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Quick question - nearly all the images I see here and in the magazines are of static vehicles. Is it just me that likes to see them in action?

As the one in the hot seat to take the blame for this year's event I would like to thank my wonderful OVERLORD crew for all their extremely hard work and good humour before, during and after the show. Thank you to all who attended with vehicles - plenty of stuff I hadn't seen before and would love to see next year plus many old friends who have supported OVERLORD over the years. All very welcome to attend OVERLORD 2014 which is now in the planning stages Thanks also to all our re-enactors for their great displays in the living history field and in the arena. special thanks to Mick Wilson and his team from the 514th for their help in staging the battle, ably supported by the 101st and valiantly opposed by the SBG. And lastly thanks to our traders - one of whom, in an atypical comment for a trader, admitted to having had a profitable show! Thanks to you all - we look forward to welcoming you back next year

More than happy to act as your radio man if my OVERLORD duties don't interfere. I have relevant marine radio certificate and a handheld unit. Work out the tide times and tidal streams - get it right and it will add 4 knots to your speed over ground, wrong and you will be looking at the same patch of oggin for a long, long time If launching in Portsmouth harbour or approaches imperative you contact Queens Harbour Master, it's a courtesy and a safety aid if you are elsewhere as a Stolly in the sea is neither easy to spot nor expected so that the cross channel ferries and the high speed cats may get worryingly close. See you at the show, whatever happens hope that you make the IoW - even with the Stolly's fuel consumption it's probably cheaper than taking the ferry!

It has begun! A few of us marked the beginning of OVERLORD by our annual drive past the King's Stone in Rowlands Castle that commemorates a visit by George VI on 22/05/1944 to inspect the Canadian troops encamped in the surrounding woods and preparing for D-Day. Rosie laid a wreath of poppies from the club in remembrance of all those involved in the invasion and liberation of Europe. For us that simple ceremony means that our show is well and truly GO! So now less than a week to go! The field marking out was started this afternoon with the first tents (cookhouse, naturally) going up tomorrow, props and show kit arriving Tuesday, road signage going out that evening, vehicles arriving from Wednesday lunchtime, traders, re-enactors ... It is going to be a busy few days for us but well worth it. And, looking at various sources, the weather will be doing its best to help with some pleasant weather in store for the weekend. Can I apologise on behalf of the club though? We seem to be victims of our own success so the forty acres that seemed so vast all the way back in 2011 will just about accommodate everyone. So it's time to be friendly with your neighbours Whether you are coming as an exhibitor, re-enactor, trader or day visitor we are really excited about being able to welcome you to OVERLORD 2013!

OVERLORD Update: This year's headline charity is Hounds for Heroes Open to Public from 0900 Sat 25 May to 1630 Monday 27th Exhibitors welcome on site from 12:00 Wednesday 22nd to 17:00 Tuesday 28th May With T&T not being staged this year we are expecting increased demand for pitches - get your application in NOW! Vehicles - http://www.solentoverlord.co.uk/blog/overlord-2013/exhibitors/ Re-enactors - http://www.solentoverlord.co.uk/blog/overlord-2013/living-history/ Traders - http://www.solentoverlord.co.uk/blog/overlord-2013/traders/ If you are coming as a visitor then check out http://www.solentoverlord.co.uk/blog/overlord-2013/visitors/ Exhibitors and traders are strongly encouraged to stay until the end of the show - be aware that Monday will look sparse because most will have packed their tents into their vehicles ready for later travel giving the impression of empty spaces. If you encounter any problems or have any suggestions whilst at the show speak to someone in a hi-viz jacket and get them to radio me - "Safety Bloke" We are finalising plans now - pm me if you have any bright ideas! We are looking to make OVERLORD 2013 the best yet - we can only do that with your help so come along and make your presence felt Regards, Rob (The bloke who was too slow when everyone else took a step backwards)

