colonelchimp

I know grills where often replaces by plain steel wire ones to be used as grilles.

more the case with the series 3 as the plastic ones where poor as grill plates.

they made maltese crosses to replace them.

there are few myths round land-rovers and not all of them are true. like the salisbury rear axle is indestructible. i know better

as for grilles, they might burned them clean before use, made their own or used them as is, i was not there and stories change during the years.

it's fair to say i never intended to offended you.

No offence taken, so no worries there, anecdotal stories are always full of vaguearies, and i am sure many dubious add ons to enhance the wonder of them, but luckily having australian relatives did help in verifying the fact that they did (and probably still do in some places) use them as grills, so that story at least i can verify, but like i said personally i would not want my bangers roasting over the fire being infused by the toxins given off by hot galv!! as a firefighter i am all too aware of toxins given off by hot things as i deal with that almost daily,

i had one of the maltese cross grills once on a late 2a, much better than the fragile plastic one, which is fine until you dare to touch the clips that hold it on, plastic grills .....just goes to show progress isnt always forward!! cheers woody

Hi Woody,

Good to see you on here.

You could probably tell a few tales of odd experiences in Beltring arena over the years.

 

regards, Richard

Ahhhhh the tales i COULD tell:wow:! hehehehehe but i am sworn to secrecy !! but easily bribed!!??

I dont know if it was you or not. But on a few occasions i made it to the arena i heard the same commentator during the times i was there,and during the battle with the Russians and Afgans and referrred to the afgan village as "Frenchganistan"?????. If it was you,then i can only commend you on a job well done. A natural ability to commentate and never dried up once and was able to keep the info flowing. Well done chap.

I am sure Andy Mitchell will answer this, but in the mean time, i thank you for your comments on the (my) commentary, during the russian /afgan punch up, there is no script to follow, so it is all off the top of my head, and i try to let the crowd know what the re-enactors are doing and why, sometimes it's not clear what with distance and army tactics etc, frenchganistan came from the fact that they were supposed to be in afganistan but all the street signs were in french, just a bit of fun to lighten the mood, commentating is more than talking about stuff, knowledge helps a lot, but the biggest fear is being boring!!! in that each commentator is on his own! hehehe cheers Woody,

my misses did the talk about her 109 ex RAF in the arena with the adaptions made so she can drive it.

the sunday it was just one lap while we drove in, and the story about the series 2a grill as being used as a bbq sounded like porkies, i would have loved to comment that the zinc gasses that would escape from heating it up is quite toxic.

i would also have done a lap with a bit of 4x4 just to play. had a guinness just after to calm my shakes as i don't like to be in the centre of attention

cheers,

Arjan

Hi there, yes you are right and quite wrong all at the same time, being the commentator you mention sounding like telling porkies, i feel i should answer you,

yes zinc is deadly when heated, indeed anything galvanised should never be heated but this didn't stop them using them as grill plates, they were outdoors and after repeated use, the zinc etc will have off gassed the poisons so they were just grills, not something i would like to try, not porkies as you assume, just a hole in your knowledge of landrover history and it's anecdotal stories.

as for laps round the arena, there are pros and cons, more laps means less chat with drivers, in which case the crowds could have missed your "missus" talking to me about her converted machine, which i personally think would have been a missed opportunity to encourage others to do the same, and show her determination and courage....

sometimes the seemingly most simple things that go on in the arena are more complex than you can imagine . plus you cant please everybody, some like to talk some like to drive, some just don't show up at all, and we are left with an empty arena, which pleases no one!

Hello everyone, i am woody, otherwise known by my alter ego's name, colonelchimp, not new to the military scene, but new to this forum! those that know me hello guys... those that don't........hello to you too.

I am Main arena commentator at the war and peace show, and have owned various green machines from jeeps to trucks, motorbikes etc, also been involved in military sales direct, retail and wholesale, not much to tell really, it would all be a bit boring for you i'm afraid! so thats me in a nutshell!:nut: