M5Clive

Bloody right! - We can enjoy the privilege of charging them double!

The event is now signposted from the A143 (Bury St Edmunds to Beccles) main road. JerryKins and myself have been out all afternoon with the sledge hammer and sign posts in the drizzle! Anyone attending the event from the West, this is the route to Topcroft I would strongly recommend, especially after Wyn Davies from Wales decided this morning to cut across country from Diss via the A140 and an hour later was still in the wilds of Norfolk! Anyone coming from the East or North, I would expect to know how to find the airfield without directions!

Due to popular demand, Suzanne is once again donning her Ration Book pinny (as per 2007) and doing a BBQ tomorrow evening (Friday) on-site in the vehicle encampment area at Hardwick for all participants. The evening presentation in the Hangar is due to kick-off at 19.30 hrs, so ideally you need to have your camp set-up prior to this, partake of the food if you so wish and then be in the Hangar for kick-off. Hot drinks will be available during the interval. We have tried our best to make food available as their are no eating facilities on-site and not for several miles from Topcroft. We have been on-site all afternoon and despite some heavy rain, the site is bearing up well. PS - We have also made provision for hot food at Rattlesden during Saturday's convoy and 'NOS' is also preparing a little surprise for Saturday morning at Hardwick prior to departure!

I will allocate you three dance tickets - Children are free. Also had a result on the children's T-shirts for yourself and Joris ! Clive

For those convoy participants that are not camping Friday night at Hardwick but want to join the Bolero Convoy on Saturday morning from slightly further South, Ed Abbott and myself have come up with an alternative rendezvous point. At 09.30 hrs the convoy will arrive on the Southern End of the main runway at Eye Airfield, Suffolk, IP23 - Just off of the main A140 Norwich to Ipswich road. Here the convoy will pause for a brief look at the original runway (in its entirety) and integrate the new arrivals into the convoy, before leaving for Rattlesden. This location is very easily accessible from the A140, (literally a couple of hundred yards from the main road) and with acres of concrete available, is an ideal spot to park the vehicles up without causing lots of congestion. So anyone not wishing to travel all the way to Hardwick for 08.15 now have an alternative option.

Howard and myself have been up at Hardwick all evening, sorting out a few nitty-gritty odds and ends. Now that I have seen first-hand the camping area now that the set-aside crop has been cut, it really is much bigger than I first realised, so we don't have a problem with space. But, their has been some rain today and the forecast is not predicting the best weekend's weather of the year by any stretch of the imagination, so do bring some practical camping clothes and some decent footwear for walking across a wet and groggy field. Their is however a real buzz of excitement up at the airfield tonight and the hangar was a hive of activity. All for now.

No problems. Now the set-aside has been cut and having been on-site this evening setting up camp, I am confidant that there is no longer a problem with space!

Evening folks! Ok, so we are now just a few days away from the weekend we have all been looking forward to for many weeks. Things seem to be coming together thick and fast and I have had a few calls from participants regarding the exact event location, so here it is: Airfield Farm, TOPCROFT, Nr Harleston, Norfolk, NR35 2BG. The land owners are David and Stuart Woodrow. I intent to have some MVT Direction signs out pointing you in the right direction (if I can find them in time) to ease your final leg of the journey. We will also try to have a one-way system operating on-site to avoid heavy vehicles meeting on the narrow concrete roadways around the site, but this may not be in place until Saturday. The land owners have politely requested that we observe a speed limit of 10 mph whilst on-site (I can see the look of anticipation from the owners of the Diamond T Prime movers at the thought of such dizzy heights!) Whilst this is easily achievable for the heavier wagons, I can see some of the Jeeps and Dodges having difficult in keeping below 10 mph, but please try to respect their wishes - These are their requests and we are obligated whilst on their property to respect their wishes. The pig sheds where the livestock is kept are very close to where we will be based and I have been further asked to avoid any reason whatsoever to interfere with or startle the livestock. Pigs can be very odd animals where strangers are concerned and looking down the participants list, they don't come stranger that some of us, so please keep well away from the animals and they won't concern you! A couple of people have enquired about water on site. Their is water available from the farm outside taps (which will be marked on a map), but the supply is somewhat erratic. For example, when the pigs and being fed and watered, we won't get any water from the outside taps at all, so it may pay to bring your own drinking water with you. At the very least, I would recommend that you boil any water you get from the farm if it is for drinking, although it is a perfectly acceptable mains supply and not from a bore-hole. I will be on-site from Thursday afternoon and camping up at the farm all weekend with our caravan, so will be able to assist you in telling you where to set-up camp and where all the things you will need are located on-site. The Saturday convoy is going to leave the encampment at Topcroft at 08.30. Under the excellent guidance and navigation of our convoy route leader and dispatch rider Ed Abbott, we will wind our way down to Starston, across to Dickleburgh, cross over the Norfolk/Suffolk border and head to Eye Airfield. From there we will head to Finningham, Bacton, Haughley, under the A14 at the site of the original Haughley bends junctions and follow the road up to Harleston village. From there down into Rattlesden village, thru the village and up to the old airfield and enter the site on the crossroads just past the 447th BG memorial at Hightown Green. FUEL SUPPLY - Please ensure you arrive at the event with sufficient fuel for the days activities. If you do not have enough, please ensure that you arrive at Topcroft with plenty enough time to allow you to go off-site to get some fuel and be back ready to depart with the convoy at 08.30. Please remember that our encampment is in the wilds of the Norfolk countryside and probably 7 or so country miles from the nearest Petrol Station, which will most definitely not be of the 24 hour opening variety - You'll be lucky if they have an air line, let alone enough fuel to accommodate us lot ! The T-Shirt order has gone off to the printers and should be back by Friday morning and I have allowed a dozen over-runs, so you will be able to collect them from me on the Friday at some point. Be sure to get them washed as soon as your home and wear them with pride at Beltring the following week for all to see. Other than just a couple of vehicles drop out in the past couple of days, the list as far as I am aware still pretty much stands, so I am anticipating a goodly number of wagons to form the basis of the convoy and an exceptionally impressive GMC 6x6 selection. We will have a drivers briefing on the Friday evening either before or after the historical talk in the Hangar. We are also hoping to do a BBQ on the Friday evening prior to the hangar bash where you can get some form of burgers and sausages for a modest cost. HMVF is the place to keep returning to for any subsequent updates as the week progresses on or if I need to get any important details out to everyone regarding any change in plan. My number (as always) is their for your use if you are in a muddle or need clarification on anything either in the lead-up to or during the event. However, as I run our own business, I am still working flat-out until Thursday, so please be patient if you cannot get through first try and have to battle the phone lines with day to day customers! All for now, but I'm sure i'll think of something else before the week is out. Clive

