Events at Shooters Hill [Saturday 28 June] and Erith [Friday11 July] SE London

[Andy Brockman]

Dear Members,

 

I wanted to let you know about two new events I am involved in organising in South East London.

 

The first I have posted about before and this is a reminder...

 

28 June 2008: Shrewsbury Park, Shooters Hill 13.00-16.00hrs

Friends of Shrewsbury Park Open Day.

 

Pre 1945 Military Vehicles and Pre 1960 Civilian Vehicles.

 

Shrewsbury Park is a Park on the north side of Shooters Hill with fantastic views out actross the capital. In WW2 it was the site of a Barrage Balloon tether belonging to E_Flight of 901 County of London BB Sqd and also stood on Anti Invasion Stop Line Central. Next to the Park is a ARP Service Gas Decontamination Building now coverted into flats and much of the area was turned over to "Dig for Victory" allotments some of which survive.

 

The Park is also the site of Britains first full time Open Air School for "delicate children," which opened exactly 100 years ago this Summer.

 

On Saturday 28 June the Friends Of Shrewsbury Park have an Open Day to show off the Park to the local community and promote its use. As part of this I am organising a History exhibition and it would be fantastic to be able to get some period vehicles to the site to mark its different uses and what local people would have seen passing by.

 

Ideally we are talking about military and civilian vehicles pre 1945, although post war 1945-1960 civilian would be OK, as this was the hey day of the park for local sport and a Sunday afternoon stroll in the gardens.

 

This is a new, very friendly local event although as such it has no budget- it is payment in kind by tea and cake.

 

If you can make it please PM me.

 

 

Friday 11 July 2008: Normandy Primary School Erith 13.00-20.00

School History Day and Hog Roast.

 

Pre 1945 Military Vehicles- especially those with a connection to D-Day and the War in Western Europe 1944-1945.

 

I am currently Project Managing a History and Archaeology in Education Project at Normandy Primary School, Northumberland Heath Erith , overlooking the River Cray and this is our big showing and sharing day.

 

If you can come you will be part of an event with "Live archaeology," including Geophysics, Surveying and building a Pre-historic "bender shelter- if you have ever fancied having a go at being on Time Team here is a chance, plus food, sport and dancing with a historical theme.

 

The project includes a professional chef and a professional artist/video maker.

 

In the evening [approx 18.30-21.00] there will be a hog roast again with entertainment for the team who have worked on the project, members of the school community and guests.

 

The most special of our guests will be, we hope, members of the Normandy Veterans Association. The school has very close relations with the local branch of the NVA. Last Friday [6 June] I attended a fantastic D-Day Anniversary lunch [the fifteenth the school has organised] , laid on by the school, where over a dozen veterans and their partners were able to meet up and chat with each other and the school's teachers and pupils.

 

You can't do living history across generations on this scale very often and I know that, if we can get NVA members, vehicles and the school children together we could have something very special.

 

The project is funded through the National Lottery Awards for All programme and I can pay some expenses for this.

 

I realise this is both a working day for many people and the week before the War and Peace Show, however, I hope you will consider coming along and if it helps I can programme you in either or both, of two slots.

 

Arrive Before 13.00 for the afternoon and evening session [if you wish to stay for the Hog Roast].

 

Arrive After 15.15 and before 18.30 For the evening session and Hog Roast.

 

Again., if you are able to come please PM me.

 

If you have any thoughts about these two events please PM me or post here on the forum.

 

Thanks and best wishes

 

Andy Brockman

[LeeEnfield]

Sounds like a couple of great events Andy.

 

Best of luck with them,.........sorry I cannot support either, but already booked into other events.

 

All the best,

 

Andy

[Tony B]

Will do my best Andy. What sort of kit are you wanting brought along?

[Andy Brockman]

Hello All and thanks for your interest and expressions of support.

 

For both events we are looking at a display of wheeled WW2 Allied vehicles, as used on campaign or on the Home Front. We are looking at a static display but ideally one with lots of visual interest which trys to use the two sites in ways which people won't be used to. It is also about showing the kind of things such as kit, clothes, or whatever that can get a conversation going, espechially between the generations.

 

Shrewsbury Park, 28 June is a really nice parkland site and lends itself to setting up a mini scenario with camo net camp furniture etc, or simply parking and displaying. We can accomodate either.

 

The event is a new one- this is the second year and it is designed to show different aspects of Shrewsbury Park including its history, and show new leisure uses, such as having a small HMV/Period vehicle show.

 

The audience will be a general, family one. A lot of local residents will have memories of the area during the war, as well as what they used to drive themselves and many will have done National Service so, aside from the military aspect, if anyone wants to show things conected with ARP, Womens Land Army or civilian, that would be fine too and we can stretch things to post war, particularly as we are just up the road from Woolwich Barracks.

 

 

Normandy Primary School 11 July is about Living History, which doesn't exclude those who just want to display a vehicle in its own right.

 

The whole project is about getting History out of the class room and, as I said in the original post the school has a great relationship with the NVA which is central to the way we are approaching this.

 

I am most interested in getting the kind of vehicles, Jeeps, Dodges etc, which children in the area during WW2 would have seen servicemen and women like the vets they have met, driving around. In this context again, the Home Front is equally important. The hope is the vehicles and kit would spark off conversations. Motorbikes would also be of interest- one of the NVA members was a Dispatch Rider who went ashore on June 6th and was wounded at during Market Garden when his unit moved up in support of the 101st Airbourne and he ran into, he thinks, a wire booby trap strung across the road.

 

We also are doing an "Aid For Spain" scenario as there was a colony of Basque refugee children just down the road in Abbey Wood, so thirties civilian would also be of interest. I am hoping to bring in some Bell Tents and I will also have my own pair of field telephones for the kids to try out. There will also be a replica of a prehistoric bender hut which Damian Goodburn is going to build with the kids and lots of activities including live archaeology and period music.

 

In both cases I need to know who will be attending in advance simply on grounds of allocating space.

 

In terms of kit at Shrewsbury Park no problems with carrying or dispalying RIF's or Deact's- but please carry your paperwork. FYI the Neighbourhood Police Team will probably be attending as part of their PR drive.

 

At Normandy the School Governors are sensitive about the issue of Firearms and have asked that they not be displayed on site. I am trying to reassure them that this will not be a problem, that the kids would not be allowed to handle them and, if anything, such a museum display serves to help de-mystify and de-romanticise weapons. But for the time being we must respect that wish. I will let people know if the position changes.

 

Any more questions or ideas, please post or PM me.

 

Best wishes

 

Andy Brockman

[LeeEnfield]

These events sound Sooooooooo good,.........

 

and I can't go. :cry: