w896andy Posted July 19, 2012 Share Posted July 19, 2012 Well let me qualify that statement. I arrived at 8.30 this morning, paid nearly £20 to get in but then found security had locked the inner gate and we couldn't get in. Some Health & Safety person felt the main tarmac road through the site was a bit muddy so it they were not allowed to open ? A road sweeping lorry went up and down a few times (actually making it wetter not cleaner), the crowd got a bit restless, the police turned up as security didn't like people asking them what was going on !!!!! An announcement went out over the tannoy which was so badly crackling it was totally useless and nobody knew what was happening. By time the gates opened at 9.45 there were about 1,000 frustrated customers waiting. To make it all worse there were only about 60% of the stalls there compared with previous years so no real bargins and many vehicles haven't yet arrived. All in all not Beltring's best year, I know the weather has been the worst ever but it all seemed to be about a small amount of mud on the tarmac track across the front of the site not the 6 inch deep mud all around the rest of the site !!!!! Still on the upside seeing some of the vehicles driving around in the mud was great, the T34's in the arena going through mud and through the newly built village in the middle was really impressive and most of the vehicles are impressively dirty which actually makes a nice change (I have a couple of photos of T34's, a Jeep, WC63 & Bulldozer that are really great). As the day went on the sun shone and the light wind really started to dry the site up so I guess by the weekend all will be better and more stalls/vehicles will no-doubt appear. Andy :cheesy: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joris Posted July 19, 2012 Share Posted July 19, 2012 I do feel that you don't give the organizers enough credits for being able to open the show at all! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ford 369 Posted July 19, 2012 Share Posted July 19, 2012 I was there today as well and was stood by the gates when they opened just after 9.30,cant say as I saw any one really restless or any sign of the police but have to agree about the crackly message and the sweeper being fairly pointless.There were definitely less stalls but also less customers which for me led to some bargains.I didnt wear or need wellies today and certainly the sun and breeze was improving conditions,spoke to Jack and he said quite a number of dealers who turned up earlier in the week had left due to the conditions on tuesday and the (wrongly) forecast rain Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
w896andy Posted July 19, 2012 Author Share Posted July 19, 2012 Joris Sorry to sound negative I know a lot of effort goes into these things, lets qualify a bit more. I don't think it was the W&P people I think it was the Hop Farm people, the site is bad in places but generally ok if a bit muddy. The closure seemed to be only about a bit of mud on some tarmac and the sweeper was called in, which meant a delay because somebody decided the sweeper couldn't operate with people anywhere near. It wasn't needed and the sweeper made it wetter and didn't seem to cure anything, I guess the W&P organisors were likely to have been more frustrated than anybody else, none of it seemed necessary, the customers mostly had wellies on and were happy to walk through the mud and the military vehicles of course were never likely to struggle anyway. Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
w896andy Posted July 19, 2012 Author Share Posted July 19, 2012 The Policeman was stood at the front for a while, I assume called by Security but beat a hasty retreat into the corner on the other side of the gate from the Cafe. At one stage the guy at the front who was having a go at one of the Hop Farm people inside the gate accused him of running away at one point, to which his reply was he went into the corner so he could hear his radio over the noise !!!! Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
w896andy Posted July 19, 2012 Author Share Posted July 19, 2012 One of the muddier parts of the field, its not all like this of course !! And some T34's having fun in the arena. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ford 369 Posted July 19, 2012 Share Posted July 19, 2012 was the policeman the one in shorts and a police baseball cap? I just thought he was dressed up he looked a bit scruffy for a copper but he may have been the real thing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
w896andy Posted July 19, 2012 Author Share Posted July 19, 2012 Yes he was, I had the same impression as well to begin with until I heard him talking on his radio to his people, he didn't sound impressed with the Hop Farm security people and I think he really went over into the corner to get out of the way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ford 369 Posted July 20, 2012 Share Posted July 20, 2012 I really thought he was just someone wearing surplus police gear,I thought coppers were meant to look younger as you got older but he must have been the exception to the rule Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marmite!! Posted July 20, 2012 Share Posted July 20, 2012 From FB.. Evening all ..The Organisers have decided not to open the public gates to The War and Peace Show until 9.30am for the three remaining days, to allow road sweepers to prepare the infrastructure to ensure your safety. Admissions will be operating as normal and you can come through to the Hop Farm attraction, where we will provide special entertainment courtesy of Terry Elliott’s Britain at War Victory Marquee. The refreshment outlets will be open so feel free to sit back and enjoy for just a short while. Please bear with us during these extraordinary weather conditions – we promise you it’s all worth it and we very much hope you enjoy your visit to the 30th anniversary War and Peace Show. Thank you :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherman Posted July 20, 2012 Share Posted July 20, 2012 i used to drive a road sweeper for a living and the reason they closed it to people whilst it made its rounds