Jump to content

Bart Vanderveen award - a few words.


Jack

Recommended Posts

1ST of August 2005 I started HMVF. 19th July 2008 we won the Bart Vanderveen award for outstanding contribution to the military vehicle movement.

 

How did we go from zeros to heroes in under three years? It is simply – it is because of all of you, you have made HMVF what it is and I thank you for that. HMVF was and continues to be only as good as its members.

 

For us to be recognised with such an award is truly moving. It isn’t easy to explain to you how a moment, an experience like being awarded this award from the ‘hobby’ takes you. It is all slightly surreal. I haven’t been in this hobby three years yet so it makes this acknowledgment, this nod approval of what we are doing even more profound.

 

Before I go any further I must publically thank some people who have helped me get HMVF to this position. There is one guy who has been a massive supporter of me and that is my dear friend Kev Hollis from Dorset – he was the guy who made my family and I so welcome in this hobby and continues to be a great campaigner of HMVF and its vision…if everyone had this guys enthusiasm for the hobby then we would all benefit.

 

We then have the corner stones of HMVF – the moderators. I am trying to find a different term to moderators, as the team, Snapper, Lee, Bodge and Mark do more than moderate, these guys helps shape and mould the direction of HMVF. It is important to understand that to be successful in anything you do you have to have a 1st class team around you, you need dependable people. You need a team that is focused and driven and when something needs to be done – it gets done. This is what we have with the HMVF team. It is a thankless task so I am pleased that this award is to them too as we wouldn’t be here without them.

 

Now to Joris – that Dutch guy. I so wish he was there on Saturday as this guy is a true star and it is all of his hard work that we have what we have. His IT skills and dedication to HMVF has enabled me to put my visions together and I personally owe him so much. He has always sorted out the mess’s I have make with regards to the ‘back end’ of all three sites and he worked tirelessly when we lost the site some months ago. This is in between moving house, having a house built and having a baby, he is also one of the nicest guys I have ever spent time with and is a great example of a Dutchman.

 

 

And to the ‘seniors’ Degsy, Richard Farrant and Clive Elliot who’s knowledge and input to HMVF really has to be publically acknowledged and applauded – these guys are awesome and have helped many members overcome the mechanically problems. They do it all for free and with good will. And to every single member who has contributed to HMVF, the reviews, reports, advice and the sharing of images and experiences, as I said at the beginning – this place is only as good as its members and that is reflected in us winning the award.

 

 

So what is the future?

To keep on doing exactly what we have been doing – because it works. Personally I have been banned from various places, slandered, sworn at and threaten with court action all because of HMVF. I hope now, by us winning this award has made it very clear that we have been doing was for the better and for the good of the movement. Yes lesson's to be learnt all round and I do seek criticism as that is the only way you can truly grow. However, I hope by us having this award may help you reflect on where you are and what part you are currently playing in this movement and now just may be a great time to sit down and rethink your strategy. Ask the hard questions, listen to your audience and customers and re adjust your mindsets and be prepared to make changes no matter how hard they are and lead from the front – a man who want change his mind – can’t change anything.

 

The old need to accept the new and the new need to accept the old. There is far too much arrogance, rudeness and unprofessionalism out there and that needs to change as I have seen complacency destroy many business’s and clubs. Trying to undermine people who have enthusiam and drive really isn't the way to safe guard the future of our hobby - it is desperate for Innovators, entrepreneurs, visionaries and forward thinking people.....

 

 

HMVF will continue to inspire and innovate and breathe some fresh air into this movement. Yes I am thinking about HMVF Radio where we will have podcasts, interviews, news etc etc and I have a meeting in September with regards to this. However, Mrs Beckett has been looking at me in her special way – the look that says stop spending our pension on HMVF…so I will have to wait and see what happens, a bunch of flowers should do the trick. I am over the moon with HMVF TV and we have 566 videos on there and they have been watched nearly ¼ million time – WOW!

 

But I now need to turn my attention to HMVF Video Ads as this is truly a great concept and the feedback over the weekend at W&P was that it is exactly what is needed and would I pull my finger out and get it promoted. I will be asking for your help on that as we need to populate it with the ads that are currently on HMVF and with all future adverts.

 

 

I also need to thanks my wife, Anne and my children as those poor so and so’s have had to sacrifice a lot with regards to HMVF and have been a massive support and have had to put up with me being grumpy when ‘problems’ arise with the site.

 

To sum all of this up I am going to use the words from Snow Track Dave as it is perfect:

 

thanks for bringing us all together here and out there on the roads and rally fields of Britain , Ireland , Europe and across the world”.

 

 

 

What else can I say? Except I am honoured to have you all as my friends - I love this hobby.

