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War & Peace Revival 2014 - If you no longer attend why not?


LarryH57

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Thinking about friends from across the water - I would have thought Folkestone would be a much better proposition for them and yet there seemed to be far less of the old crowd than in previous years at Beltring. At the opposite end of the field to the arena at Beltring there used to be a large camp of friendly Belgians in their Minervas and the Land Army girls nearby. Where were they this year? And was it me or were there less Dutch visitors this year? Certainly the guy who gave me a lift on his Kettenkrad at Beltring wasn't at WPR with his vehicle.

 

For some reason many of the old favourite vehicles were missing and a quick look at my photos, old and new suggests that the following were not at WPR (or had left by Thursday);

ALM (French 4x4 2 ton), Austin K5, Bedford OXD, BTR 40, Canadian Ram, Canadian CMPs with Radio bodies, Churchill Tank,Daimler Fox, Ford WOA2, Ford WOC1, Fordson WOT1 Crash Tender, Fordson WOT2 Light Warning Set, Fordson WOT8, GAZ 66, GAZ-MM, Humber Mk III Armoured Car, Humber Snipe FFW, Karrier K6, Morris C8 Artillery Tractor, Morris Commercial CDSW, Morris Commercial CS8 (several), Panzer 38t, Panzer IV (in working order), Sdkfz 2, Sdkfz 7 and 8.8cm Flak, Sdkfz 250, Sdkfz 251, Sherman Tank, T54/55, Tilling Stevens Searchlight Truck, various German WW2 field cars - to name a few!

Edited by LarryH57
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There were a lot of friendly Belgiums up at top of the circuit. In the my section of the Jones field it was 80% Dutch with that wonderful large thing stuck up into the sky. I found that a great asset as a landmark to find my way back to 'base' & reference point for visitors to find me.

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Larry,We had 3 Gaz 66's with us along with other russian stuff, camped up in kictheners. We were out the way but on a main drag.

 

 

 

 

The thing that really anoyed us was the traffic jams to get off site! 45 mins and 2 hours on different occassions. Then nearly an hour to get back to camp from the arena on sunday.

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The thing that really anoyed us was the traffic jams to get off site! 45 mins and 2 hours on different occassions. Then nearly an hour to get back to camp from the arena on sunday.

 

To me as an exhibitor also this is the biggest problem of the new site. The vehicle movement needs to be better organised bearing in mind that exhibitors:

 

- need to get to the arena

- want to leave the field

- want to reach the stall area

 

The entrance (one lane for both directions) just can't cope with the number of vehicles.

 

1. They need a big well drained area for check in. First thing when we arrived on Thurday was getting stuck with the trailer in front of the check in.... Good way to start your stay

 

2. They also need something done about low loaders and loading them...

 

Now on Sunday, a couple of low loaders were blocking the exit by loading down on the road and then getting stuck, not reaching the exit. People were waiting for hours to leave. I suppose some will have lost their ferry to get back to the continent.

 

So a loading area out of the way with direct acces to the road would be convenient.

 

All the rest was quite OK. Toilets and showers a big improvement on the ones @ Beltring

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For some reason many of the old favourite vehicles were missing and a quick look at my photos, old and new suggests that the following were not at WPR (or had left by Thursday);

ALM (French 4x4 2 ton), Austin K5, Bedford OXD, BTR 40, Canadian Ram, Canadian CMPs with Radio bodies, Churchill Tank,Daimler Fox, Ford WOA2, Ford WOC1, Fordson WOT1 Crash Tender, Fordson WOT2 Light Warning Set, Fordson WOT8, GAZ 66, GAZ-MM, Humber Mk III Armoured Car, Humber Snipe FFW, Karrier K6, Morris C8 Artillery Tractor, Morris Commercial CDSW, Morris Commercial CS8 (several), Panzer 38t, Panzer IV (in working order), Sdkfz 2, Sdkfz 7 and 8.8cm Flak, Sdkfz 250, Sdkfz 251, Sherman Tank, T54/55, Tilling Stevens Searchlight Truck, various German WW2 field cars - to name a few!