is probably due to the fact that some members of the public are idiots, they see a truck reversing along a road and think its fine to walk directly behind it or in front of it. As for it sweeping stuff up, unless you put plenty of water down on the ground as you travel along you create a dust storm behind your truck even if its raining, as the suction of the machine normally sucks the moisture out of the dust. Also if you don't put a lot of water down the suction box becomes covered in a layer of mud that eventually blocks the suction tube, and you don't realise its happened until you turn round and see the trail of dirt that you've left. I also was there early and knowing it had been raining heavily a few days before me and the missus came prepared with wellingtons and the knowledge that some of the ground would be muddy. Thats my rant over and done with. Sherman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ashley Posted July 23, 2012 Share Posted July 23, 2012 Well let me qualify that statement. I arrived at 8.30 this morning, paid nearly £20 to get in but then found security had locked the inner gate and we couldn't get in. Some Health & Safety person felt the main tarmac road through the site was a bit muddy so it they were not allowed to open ? A road sweeping lorry went up and down a few times (actually making it wetter not cleaner), the crowd got a bit restless, the police turned up as security didn't like people asking them what was going on !!!!! An announcement went out over the tannoy which was so badly crackling it was totally useless and nobody knew what was happening. By time the gates opened at 9.45 there were about 1,000 frustrated customers waiting. To make it all worse there were only about 60% of the stalls there compared with previous years so no real bargins and many vehicles haven't yet arrived. All in all not Beltring's best year, I know the weather has been the worst ever but it all seemed to be about a small amount of mud on the tarmac track across the front of the site not the 6 inch deep mud all around the rest of the site !!!!! Still on the upside seeing some of the vehicles driving around in the mud was great, the T34's in the arena going through mud and through the newly built village in the middle was really impressive and most of the vehicles are impressively dirty which actually makes a nice change (I have a couple of photos of T34's, a Jeep, WC63 & Bulldozer that are really great). As the day went on the sun shone and the light wind really started to dry the site up so I guess by the weekend all will be better and more stalls/vehicles will no-doubt appear. Andy :cheesy: Hi, i know some dealers had problems with thier marquees....... as each one had to be towed in as the vans could not cope with the mud on the stalls site. Ashley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ashley Posted July 23, 2012 Share Posted July 23, 2012 well the saddest sight i saw (on a day when vehicle was stopped) was a freelander try at least thirty times to drive in to a parking area in Monktons ,and refused a tow from officials saying it was good fun..... of course he was finally towed in by an official and when he got out of the car he too wore an officials t-shirt......about sums it up . Ashley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ferrettkitt Posted July 23, 2012 Share Posted July 23, 2012 Mud so what I didn't manage to slip on my butt I used my common sense and didn't move the RB44 until the ground hardened up. On arrival at 06:30 hours we drove down one of the roads with the gloop on it towing the carrier on a trailer and when the vehicle started to slow down rather than dig ourselves in we headed for a firmer spot and unloaded the carrier and proceeded on without the dead weight. Grub wise I asked my better half to stock up on trays of food and water from Makro. Preparation is the key to enjoying the show and thinking outside the box on what you might need when you arrive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArtistsRifles Posted July 25, 2012 Share Posted July 25, 2012 Mud - what mud???? Image copyright Stuart Gould. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ferrettkitt Posted July 26, 2012 Share Posted July 26, 2012 Mud - what mud???? Image copyright Stuart Gould. Like that a lot Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cellstar Posted August 22, 2012 Share Posted August 22, 2012 These guys are ready for the W&P mud next year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antar Posted August 23, 2012 Share Posted August 23, 2012 These guys are ready for the W&P mud next year. [ATTACH=CONFIG]66765[/ATTACH] He won't be allowed in as he has the wrong shackles on the front. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N.O.S. Posted August 23, 2012 Share Posted August 23, 2012 Love the bobbed front wings and bumper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alixcompo Posted August 23, 2012 Share Posted August 23, 2012 In 2012 two remarkable things happened despite the nay sayers. The Olympics were better than Sydney and created an overwhelming surge of national pride And War and Peace went ahead despite all those claiming H & E and apathy would prevent it. I celerbrate being British Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m109a3uk Posted August 23, 2012 Share Posted August 23, 2012 Hear hear. In 2012 two remarkable things happened despite the nay sayers. The Olympics were better than Sydney and created an overwhelming surge of national pride And War and Peace went ahead despite all those claiming H & E and apathy would prevent it. I celerbrate being British Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enigma Posted August 24, 2012 Share Posted August 24, 2012 Hear hear. Don't forget the foreigners who drove through 3 or 4 countrys, took the ferry only to get stuck in the mud. I enjoyed it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alixcompo Posted August 24, 2012 Share Posted August 24, 2012 I only went from Essex but that can be a bit like driving through three or four countries..!!!!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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