OVERLORD Update: This year's headline charity is Hounds for Heroes Open to Public from 0900 Sat 25 May to 1630 Monday 27th Exhibitors welcome on site from 12:00 Wednesday 22nd to 17:00 Tuesday 28th May With T&T not being staged this year we are expecting increased demand for pitches - get your application in NOW! Vehicles - http://www.solentoverlord.co.uk/blog/overlord-2013/exhibitors/ Re-enactors - http://www.solentoverlord.co.uk/blog/overlord-2013/living-history/ Traders - http://www.solentoverlord.co.uk/blog/overlord-2013/traders/ If you are coming as a visitor then check out http://www.solentoverlord.co.uk/blog/overlord-2013/visitors/ Exhibitors and traders are strongly encouraged to stay until the end of the show - be aware that Monday will look sparse because most will have packed their tents into their vehicles ready for later travel giving the impression of empty spaces. If you encounter any problems or have any suggestions whilst at the show speak to someone in a hi-viz jacket and get them to radio me - "Safety Bloke" We are finalising plans now - pm me if you have any bright ideas! We are looking to make OVERLORD 2013 the best yet - we can only do that with your help so come along and make your presence felt Regards, Rob (The bloke who was too slow when everyone else took a step backwards)

Have just downloaded the spreadsheet - so near and yet so far! 38 BA 13 is on there but not my Ferret - 38 BA 15 hull number 843 Scanty details: entered service 23/12/54 nothing known until 1969 when it was in Cyprus with Queen's Own Hussars and 3 RTR. Returned to Ludgershall and the 72 to 75 Cambridge University OTC when it was cast and nothing until 2004 when I bought it from an RLC Major at Azimghur Barracks, Wiltshire. My first outing on public roads was the 90 mile drive home!

Just got home after eight days working to set up run and clear away show. Unknown to many of you are the hassles we had with the embittered guy ovrr the hedge who had failed to buy the fields last time they were up for sale. He complined about everything from firing the howitzers to the noise of polesfrom 12x12 tents clanking together and tried to turn thevillagers against us Bad weather forecast for monday and fewer people through gatesdue to HM jubillee celebrations probably made some traders leave. Last day always looks as if exhibits are gone bse many people pack their canvas away ready for travel and big spaces appear. Boom boom and the rest of the guys eere gutted to leave but they had all come in the one vehicle and with a child ill in hospital what would you expect the dad to do? Just hope babby is getting better and pass on best wishes fromall at SOE Either we stay friendly and relaxed or lay down rules about turn up and leaving times. How long before our lifeblood, the re-enactors, traders and exhibitors desert us for being draconia n? If those who feel that their monday was wasted by seeing only two thirds of the350 vehicles would like to pm me with comments and snail mail address i will send them complimentary tickets for next year as a part recompense for your disappointment Rob (safety bloke) Written on mobile as broadband is still down after a week and visits by bt and talk talk with assurances now fixed pm pm me

It's now a couple of weeks since Overlord 2011 ended, just 48 weeks and six days to go to Overlord 2012. From the posts in various areas of the net and from personal contacts we seem to have got things to your liking in 2011 so what can we do to make 2012 better? We have already started planning the show and discussing those areas that need improvement, your input would be a great help. Looking forward to your comments here or on our blog http://solentoverlord.co.uk/blog Rob (Vice Chair SOE)

Thank you for your excellent report Mr. Rambo! I was that safety bloke winding up the guys in yellow hi-viz. They got a debrief with regards to radio procedure and emergency procedures and I got a very welcome and unexpected cup of tea and an excellent slice of coconut fruit cake - thank you for both! The tired and dirty Ferret that you so charitably like is mine. I had the great pleasure of allowing my mate's Dad, Robert Kill, to sit in the driver's seat. Robert is an ex AFV driver, mainly Centurions but he started with Ferrets. We established that his gammy leg was ok for pressing accelerator and brake and his good leg was fine for gear change pedalling. So we let him loose in the arena with his son up top (after the show had closed for the night) and he relived his experiences of fifty years ago. Now he wants one of his own!

Pix are being generated for use on our own site and mailed to Nicky our new custodian of the sacred bits and bytes. I couldnt resist posting this one though. Made it Ma, top of the world! I would like to thank all those who came, whether with vehicles or as spectators, the traders, the re-enactors especially the 514th and the SBG, the 101st and the 29th for their support and excellent battle displays all weekend, the public and not least the good people of Horndean who cheerfully tolerated the noise and inconvenience we caused. See you all next year

More snaps, the rest will appear on our website very soon - though I have a thousand or so to work through! 1 - the Hiller leaving the arena 2 - Dave Perks' Foden 8x6 3 - Rebecca and WO2 Hamilcar (on secondment to the SOE committee from the Sgt. Slingsby team) 4 - Royal artillery team reaching a "virtual" John O' Groats after riding exercise bikes from Lands End 5 - Darren Parsons giving his Haflinger a wee workout

Mascot and hard working team member of the dirty 13th and another shot of another demolition team member wiring up the pyrotechnics for the second battle of the day

Rather be up there at the top than only half way up. Three seconds of abject terror then no more pain against a lifetime of agony if you get it wrong. As safety officer I had to check the construction and security of the rig before allowing it to be used. The things I do for the club! xxx PS have you told Richard that I'm seeing you tomorrow night or is it still our secret?

View of just part of the show: Once I've worked out how to do it I have around fifteen images taken from here to stitch together. Any ideas on freeware that will help me to do it? Found it - and it's by MickeySoft! Works very well (see bottom of page) Microsoft Image Composite Editor - MICE

Arena manager (on the left) and helper

Baz, Photos have to be taken at the Overlord Show. Winning pictures will probably be those that we could possibly use for publicity. So the pictures you have in mind (or the pictures I have of you from the last show) will not be suitable ... Happy snapping!

Err, yes I am one of the drivers at that event (Hangs head in shame at pi@@ poor performance) It was me in the Ferret and it was my first experience of trials. Having no first gear meant that I HAD to maintain momentum which is why I treated it more like a rally special stage rather than taking it gently as you are supposed to. Great fun to drive and great un to watch - I managed to get out of the Ferret and take some snaps rom time to time - Either click on "detail" then each picture of interest or click on a thumbnail See you at the Overlord Show

Everyone is welcome to join in the photo competition that is being organised for the Overlord Show. Prizes of vouchers for photo equipment to value of £75, £50 and £25. Obviously we have an ulterior motive - to request the use of submitted photos for our publicity, photographers rights respected. How does it work? Take pictures. Send pictures to Solent Overlord Executive pool on flickr.com - if you are not a flickr member it's easy and free to join and is an excellent photosharing website Admire your pictures and everyone elses. Get pix in before closing date - midnight June 15th Await judges decision! More details at and more details closer to time / leaflet at show entrance See you at the Show

At the moment we have no free entry for HVMF members specifically. Members of the MVT have historically been granted free entry and we continue that tradition even though no reciprocal arrangement has existed since we became independent. We also are offering free entry to IMPS members this year so we feel we are offering a reasonable amount of freebies to the MV community. (We do have to try and break even each year in order to put on a show the following year!) As my good friend Bodger Baz says it is definitely free if you bring a vehicle to show. If any forum members fall outside any of the categories of exhibitor, MVT or IMPS member but feel that you should be given free entry please pm me and I'll see what I can do See you at the show!

Yeah, Baz "organises" it. Well,he belongs to the club that organises it. And he normally is the first - in the beer tent, to start a party, to play loud music, to get excessively drunk and make a fool of himself ... I'm hoping we are going to have a good show this year and that the weather will be kinder than last year. Plans have been hatching since last June. My personal wish is for more cold war era vehicles, especially from the Eastern bloc. Plans for the show aren't set in stone so anyone that has a good idea or a gripe that they want to share is welcome to reply in here or mail or pm me and I'll pass your comments on. See you all there Rob web@solentoverlord.co.uk

Don't know about open days but our club (Solent Overlord) are finding out about open days at Imber, the village on the plain that, like Tyneham, got "borrowed" by the war office but never handed back at the end of the war. Apparently there are shell-pocked buildings still standing and a lot of rusting and exploded vehicles so we are going to play a sort of "I-Spy with my little eye something beginning with - what the hell WAS that?" Open days 6pm Fri 12/8/05 to 6 pm Sun 21/8/05 then 6pm Fri 09/9/05 to 6pm Sun 11/9/05 according to the text from my friend. I'll try to find a phone number in the next couple of days, will pm you, Rich as well as post in here

Hi everyone No forum for westerneuropean vehicles? So I can't tell you about myself here? So here's a picture of my Ferret instead