 

 

 

 

May the journey continue…..

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 57
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

TOP CREW JACK AND THE HMVF TEAM !!! I have spoken to more new friends at this years War and Peace than all the others put together ! It makes it so easy to just go up and talk to someone who you may never have met but already feel you know them as a mate ! Once again well done to everyone involved :clap::clap::clap::clap::clap::clap::clap:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

In honour of this great occasion, members will be delighted to learn that the HMVF Fire Station has now opened and needs volunteer staff. In addition to the fulltimers we are looking for volunteer Retained, Refusenik, Rebuked and Retarded firefighters to do the odd shift. Let's face it, most of what we do here is odd.

 

Applicants should measure between about that and a bit more

 

Weigh several pounds, stones or kilos

 

Be able to:

 

expand their chests or stomachs

 

Pull

 

Identify most brands of popular biscuits

 

Laugh at themselves (or laugh at Jack)

 

Training will be provided by the Beltring Turret-Totty Watch

 

Pay: :rofl:

 

Terms of service: Make up your own - we have everywhere else

 

Nee-naw

Edited by Snapper
typo
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well done again Jack this place just gets better and better!

 

And thats the amazing thing... It's not a place... its just all of us sat individually gawping at computer screens somewhere across the globe, at some odd hour of the day or night, feeling like you have mates around you! Its no coincidence that the whole 'clubhouse' running joke is picked up by nearly every new member and perpetuated because it is exactly what it feels like. A friendly welcoming environment where you can ask the most poigniant of questions or simply have a natter without fear of being laughed at or shot down, in the knowledge that your green obsession is not given a sideways look!

You've given us the best pub, best photo album, best meeting room, best telly and most concise 'Maintenance Manuals' all rolled into one.

Your drive and enthusiasm is utterly infectious and has taken the entire movement in new and exciting directions...

 

We've often spoken about entrenched issues and dated thinking within the movement and how a breath of fresh air is needed... Well mate, wether you realised it or not...you're it!

Enjoy the credit, you've earned it...

& to the 'nay sayers' ya-boo-sucks!

 

Oh and give the Dutch guy a pay rise...

Dodge and child to support now (not necessarily in that order though!)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Congratulations Jack on being awarded the Bart Vanderveen Trophy... well deserved...

 

Just like to say sorry to all those who feel a bit let down that they were not informed that Jack was getting this award, there were very few who knew about it until the very last moment, I did try to tell as many as I could a while before the event to be on the hill at 3pm but could not say why, we could not tell anyone any earlier as one look at the events programme & you would propbably of guessed what was going on, the funny bit was Jack was also telling people To be on the hill as he thought it was Snapper getting a award......

 

A while back I was contacted by Snapper asking for my help in making sure we got jack to the W&P show & was sworn to secrecy by Pat Ware & Snapper.

My first task was to make contact with Jack's wife Anne without Jack finding out, after a few weeks of trying I decided it was time for a trip to Dorset under the pretence of going to the Tank museum & hoping to catch Anne at home, Ian2b,who by this time had been let in on the plan, & myself arrived at Beckett Towers early on morning hoping to find Anne at home only to discover she had already gone to work, after a quick swim in Jack's pool we tracked down the headquarters of Jack's empire.. I blame Ian for getting lost.... the plan now was to make sure Jack was coming to W&P, after a few coffees I asked Jack where his stall pitch was going to be.... this is were the panic set in, Jack old us his booking form was still in his out tray & this was only a few weeks before the show, at this stage it looked like he may not even get a pitch & not turn up, this is where I quickly made up plan B... I told Jack that I had been up to see Rex at the W&P Office the week before & I overheard a conversation & that Snapper was going to be presented with an award at W&P & that we should be there when he received it, Jack bit straight away.

I was contacted a couple of weeks later by Snapper, Pat Ware needed to do an interview with Jack without him knowing, this is were Harry got involved, he reworded Pat's questions slightly added more of his own & sent then to Jack asking if he would mind answering them as they were for a school project, once agian we had Jack hooked.

 

We now had Jack coming to the W&P show & Pat had his interveiw, now we needed to get Jack in the Arena at 3pm on Saturday without him guessing what it was all about, I told him I would collect him at 2.30pm to go & see Snapper get his award, the evening before whilst we were all sitting around the fire Snapper suddenly announced that they wanted him in the arena on Saturday afternoon for something but didn't know what it was, Jack suddenly blurted out that he was probably getting an awarded, Jack's face was a picture when he suddenly realized that he may of spilled the beans...

