event, with flexibility, tolerance, and Rex has always been an excellent organiser and host (could anyone else do such a great job?)

Note to the new guys-drop the vehicle entry fee

It takes a lot of time and money to prep and bring armour to a show, so organisers can then charge for people to come and see your vehicles

Armour transport-providing transport costs will bring a lot more tracked vehicles back to the show

result-more arena action, more statics-more punters=higher gate revenues.......

polishing up me armour-------

Terry

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Yippee!- count me in! can't wait to get back there. I always thought the hop farm a laid back event, with flexibility, tolerance, and Rex has always been an excellent organiser and host (could anyone else do such a great job?)

Note to the new guys-drop the vehicle entry fee

It takes a lot of time and money to prep and bring armour to a show, so organisers can then charge for people to come and see your vehicles

Armour transport-providing transport costs will bring a lot more tracked vehicles back to the show

result-more arena action, more statics-more punters=higher gate revenues.......

polishing up me armour-------

Terry

RE: 'Laid back with Flexibility'. Yes agreed, but it's not Rex;s 'Baby' any longer, is it?.....

 

'Drop the entry fee' TOTALY agree Terry! I don't know of any other show that charges entrant's these days? (If a member of a vehicle owning organisation) FULLY concur with the expense & logistics involved for US vehicle owners to get to a show! No entrants = NO SHOW!!!!!!!!......& it is obvious, that a LOT of people have voted with their feet so to speak. & did not attend due to the above points.....

 

The new 'Owner' of W&P has it in built, with the 'Admin Fee' of an extra £10 for toilets & showers. You have absolutely NO CHOICE on this topic!.......Good 'Marketing'...or simple greed?....

 

it was ALWAYS a bone of contention, regarding the terrible state of affairs. Over toilets & showers at Beltring. Will the new 'Owners' rectify this, as they tried to do at Folkestone?........they SHOULD, if they 'force' you to pay the 'Admin Fee' of £10......

 

Who is looking forward to having their tents stolen, As well as equipment this year?..........Another 'Bonus' at Beltring!!!.....

 

Mike.

Edited by ferretfixer
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Spoke to the W&P team yesterday had a few positive comments from them about the old/new site and transport to the show regarding tanks, we will wait and see what becomes of it ! I was not planning to go this year but going back "Home" for the show has changed my mind may be there with armour or not we will wait and see what the deal is.

 

Al

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In Oz, outside dunnies are also known as "Thunder Boxes".

 

I would imagine that the ones at the Hop Farm have been described

in much more uncomplimentary terms than that........

 

We don't appear to have any nicknames for Port-a-Loos that

I can repeat on a public forum.

 

Out here they are an object to be avoided if at all possible.

Combining our heat and flies, gives a sauna like temperature

that is dangerous to your health with an over population of

insects just to add insult. I will leave the rest to your imagination.

 

There are worse scenarios than the Hop Farm.

 

Regards

Doug

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Goes back a lot earlier than WW2. The 'Polite' term was to refer to it as '' La boîte qui tonnerre' from at least the time of the Norman Conquest. :writing:

 

You were there at the conquest weren't you?

I think we met at Hastings...:box:

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