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War and Peace back at the Hop Farm !!


Meekumslr

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I cannot express how overjoyed I am to see the long term deal with the Hop Farm, Paddock Wood.

I have booked my stall as a trader and just cannot wait this year.

Dates are released for 2017, 2018, 2019 & 2020.

congratulations are truly in order to the new organisers.

Here is the link for the press release http://Ift.tt/2kA9eBF on twitter.

Edited by Meekumslr
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I wonder if everyone will want to be in exactly the same place as when the was held last?

 

Who will be I'm millionaire's row

 

Let's hope (apart from the trade )it's all moved round

 

When you say millionaires row, are you talking about traders?

if so, which row is that? My missus likes the sound of that!!

some people have requested their original spot and to be honest, I dont blame them.

For us, as traders, it is the same as exhibitors (which we once were).... Meeting good old friends, sharing fine (normally French or Italian) wine and slipping away from the stall to enjoy the show.

we have asked to be pitched near to friends who weve made over the years just the same as any other exhibitors.

However, she still keeps on asking about 'millionaires' row (deluded....its not about the money).

Thanks anyway, for raising the bar for me this year!

Neil.

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I have just received the email notification from W&P.

It is certainly good to know that Beltring will be Beltring again. The unwieldy

"War and Peace Revival" tag just did not roll off the tongue the way "Beltring" did.

Besides that, everyone knew what you meant

by "Beltring" even if it was a geographically vague term.

Some things just have to be!

 

Some points for discussion:

1) I was told that the reason for the move down to Folkestone was that the owners of the Hop Farm (don't know if it is the same people who now own it) were wanting too much slice of the takings. Hopefully W&P have a very well thought out and solid

contract with options that lock in terms for decades to come?

2) Have the new owners of W&P bought the Hop Farm?

3) Folkestone was a much larger venue, will the Hop Farm be making a similar amount of space available?

4) Get ready for the complaints about the toilet facilities and lack of water by Thursday of the event to become a hot topic again- probably another one of those things that just have to be! ;-)

 

Regards

Doug

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One thing; Surely they can drop the Revival part of the name to save us asll a bit of time saying WPR

 

Larry

 

Hopefully!

 

The original name was "War and Peace Show", so still 4 words.

 

Although, nobody except Rex and co referred to it as that. "Beltring" was by popular use, although it took me some effort to locate it on a map back in the early days of the internet. Apparently, it is a historic locality name.

 

The name change was a legal thing due to the parting of ways with the previous Hop Farm owners.

So there may still be legal reasons why it can't revert to "show".

 

If I was in a mischievous mood I could suggest that everyone bombard the new W&P owners with emails complaining about

the toilets at Beltring....... ;-) Ah, nostalgia....

 

There will probably be a groan at South Kent Water too when they get the news. I well remember when the demand saw the taps

run dry IIRC late Thursday or early Friday in 1999. Wonder if the reticulation system has been improved since or will South Kent

again have a water crisis thanks to all those strange people in old army tanks?

 

Regards

Doug

Edited by dgrev
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Although Beltring was originally the 'Home' of W&P. I must say I REALLY liked the Folkestone venue! Not just because it was only up the road from me.

 

I REALLY enjoyed the fresh feeling of the greenery & the MASSIVE amount of space you could spread out in! to Me & others, the ATMOS there was excellent! Sure there was a feeling of 'Anti' towards the 'new' owner of the show. For the way he imposed fees for simply attending with your vehicle(s) & the imposition of a fee for 'admin' towards showers & toilets.

The lack of free transport for Armour. Which was a show decider, & 'must see'. For a LOT of members & Public alike.

 

but when we sat down & discussed it. Where else could you get facilities & a show atmos like this for the attendance fee being charged? So we swallowed it, & accepted what had unfolded. After all, it was THE show to go to, no?....

 

Beltring: With it's 'Memories' of Dust & Filth that stuck to your vehicle even when it rained! The glutinous mud that abounded when it rained also.The abysmal toilets & showers that were an epic FAIL in everybody's view!......The lack of space to spread out if you didn't get a pitch early!......

 

Yes I will go to Beltring again. As it is THE show, but with slight reluctance on my part. As I grew to REALLY like & Enjoy Folkestone!.....I'm SURE the uppermost thought in most peoples minds now will be: 'Is 'He' going to charge the 'extra admin fee' for toilets & showers. And FAIL to provide sufficient/ efficient Facilities also?......

 

It is bad form though, to charge for the facilities. For people who would not need them. I for one, have modified my set up so I am totally self sufficient. but when filling out entry forms. you are left with NO CHOICE. As to whether you wish to engage with the 'facilities' or not! you STILL are FORCED to pay. If you wish to enter a vehicle etc........Clever, or Greedy Marketing Strategy? You decide.....

 

just my own thoughts laid here. I'm sure there will be many who disagree? But that is Freedom of speech, which we are supposed to 'enjoy' in this country?.....:nut:

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It’s true that everyone liked the more civilised restaurants and cafes at Folkestone but all I can suggest is that there is a business opportunity for someone to invest in Beltring and provide the same. A few Nissen hut type 'NAAFI' establishments in Beltring site placed where they used to have the fun fair would do very nicely.

 

As for Folkestone racecourse the site itself was IMHO not well suited to an MV show as it was too far to walk to the far end for the public to see.

 

Also in the old days of Beltring I liked to see the tracked vehicles doing a run around the boundary in the evening!

 

I suppose we will still have to pay £35 per vehicle

 

Lastly does anyone know if a certain group from North London will be invited?

Edited by LarryH57
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I would have liked to have done Folkestone too as the facilities sounded much better than the Hop Farm. But travel from the

other side of the world is not cheap or easy, so unfortunately, I have missed out.

 

As to the arena, pulling up google maps and going to earth view shows what purports to be a recent aerial photo. Granted I haven't

been there since 2000, but the arena looks nothing like I remember it. But I also was not viewing it at the time from 1000'

above (not about to fork out for that *&^%$ helicopter ride).

 

Correct me if I am wrong, but was the factory in the south west corner there, or is it on land that was formerly Hop Farm and

where the off road course once was? I also seem to remember a back gate in that area and a side road which was convenient

to nip down to Paddock Wood. The gates all had names IIRC along the lines of "MacArthur Gate" etc?

 

Regards

Doug

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The arena at Beltring, is perhaps a touch smaller than Folkestone but has the added advantage of a viewing bank for the public, and isn't part of a one way system!

 

It was a bit overgrowd in August 2016 as in this photo but should soon be churned up to look like it always did!

 

028%20-%20Copy.jpg

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