 

Larry,

I do not know how you could have missed a couple of Shermans,, the ALM Acmat, Austin K5, Bedford OXD or Fordson WOT8, they were prominently displayed all week.

Some of the other vehicles have either changed ownership or owners have brought other vehicles along instead. Did you see the CMP C60X with workshop body? A rarity.

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Thanks Richard; I remember the Sherman but I'll have to put down the fact that I missed the ALM Acmat, Austin K5, Bedford OXD and Fordson WOT8 to either the weather or that they were on the move when I walked the fields. BTW I did see the CMP C60X with workshop body, but I was thinking of those on 15 cwt chassis.

 

So it still seems to me that there is a noticeable drop off in British & German WW2 era stuff. If I was Rex I'd be trying to get the stuff that goes to Miltracks in Holland to come to WPR and at the same time have a word with the French Armour Museum at Saumur to see what they could supply. British vehicles went to Normandy this year so its not impossible.

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Thanks Richard; I remember the Sherman but I'll have to put down the fact that I missed the ALM Acmat, Austin K5, Bedford OXD and Fordson WOT8 to either the weather or that they were on the move when I walked the fields. BTW I did see the CMP C60X with workshop body, but I was thinking of those on 15 cwt chassis.

 

So it still seems to me that there is a noticeable drop off in British & German WW2 era stuff. If I was Rex I'd be trying to get the stuff that goes to Miltracks in Holland to come to WPR and at the same time have a word with the French Armour Museum at Saumur to see what they could supply. British vehicles went to Normandy this year so its not impossible.

 

I highly doubt Saumur would be interested.

Perhaps events are getting more focused, Militracks is THE WW2 German equipment event, pity there isn't an Allied equivalent, driving through the woods at Overloon makes it a fun event for the owners too.

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Sdkfz 7 and 8.8cm Flak, Sdkfz 250, Sdkfz 251

 

The owner of these vehicles was present but brought in the movie-reproduction Tiger and Sherman to promote Fury. Good chance the German vehicles will be present again for the next WPR.

 

I would have loved to come but it didn't work out this year. Hopefully next time! :-D

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I'm interested to know if any of you, who used to go to W&P perhaps for many years, don't bother anymore and why?

 

 

We really miss Beltring for its layout, facilities and atmosphere and as a Scot doing a 1200 mile round trip every year to W&P, we were hugely disappointed last year at Folkstone. Its great for the vehicle owners but hard going for the public.

 

We're very fit and walk loads, but without the benefit of the spectacular viewing bank that we had at Beltring, the show has lost out badly. When I eat my grub and swill my beer, I want to do it in the comfort of that bank, as I watch you guys showing off your awesome vehicles and also the battle re-enactments with an unparalleled view over a large area.

 

Last year was a nightmare of painful standing and discomfort that we left earlier than out usual 6pm. Our usual routine is to scope the programme, decide what we want to see and plan our walks around that. You have to do this to get the benefit of the whole show over the two days we visit.

 

This year all we heard was the excitement over seeded grass and better bog management, but nothing about accommodating the spectators better. I know some owners will say "..so what" and I can appreciate that, after all its your time to meet your buddies, but I know that the bank is sorely missed. Its a big event in sheer size and the arena needs to be much, much, bigger and with the same viewing as we had at Beltring. That has to No.1.

 

Next year we'll be at Yorkshire unless we see a major change at Folkstone.

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I guess the fact that the site has to be returned to the original condition is to blame that they don't build a real bank. Maybe they can do a pile of scaffolding & plastic seats if enough people keep asking about it?

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For the first time ever I didn't go the to arena once this year either as a spectator or with a vehicle. The only reasons were it is boring to drive around and no where to see it from.

 

if there are no crowds to view the display it will fold very quickly.

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For me the distance/location has killed it and taken out the fun , for a destination with such massive road infrastructure it's almost guaranteed to be a terrible journey unless u travel middle of the night . For the drops last year was near on £500 diesel alone and we parked on M25 for couple hours in jams so car and hotel this year for 2 nights and at half the cost - so much better (but still queued on M25 60 mins but with aircon this time). As a show it's amazing it does get away charging people to take their vehicles but saying that if it moved to the Syria people would still go .

Edited by martinsaunders06
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Good company agreed, downside of paying a fortune for exhibiting a vehicle and having a support vehicle over selus Elf and Safety staff and when you ask to speak to someone who has clout there is no one to listen only interested in the dosh :yawn:

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Despite the grass and the toilets...... there are a few less-than-positive UK-based comments - would be interesting to hear feedback from more of our overseas visitors - who still make-up a large proportion of those attending.

 

Regarding a mobile `embankment`, I think temporary grandstands are quite common these days and, leave minimum impact on the ground. Am sure the W&PR coffers could stretch to providing something more than a 1m - high earth bund ????

 

The comments on a lack of atmosphere are also valid ..... to a point. I recall how there were definite `neighbourhoods`around the previous site, where you knew you would find old friends each year. Admittedly, this is something that will develop, but it took several years to establish.

 

On a personal level, the cost of fuel has priced me out of bringing anything remotely `large` to the event and, have tended to focus my display / re-enactment efforts closer to home over the past few years (since before the move to the new site).

 

Cheers

 

Steve 82

Edited by Steve 82
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I think for my part what I will remember about this years show will be, the faces of the gurkhas with **** up to there elbows smiling from yet another disgusting toilet cubicle. And all the miserable unfriendly Officials who were always ready to make you feel awkward for any minor indescretion you may have inadvertantly caused. One day when I went to get some water in the chevy I was accosted and demands were made about the relevance of my movements, fair enough it was early in the week and it had got muddy, ill get my water and park for the day no worries, as this happened a couple of kids on pit bikes rode on through obviously friends of the 15 yr old officials, hands were raised nothing was said.i noticed similar occurances and blind eyes turned over the week. Upon leaving coming down out of the kitcheners field through the mud 10 blokes pushing a stuck campervan , I came through leaving 30yds gap got 3/4 way through then got shouted to stop , tried to explain that I need to keep rolling as towing a trailer and I might get stuck. When I got up to the top was verbally abused by some ****head and chastised and was actually told that I should have just got stuck and cause the other vehicles leaving behind to get stuck aswell. Maybe this is some of the reasons for sundays fiasco.

I appreciate that I was probably in the wrong and theres alot going on that we dont really have to deal with.

But who likes a bolliking when there on holiday?

I think this was around my 16th yr of attendance.i should imagine we have taken around 20 different mv over the years, not an imps member so pay full price every year, costs hundreds in fuel over the 300 mile round trip.hundreds on camping/canvas etc...thousands spent on the stalls.we always try to make a good camp and paint up a vehicle each year to bring.always a good buzz beforehand shall we get this or buy that, dont forget were changing this over or adding something else, this goes on for weeks beforehand.this is what I always loved about the show, nowhere else had the same appeal.

This is now tainted by the nonsense, I will not attend again.

Maybe the gurkhas should man the gates and the others can clean up the s###! We have paid for our own toilet facilities for the last few years and the pump shower we bring Is perfectly adequate, so the old showers and toilet debate is irrelevant.

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I did not realise the site had to be restored after use, which doesn't give much hope that it could be changed for the better, well not until the local council makes up its mind. The site could become like Detling and be used as a Show Ground for other events.

 

As for the viewing platform, when I first heard that the event would be a former racecourse I thought great, they can use the Grandstand for viewing the arena - but sadly they didn't!

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As said many times before, Rex is quite approachable, contact him directly with your concerns and suggestions it may help improve the show.

 

please remember that some of the Marshall's are also members here, don't tar all of them with the same brush..

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Thanks for the comments so far. I agree that good company is a plus but its no better or worse than any other show.

 

I travel every year but due to issues beyond my control im missed 2013, but I enjoyed it this year 2005 to 2012 and 2014 is a good record

 

jd

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