1 x large - Brian Ward 1 x Medium - Malcolm GeoFizz

Several people have telephoned me about this since this post - i think it may be popular.................

Howard, the Area Secretary for Yorkshire MVT Brian Slingsby and four others are heading down to 'Our Little Friends' next weekend, maybe they might have some space on the trailers.........? Clive

Shame about the truck folks, but thats how it goes sometimes. Not to worry - As you say Rosie, at least you will be able to enjoy the event without both of you having hardly any sleep in the week leading up to the event! Their will be plenty of room for passengers in other wagons for sure. At least that is one less low-loader to have to find a parking space!

Mike Davies and Will Burford - 2 x large David Hines - 1 x large Nick Pennistan - 1 x small Rosie's Revised order - 1 x XL, 1 x large, 1 x XXL and if you can get child sizes, 1 x 12 yr old and 1 x 10 yr old (OR 2 x small) Brian Slingsby - 3 x XL, 1 X large, 1 x Med. (ie 5 in total)

Just to advise that regular forum contributor 'NOS' has successfully completed the rebuild of his GMC 353 270 engine in time for the big weekend and is now enjoying a week off work to recover from the experience! Wizzo !

Mike Warner (past Suffolk Area Secretary) sent me this one-liner yesterday which really amused me and I thought I would share with you! "Clive, I may well bring along the only item that I have that is currently road worthy, my BSA push bike. Sadly I cannot give anybody a lift, but would surely appreciate a tow up the hills!"

For all participants attending 'Our Little Friends' over the weekend of 15th/16th/17th July, the rare opportunity to take a flight in one of Maurice Hammond's P-51 Mustang Fighters is up for grabs. On the Saturday night during the intermission at the Hangar Dance, I will conduct a live auction to raise the highest amount of money possible (all for the various cancer charities) by offering one lucky bidder the chance to ride the back seat for a 45 minute flight over the Eighth Air Force Airfields of East Anglia. This flight can be taken on Sunday 17th (at the event) or at a later date to suit the winning bidder. So start saving your pocket money! Having been lucky enough myself to ride the back seat of Maurice's P-51 D Janie, I can wholly recommend this unique experience. Opportunities like this do not come up very often and knowing the way our world is going, almost certainly will not be available for ever and a day. So grasp this chance whilst you can and consider bidding on the night. Their will of course be a minimum reserve on the auction that we will have to stick to, but (in the interests of maximum funds for the charities) I am not prepared to disclose this figure. A full HD video camera is now fully installed and functional on one of Maurice Hammond's P-51's to capture the flight for posterity! Just as food for thought, to fly in the back seat of the Grace Spitfire, I understand the waiting list is approx five years. Three shots of the resident P-51 Mustang's at Hardwick, which one lucky bidder could be climbing aboard!

1 x large for Howard Wade 1 x XL for Ed Abbott 1 x Medium Chris Maine XXL, small, medium, large, for Hughie Saunders 2 x Medium for Gary & Sue Banks 1x small, 1x medium for Casey Bowden 1 x large, 1 x XLarge for Fred Astbury (Notes to remind me when placing the order!) PS - I was at the printers this morning roughing out the T-Shirt design and they are looking the Dog's What'zits !

Rest assured their will be no large empty spaces at Hardwick - Even the termites are moving out for the weekend to make extra space for us moving in !

Looks like your going to be a serious contender for the 'Individual that has made the greatest contribution to the event' award Richard!

Yes, take a set of good quality Jump Leads with you on the convoy in a fortnights time!!!!

I'll have all you reprobates know that I have bought this flag today, so lets not hear so much of it - I don't want it de-valued!!! Incidentally, just to put you out of your misery, it was the truck he was referring to and not the flag, but it just looked like any other ordinary GMC in the photograph that he sent me, but then I guess it would do ! The flag will be on display during the 'Our Little Friends' wartime weekend in East Anglia in a fortnights time.

I'll find out about the kids T-Shirts.

With an excellent detailed reply like that you can tell that Pete started out in the business making 1/35th Tamiya scale models - The only difference back then was that his sponge was smaller...................! I shall try your technique later this week when I have the task of stenciling both Jimmy's now that they have emerged from the paint shop.

The route certainly isn't secret - Just not yet finalised !

We can relate to this! However, 'play it by ear' as we say over here as we will be camping pretty close to the dance. But, we'll sort something out as we don't want anybody to miss the excellent music!