eddy8men

you sound like my kind of guy ray, good luck with your quest. just one word of advice. when you find your tank don't listen to all the doubters and nay sayers just go ahead and follow your instincts and go and get it. all the best rick

carriers could still be useful for many tasks after the war ended, there was a major morrell of the reme who settled in yorkshire after the war and ran a garage, when the surplus carriers came up for disposal he bought a 1000 with the intention of stripping them and selling the parts but he also used a few on other tasks like the salvage of 3000 tons of iron ore from a ship wreck that was only accessable at high tide. it just goes to show how versitile these little machines were. if the name major morrell rings a bell with some of you it's because he's the same fella that designed the churchill na75. rick

that was paul visser's loyd, it was a very thorough restoration, i had a good look round it at beltring and a chat to the fella's that rebuilt it and they really went to town on the detail so much so that i felt a little guilty for the bodges i'd used on my carrier, maybe next year i'll have time to get it a little better. rick

jagdloyd, i like it :cool2: rick

i can't put my finger on it but there's a certain freedom or "joie de vivre" that beltring seems to evoke in people, it's this that makes the show special. you can feel it in the air. if the show were to be rigid and controlled then why would anyone bother to drive to kent when they can see re-enactors at lots of shows locally, same goes for the vehicles. it's the beltring spirit that pulls people in from all over the world and this should be welcomed not condemned. god knows there's enough regulations and petty rules in everyday life to stifle the spirit of any man. a little freedom now and then is a good thing rick

yes that's right the trailer was from fletchers, £100 for 5 days hire which was a fair price just don't tell the guy we put a carrier on it or he won't let us borrow it again by the way the 2 diamond t's are still in his yard gently rotting away !!! rick

driving your valentine john was the highlight of the show for me, i liked it so much i might just have to acquire one :cool2: although how you get in and out of the drivers seat is beyond me, it must take a lot of practice and the spine of a snake. by the way don't worry about the gear selector bracket as by the time you're ready to fit it to your carrier i'm sure we'll have met again at some event (beltring 2020):-D . all the best rick ps. kev pm sent

hi fella's took the carrier to beltring and with a little help from andy (ferretkit) we managed to get there in one peice, the original plan was to tow it down behind my van but luckily andy stepped in with his rb44 and although it was a long tiring drive the rb towed it without any worries and we got to the site at 4.30 am. the next 4 days passed in a blur and before we knew it it was time to head home, next year we'll have to stay for longer. despite the carrier being far from battleworthy i decided to take it and had planned to work on it down there, however buggar all got done other than essential repairs to keep it running as by the time you've had a look around and spoke to a few people the day has gone before you know it and besides the restoration can wait but beltring only comes but once a year. all the best rick

looking forward to the resto pics. rick

just remember we are dealing with politians here so nothing is set in stone and look on the bright side if it kicks off with libya and iran they might have to have a rethink about cutting numbers. every cloud has a silver lining (unless you're a squaddie) rick

my little lad will love having a go a making those when i show him tomorrow. cheers rick

andy i actually got the bren gun first, the carrier is just one of the accessories for it . with regard to carrier rides the offer is genuine and open to anyone, after all there's no point in driving it round empty. all the best rick

finally the old girl is up and running and moving around under her own steam, we've not finished it by any means but it looks good to me (on a dark night) and it can be finished at my leisure, the important thing is i can display it and maybe get some enjoyment from driving it around the arena at beltring. so if you see a carrier named WELLAND give me a shout and jump in for a ride if you like. rick

well done, now you have the key to all the toys in the box rick

would it be better to arrange a weekend evening when more folk will be there ?

great pics ken, i really like the action sequence of the guy loading and firing his garand you can tell he's in the "zone"

close but no cigar !

well done stu you and your team put on a belting show, i heard lots of people in the crowd saying they felt honoured to be there which is something not often heard these days. i went with the family on sunday and even managed to drag the wife along and much to my surprised she really enjoyed the battles i think it had something to do with the use of so many piro's, those fx guys put on a very realistic display. she even wants to get involved in the battles next year :wow: the reason i couldn't take the carrier was that after a hard days graft getting it running and steering (just) ready to take to the show on sunday morning, i found that the trailer i'd hired was an inch too narrow. there's only me could do that :red: looking forward to next year. rick ps. i'll make sure the carrier fits next time

scary stuff !!! glad the pilot made it out of the mustang

sorry stu but the carrier is still not ready, by that i mean it doesn't have tracks on and was only started for the first time today but we're working on it tomorrow and hopefully will bring it up in the afternoon or early sunday. once again apologies for counting my chickens before they have hatched. rick

just to clarify something for me could you tell me if those that subscribed to pathfinder magazine are in the clear with regard to donating, i only ask as i can't remember where i was upto with subs or whether the magazine was still going. you know how it is when things get a bit busy it's easy to loose track. rick

hi robert sorry to hear about your mother, if it were me i think i would let a solicitor deal with it as i'm sure you've enough on your plate without going into legal matters on top of everything else, there's only so much you can deal with at one time. my condolences rick

you fella's are going to love my carrier as i've gone for the used look, i've even left the bullet holes and badly repaired wing, no doubt some will critisize me for not having a pristine vehicle but i won't let that bother me as i spent 14 years in the army and i never came across one there either :-) rick

it is nelson greens airfield i was there last year picking up some carrier track, can't remember the guy's name but he was a nice enough fella to deal with but sharp as you like when it comes to prices as he knows you can't get the stuff anywhere else, i estimated there were over 600 bits of plant on the site. a pretty amazing place to visit. rick

i'd like to go but i'll be at ponderosa instead. which is set be a humdinger