LoggyDriver Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 Well. Drove down in the truck on Thursday and arrived at 17:00. There were only a few people there when I turned up, and that's pretty much how it stayed all weekend. I went in the Arena on Saturday, along with a Bedford RL in light green and a Ferret and that was the sum of the Post War Heavy and Armour effort on that front. Looking around, there were hardly any spectators. I decided not to bother on Sunday because of this. We went into the bar in the evening on Friday for the only "free" entertainment of the weekend. The band were playing 40's Glen Miller type music and I have to say they were excellent. It's a shame that Saturday and Sundays entertainment was at a price of £10 per head. This ensured a low turnout. The facilities at T&T are excellent. It's a real shame that the show seems to be winding down. I've tried to be positive, but charging people £10 per head for evening entertainment when we spend a fortune on fuel is just not on, especially when money is tight. I heard the burger van was selling burger and chips for nearly £8?????? Also don't forget the £17 entry fee for the public:wow: I enjoyed the show, but the lack of exhibiters, public, trade stalls, funfair people running a diesel generator past 1am, and high cost has swayed me to Overlord next year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blue red blue Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 yep i agree, we went here for the 1st time as we always go up to overlord,2 stalls that sold military item is an pretty poor turnout, and if it wasnt for the living history part it would of just been a small standard weekend mvt turnout. i got the feeling that most of the public where there for the museum side of things and they popped out to to have a quick look at the military stuff, where as a show that is set up just for military stuff gets bigger crowds who are more interested etc. as loggydriver said, this shows days are numbered im affraid:( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoelH Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 (edited) I have had experience with the show, I went down with the Tank Museum when they took their Leopard there in 2008: It was a good event, as you can see from the photo's there was a large turn out then - its a shame not as many people went. Cheers, Joel Edited May 31, 2011 by JoelH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
terryo Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 Hi , we went to trucks and troops on thurs evening and the show seemed to be even smaller this year , only one burger van selling burger n chips for £7.60 , bargain !!! we pre booked the evening entertainment tickets hoping it,d be worth the money but it did look more like a fancy dress party than something for everyone , did,nt bother with taking our truck around the arena as there appeared to be no one watching anyhow , the one good thing was the d-day tour on the friday evening , which was an impressive sight and was the high point of my weekend , i think i,ll have to seriously consider going next year as it cost us £160 in petrol alone , i know the weather was,nt great but the show does seem to be getting smaller even tho it,s supposed to be the mvt national show , at one end of the scale you,ve got trucks and troops with excellent facilities and a poor turnout and war and peace with terrible facilities but high turnout and exibitor price , i,m probably asking too much but is there any show that could have the best of both ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blue red blue Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 overlord Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welshbayonetww2 Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 It was nice to meet you there. As you know we are fairly new to the MVT. We've never been to the event before, and we were looking to bring our vehicles down to this event, possibly next year. We were dissapointed as there were so few different vehicles around and it didn't help that they were so spread out. Aslo hardly any traders and lack of MoP interest in the displays, specially the arena events. Shame about the windy weather too. bit chilly!!:-) But not all bad. Met some nice people, very friendly. Missus was really pleased with all the useful advice she got about doing up her new(ish) series 3 FFR. I agree with you the facilities were excellent. Drooled over a couple of nice Kubelwagons! Doug & Jo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LoggyDriver Posted May 31, 2011 Author Share Posted May 31, 2011 Last year was quiet and I had my doubts then, but this year quite frankly was terrible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
118thsignalsregiment Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 It is a great venue weather/petol cost has to be the issue here I think? My report/photos is on the 118th Blog under June Ops Report feel free to look/comment! http://118thsignalsregiment.blog.co.uk/ Thanks to all who we met over the weekend at our camp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oily Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 Well you are all more than welcome to join in our show, next year, at OVERLORD 2012 ! A real show, for real enthusiasts, put on by real enthusiasts, and yes, we are the best of both worlds!.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fv1609 Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 /petol cost has to be the issue here I think? To some degree yes, but I decided to more than double my fuel bill by going to the other one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blue red blue Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 if this was the mvt national show i would be asking where is the support for the local mvt, over in the vehicle field there seemed to be more 9x9's and 12x12's then wagons. the cost to get in played a big part, if show a charges x £ to get in and for that you get a big arena, mock battles and big tanks etc and show b charges 3 or 4 times as much just for a car park arena for a few landies and trucks to drive round in then people wont turn up Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smithy Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 I don't like to slag shows off as the organisers spend a lot of hard time and work in pulling these events together, but I must say I was really disappointed with Trucks & Troops. After a number of good reports and reviews in previous years we made the decision to attend this year, but I think it might also be the last time that we go. I think one thing that doesn't help it is it being located at Beaulieu, the facilities and room to put the show on are great but the show isn't helped by the fact that the public have to pay £16.75 to get in as you are paying for the whole Beaulieu experience whether you like it or not! Despite all of this there were a couple of vehicles of interest that I hadn't seen before and a few other nice examples along with some good re-enactors as well. I will post a few pictures up in a bit once I have sorted through them. To end it was good to meet up with Andy (LoggyDriver) again and I will see you in a few weeks at Wartime in the Vale . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blue red blue Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 would be interesting to hear from the show bods to see if they were promissed all the good things to turn up etc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smithy Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 As promised here is a selection of photo's which I took at the event starting with some very nice Bedford MW's. More wartime: Post War: And the star of the show: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M5Clive Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 A couple of points to consider from me - for what its worth! An MVT National Show based right on the South Coast is nowhere near central for the rest of the country and as a result, is inevitably going to suffer in attendee numbers. Considering the astronomical costs of fueling our wagons (I never take my Jimmy's into a petrol station forecourt for less than a £50.00 fill, which for many typical MV enthusiasts represents a noticeable chunk of their weekly income), traveling 150 mile+ around-trip to attend the shows like we used to on Southsea Common back in the 80's and 90's is now for many people, cost prohibitive. Sadly, when an event suffers bad weather (which is nobody's fault) over consecutive years which results in attendee's leaving early and empty rally fields, the shows (wherever they are) gain a reputation for A) miserable weather and B) poor attendance - and this ultimately effects the level of vehicle entree's at future shows. On a personal note, the advertising for the 'Trucks & Troops' shows doesn't actually really appeal to me to drive my WWII trucks the 400 mile around trip to attend the event (with or without an MV), choosing to support events much closer to home and this I think, is a sign of the times. As I have said before, static shows do little for me, although I notice from the above comments that the highlight of the event from at least one person was the convoy. Interestingly enough, convoy events are what I have chosen to specialise in when it comes to organising events and I think they offer the entrant a different level of participation rather than just a static show. The fact that many MVT events are now publicised as 'including road run' indicates the keen interest their is for MV convoys - something I realised in 1991 when we organised our first 'Red Ball Express' bash in Wiltshire. I also think that leaving a sensible gap between shows also improves attendance. I have been totally taken aback with the level of interest in the 'Our Little Friends Wartime Weekend' we are putting together in July up here on the Eastern fringe of the country. With the show taking place the weekend before Beltring, I never expected it to attract the level of interest that it has, but then it was 2007 when we did the last WWII convoy (Operation Bolero) here in Suffolk - Time Flies. I think the success of an event is all about listening to what people want and reacting to there input. I have been critical of myself over certain decision that were made about Bolero in 2007, and as the co-organiser, I have to take these points on board, listen to peoples constructive criticism and try and improve on things for subsequent events. Whenever I plan an event, I put myself behind the wheel of a GMC on a Friday night and I am arriving at the show in the rain. I have been on the road for a few hours, the kids are complaining and I just want everything I need upon arrival to be on-hand. As a show organiser you can't help the weather, but you can make provision for it. Every person that books into a show that has my name at the top is demonstrating a leap of faith in both their time commitment and their wallet - The last thing I want to do is let those people who have put their trust in me down and I wont rest until I consider that I have done everything I can to make their participation in the event wholly worthwhile. This can only be achieved by being motivation by passion. If an event organiser is motivated in other areas, this will effect the overall result of the show. Just for the record, I have never been to the MVT National 'Truck and Troops' show so I cannot pass any judgement myself on either the event or the organising committee. My comments above are just my humble opinion on event organising in general and do not reflect on the MVT per say or their National Show(s). That said, I know my parents went to one of the first Beaulie MVT shows and had a thoroughly enjoyable time over the course of the weekend! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chevpol Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 nice piccys, I like the TACR2 Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blue red blue Posted June 2, 2011 Share Posted June 2, 2011 i did here somewhere a few weeks back that the big wigs at the MVT want to have the national show at different locations around the country every yr, that gives all the mvt clubs that are able to run something like a national show the chance to do so Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maverick Posted June 2, 2011 Share Posted June 2, 2011 I'm a proud MVT member but i stopped going for all the reasons people have posted, Overlord is the place to be and i think its going to be very busy next year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LoggyDriver Posted June 2, 2011 Author Share Posted June 2, 2011 I think the small touches go a long way too. I like to have a plaque, as a keep sake and momento of a show I've been too. It's just a small token of thanks for making the effort to help make the show a success. This show is supposed to be the MVT National show and yet you don't recieve a bean!!!! I've had excellent brass plaques from pretty small steam events, so I'm sure the National Show could provide one. A member of the team introducing themselves would also be nice. It happens at other shows I attend. I never saw one person go round at T&T. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corin Posted June 3, 2011 Share Posted June 3, 2011 Well you are all more than welcome to join in our show, next year, at OVERLORD 2012 !A real show, for real enthusiasts, put on by real enthusiasts, and yes, we are the best of both worlds!.... Couldn't agree more strongly and looking forward to returning. On arriving very late friday night we were still guided to our pitch by helpful and extremely courteous staff even though booking in had ended hours before. The next morning having not made it to the booking in tent, armbands were brought to us! As the weekend went on we were made to feel nothing less than extremely welcome. If all shows were like this there would be a lot of very happy exhibitors/ vehicle owners etc. Cheers for a great weekend. Corin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oily Posted June 3, 2011 Share Posted June 3, 2011 Some great comments coming our way....keep 'em coming... Exhibitors at our show 'OVERLORD', are always treated as guests..... If you didn't turn up we'd not have a show! Please, come again next year, ...who knows, maybe some of you might actually join our 'Band of Brothers,(and sisters!)... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thedawnpatrol Posted June 9, 2011 Share Posted June 9, 2011 I have to say, that although i agree with the comments about a decline in attendance, my wife and i, and a good few friends from the North Oxfordshire MVT have been attending from the first show, i must say that we have come to think of it as a chill out weekend, where else could you camp for free for upto 5 days in such lovely settings ? Yes, it costs us fuel, but if you can't afford to run these vehicles there no point owning them ! The Road run was very good, very well organised, the despatch riders were excellent also. Shame about the weather......................but thats England! We'll be there next year too ! Jules Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dan.wc52 Posted February 21, 2012 Share Posted February 21, 2012 Well you are all more than welcome to join in our show, next year, at OVERLORD 2012 !A real show, for real enthusiasts, put on by real enthusiasts, and yes, we are the best of both worlds!.... This would suggest that I am not an enthusiast!!!!! Many things have been addressed and points of views listened to. The road run that I organised that was very well received and will be back this year. Yes the show had low points in 2011 but when over 70 vehicles that are booked in deciding not to show up the organisers can't be solely to blame. So we hope that the show will bounce back this year and we are looking forward to attending both shows for a change. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian L Posted February 21, 2012 Share Posted February 21, 2012 I have to say, that although i agree with the comments about a decline in attendance, my wife and i, and a good few friends from the North Oxfordshire MVT have been attending from the first show, i must say that we have come to think of it as a chill out weekend, where else could you camp for free for upto 5 days in such lovely settings ?Yes, it costs us fuel, but if you can't afford to run these vehicles there no point owning them ! The Road run was very good, very well organised, the despatch riders were excellent also. Shame about the weather......................but thats England! We'll be there next year too ! Jules Well said Jules, we'll be there again this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.