Events (2016) pt 3

Yanks - Saddleworth

One of the longset running military shows in the North West, Paul Dogtags Higginson and his team put together yet another show for the Saddleworth area, focussing primarily on Uppermill. The campsite was situated in the grounds of Saddleworth Scool along with various stalls selling all manner of militaria and period clothing. The town had prepared itself well with shops that had tape across the windows and staff dressed for the occassion. I only saw the events on Sunday, including the vehicle parade, but I can vouch for it being a very popular event for the visitors. Saturday, according to Facebook, was busier and included a flyover from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight.

 

Download Video: Closed Format: "MP4"

Download Video: Closed Format: "MP4"

Lytham Wartime weekend

In its fifth year, the Lytham Wartime weekend goes from strength to strength. A large lineup of Second World War vehicles and post war vehicles emphasised what was going on on the Green at Lytham. Behind the vehicles were stalls of all kinds covering memorabilia, vintage clothing, charities, and shooting ranges. Further down the Green was the battle field but this time there were ruined buildings, built by the Germans, to add further effect to the battles to come. Boyan was seen hard at work on the field setting up the pyrotechnics though how, after the evening sessions before. Hats off to you Boyan. A parade on Saturday and Sunday around Lytham town centre brought the crowds out to line the pavement.

Friday night was a little breezy to say the least with the occasional heavy rain but all the tents survived. What's that you say, you never felt anything in your cosy motorhomes? Saturday night was peaceful apart from the sound of people enjoying the evening into the early hours.

On the vehicle front we showed a variety of WW2 Ford and Willys Jeeps and later Hotchkiss Jeeps. A few Land Rovers, Chevrolets, Leyland and Bedford trucks added to the line up. Of special note was Graham White's Wolsely and Kev Robertson's Canadian Harley Davidson WLC. For the road run we had the rarity of three Harleys together, Kev's, Keith Broome's and Dave McCoull's.

The crowds came in large numbers on both days taking in the site of the Lytham Spitfire, and Phil Connolly's Huey and Loach helicopters. Eardrums were rattled by the sound of a Rolls Royce Griffon engine, on a static base, being fired up. Of course the obligitory fly past by a BBMF Spitfire was the highlight of the day.

Ian Coats reports "We had an estimated 42,000 visitors at this year's event and nearly 80 vehicles, a double record so thanks to all those who supported it!". The event is on next year on 19 - 20 August 2017.

Take a look at the following links for national reports on the event.

http://www.theguardian.com/news/gallery/2016/aug/15/beachhead-revisited-the-lytham-1940s-wartime-festival-in-pictures?utm_term=Autofeed&CMP=twt_b-gdnnews#link_time=1471259712

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3740405/Who-think-kidding-Hundreds-wartime-spirit-two-day-festival-recreating-feel-Forties.html

Thanks to Ian Coats and Kev Robertson for liaising with the Fylde Council who organise this event. Without them we wouldn't have such a success on the vehicle front.

Isle Of Man

Not much to tell about this until I receive word from the team but here are some photos from what would seem to have been a very enjoyable holiday in the IoM. They were looked after very well by the hosts and got to see some of the famous parts of the Island including the Laxey Wheel. The ice cream Ian is tucking into is his favourite, Rum and Raisin, he probably needs it after looking like he is falling out of his Jeep on the ramp up to the Hercules.

Thanks to the Facebook posters whose photos I've nicked, Dave and Esther. There is some video on Dave's Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/david.mvt/videos/1860705237490719/ that you may be able to view if you have a Facebook account.

Ye Horns Beer Festival

The annual beer festival at Ye Horns Inn at Goosnargh was attended by a group of us. The event stretches until the Bank Holiday Monday so there is plenty of opportunity to sample the ales in the beer tent, and the good food to be found in the Inn itself. On the vehicle front there weren't as many of us as usual but day trippers added to the numbers over the weekend. We even welcomed a French friend of Norman's, Vince, who had toured around Scotland in his LandRover 90, only for the end pipe on his exhaust to fall off. Norman fashioned a replacement from a gas canister having let the gas out first. Once Vince had wired this into place it did the job of stopping the exhaust rattling. I hope it lasted until a more permanent fix could be made.

The music on the Saturday was considered excellent with a variety of msic from Irish Jig to more rocky numbers, all accompanied by a wild violinist who certainly knoew his stuff. Saturday's music was not considered as good being predominantly rock and roll but sung badly.

A couple of road runs were held, one on the Saturday out over Beacon Fell where Norman had a few issues with fuel starvation (a sensation I know very well from Chipping Show) and a shorter more local run on Sunday. A few stayed over until Monday to drink the beer tent dry.

Victory Show Cosby

Ian, Dave & Judy, John & Margaret and myself set off on Thursday to make the journey to Cosby in Leicestershire to take part in the Victory Show, a mix of wartime military vehicles and airshow. We joined Dave Fellows with Ric at the site. Camp was made and we met up later with the more sensible in the group (they sleep in caravans and motorhomes), Boyan & Jonathan and Ken.

The show ground is enormous and is mainly organised around groups so camps were set up to resemble medical posts, British Army camps, US camps, etc giving a host of different things to see and ask questions about. Some of the diaplsy highlighted to me the difference between some of hte MVT groups, ours comprising mainly smaller Jeeps and Land Rovers with one or two larger Chevies, whereas the South Staffordshire Group dwarfed us with GMCs, Whites, Diamond Ts etc.

A Dakota flew in early and set up a base so that visitors could walk around the plane. It was not allowed to do a display as the airspace it would need would force the camping area to be further away from the airfield, restricting the space for camping. This was not an issue for the Spitfires, Mustang, Me109, Harvard trainer, and a stunt display team, though teir displays did seem far away - due to new CAA rules.

Highlights of the event must have been the three Spitfires, one of which had a dogfight with an Me109. The battles were some of the best I have seen with a very large field to "play" in, and tanks advancing through the corn field followed by the infantry to take the German positions. The wood provided sacntuary to both US and German positions, dug into trenches and looking very authentic.

Be warned, Ken and ropes must never be allowed within a mile of each other. Judy was tripped when Ken lifted the rope not realising she was climbing over it. Other rope incidents happened all of which were Ken's fault of course, after that first one.

We left on Monday by which time the field had emptied of the stalls and all but a few of the vehicles. It was quite startling to see it when the tent was opened knowing how much equipment was assembled there the night before.

Grassington 40s weekend

Dave and Judy stayed close to Grassington so covered the whole weekend while Norman, Ian, Keith (plus better half, sorry grey matter has given up on me and forgotten your name) and I met up at the Old Oak in Longridge to find our way over to Grassington on the Saturday. A pleasant drive out and a stop at Dick Turpins for a brew and a butty started the day well. The sun came out and turned into a very warm day. We met Dave and Judy and many old friends (Bob, Sandra, Kev, Helen, and others) during the course of the day. We covered the village activities first, stopping off at what must be one of the best chippies in the UK for fish chips and scraps (bits or batter depending on where you come from), a quick listen to Paul Harper then onto the displays on the field.

There were many displays but we did not make it round them all as we were stopping and talking to the exhibitors, picking up tips on which books to read on the way(Thanks Tony Lee). Andy and Kath Hacking were there in a large camp display with others from the Northern World War II Association There were a few blank spots on the field due to groups not turning up. I understand many were portraying Germans and the villagers had expressed concern at previous events about them attending. I leave you to make up your own mind about this controversy. Once again this show hit the mark with the right balance of re-enactors, vehicles and dioramas to give everyone something to look at.

The run back took us the country route with narrow lanes, passing places, puddles, horses and maniacs coming the other way. We all found our ways back home, peeling off from the group as our routes home appeared. Thaks Ian for the interesting run.

Pickering War weekend

Dave and Judy Salisbury have provided a report from Pickering.

Having booked our hotel with Ian and Esther just outside Scarborough the nearest we could find. We set off from Preston with our first stop at Morrison in Skipton for a brew and toilets. The older you get the more stops you need. How is it that when you need the loo every one wants to talk to you about the Jeep.

Good run onto Thirsk still with the tops down and just a hint of rain going over Blubberhouses, we always stop for refreshments at the same café where the owner greets us like long lost relations each year. Then onwards to Sutton Bank bit of a hold up here due to a truck being broken down. The Police clear the road but we are stuck behind a bus so bottom gear all the way up the bank. Fortune smiles on us and the bus pulls in to the picnic spot on top of the hill to watch the gliders take off. We keep going through the villages on the A170 past Pickering to East Marton. The gates to the hotel are on our left when the Jeep locks up solid and will not move, we manage to get it to the hotel, I take the gear box top off but can't see anything wrong. We decide to travel with Ian and Esther for the weekend and sort the Jeep out on Monday.

Saturday, after breakfast, we set off for Pickering only for Ian to say he has no brakes at the end of the drive. Turns out that a brake pipe is leaking. We tighten it up, bleed the brakes and away we go. Ian drops us in Pickering while they go and have a new pipe fitted. Had a great day, so many old and new friends to meet, good cakes in the Scout hut and a decent price.

Sunday dawned wet. We had a journey over the moors to Grosmont for Ian and Esther to do a parade which they have done for many years. We took the train into Pickering from Grosmont. I went to get us two teas. As the train set off I forgot to tell Judy that we went through a tunnel, poor lass thought she had gone blind because no lights came on and it was pitch black. Meeting up with Ian and Esther later we stayed in Pickering for our evening meal then back to our hotel, great day.

Monday the Green Flag man came for the Jeep. I took the halfshafts out of the rear axle and put the free wheeling hubs 2X2 drive on the front axle and had the old girl dragged onto truck for our trip home. Turned out that the bearing in the counter shaft had moved letting the gear drop causing it to knock all it's teeth on one side off. Gear box is now rebuilt with new parts from those nice people at Jeeparts. Thanks to Amanda and Graham. Dave and Judy