 

Saturday 2.30pm I pick Jack up in the Fox to go see Snapper get his award, we were right up by the bridge waiting or another event to go in so I said to Jack I'll have a word & see if they would park us up to watch the next event, when we got waved straight in Jack just thought I had friends in high places... we were parked up for half hour before the Bart Award & all he kept saying to me was "look at Snapper, he hasn't a clue he's getting an award".

We then had to get him to the front still without him knowing what was going on so I told him that they were going to do a photo shoot with us Snapper once he had his award. Pat started his speech, Snapper was walking round shrugging is shoulders saying what's going on, Jack was still saying to me "Snapper hasn't a clue" then suddenly Jack herd the word Bart & said "Bloody Hell, Snappers getting the big one"... then came he punchline... "This years award goes to....." can't repeat what Jack said next but his chewing gum came out like a .303 .... the rest you know

 

Well done Jack

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

TOP CREW JACK AND THE HMVF TEAM !!! I have spoken to more new friends at this years War and Peace than all the others put together ! It makes it so easy to just go up and talk to someone who you may never have met but already feel you know them as a mate ! Once again well done to everyone involved :clap::clap::clap::clap::clap::clap::clap:
Spot on post.My thoughts exactly.There are many that came away from Beltring feeling the same:thumbsup:.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well done again Jack this place just gets better and better!

 

And thats the amazing thing... It's not a place... its just all of us sat individually gawping at computer screens somewhere across the globe, at some odd hour of the day or night, feeling like you have mates around you! Its no coincidence that the whole 'clubhouse' running joke is picked up by nearly every new member and perpetuated because it is exactly what it feels like. A friendly welcoming environment where you can ask the most poigniant of questions or simply have a natter without fear of being laughed at or shot down, in the knowledge that your green obsession is not given a sideways look!

You've given us the best pub, best photo album, best meeting room, best telly and most concise 'Maintenance Manuals' all rolled into one.

Your drive and enthusiasm is utterly infectious and has taken the entire movement in new and exciting directions...

 

We've often spoken about entrenched issues and dated thinking within the movement and how a breath of fresh air is needed... Well mate, wether you realised it or not...you're it!

Enjoy the credit, you've earned it...

& to the 'nay sayers' ya-boo-sucks!

 

Oh and give the Dutch guy a pay rise...

Dodge and child to support now (not necessarily in that order though!)

 

Spot on Rupert, very well put. Congratulations again Jack but you are too modest, whilst the forum would not be what it is without the great crowd on here it was YOU who had the vision and the drive to start HMVF and the determination to overcome all the difficulties, the award is richly deserved.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well done Lee for orchestrating that, seen the video, it was priceless. I have found a whole load new of friends, spoke to far to few of you, yet hope to meet more in the future. My interest and knowledge in this hobby has exploded over the past few years of being in it. With a very young family and being tied at home most nights it has been a lifeline. Keep us updated on the radio, Ive got some classic tunes to liven up the dark evenings in the garage! Snapper, Ive not forgotten you still owe me a beer!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest catweazle (Banned Member)
determination to overcome all the difficulties,

 

YOUR NOT POINTING THE FINGER AT ME ARE YOU!:rofl:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well done Lee for orchestrating that, seen the video, it was priceless. I have found a whole load new of friends, spoke to far to few of you, yet hope to meet more in the future. My interest and knowledge in this hobby has exploded over the past few years of being in it. With a very young family and being tied at home most nights it has been a lifeline. Keep us updated on the radio, Ive got some classic tunes to liven up the dark evenings in the garage! Snapper, Ive not forgotten you still owe me a beer!

 

Gets my vote too - haven't seen the video yet though! :)

 

Jack - sit back for a moment and recognize that it IS your vision that got us all together and the award is richly deserved. Can't think of a better chap to have received it. :):)

 

Then get your butt into gear and find out why the mans truck is still leaking electrickery!! :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Massive congratulations Jack, wish I was there to see you get the award. I too have a load of fun on here and have met some brilliant people, including you and your lovely family at Beckett Towers :)

I know next to nothing about MVs but love to go out with the cubed one in his truck to shows, the cubletts are always welcomed by everyone which means a lot to us. If it wasn't for this place we would have never have got to go to Bolero last year, or Uppottery, or The Plains this year, never had the chance of trying Rambos yummy cake or had a ride with the smallest cublett in Tootallmikes truck so :tup:::tup:::tup:::tup::

 

Keep up the good work mate and see you soon :yay:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

determination to overcome all the difficulties,

 

YOUR NOT POINTING THE FINGER AT ME ARE YOU!:rofl:

 

Would I do such a thing to anybody???.........On reflection... probably.:-D

Link to comment
Share on other sites


×
×
  • Create New...