The War and Peace Show - Mailing List

Its that time of the month again - well actually its that time of year again, a mere 12 months since the last epic KM War and Peace Show turned the Hop Farm into a large sea of olive drab.

As military vehicles start up their engines from all over the UK and Europe and head for Beltring, the good people of Paddock Wood bolt their doors and lock up their daughters, its now only days away until the first green vehicles and oddly dressed people start to move in for the friendly invasion that has now become the world's most popular military show. The show puts literally millions of pounds into the local economy - many traders tell us that takings at the show add up to a significant percentage of their annual turnover. It's the only period when every hotel and guest house for miles around is fully booked, mainly by Americans and other overseas visitors.

Those Daily Telegraph readers amongst us may have noticed a rather clever publicity stunt in the property pages about a chap selling his house as having the "world's 78th largest army" because he had 8 military vehicles including an Abbott?. Well, pretty remote from the truth, in fact any estate agent can turn out rubbish like that, but War and Peace can make more than a few substantiated boasts. Like... we have on display more vehicles than Her Majesty's forces took to the Gulf War... like... it's the biggest ever gathering of military collectors-we can go on but that means showing off a bit.

Our Canadian vehicle chums headed by Geoff Winnington-Ball of Maple Leaf Up and Jim Baxter are putting on a special arena event on Saturday to get all the Canadian made and marked vehicles into the arena together - Canada's equivalent of NBC are coming over to the show to cover, such is the significance of such a special gathering.
Not to be outdone, Carl Brown (who brought the multibank Sherman last year) is bringing the WW2 Tiger fresh from its recent film role. OK so it's a cunning film prop but it will create a lot of public interest. This is just one of many unusual military vehicles we will be featuring at the show in special arena events.

Rather than use one arena show presenter for 5 days, we have a cast of several sharing the load. But whoever ir in the arena is thereto entertain, inform and excite our paying public- it gets very lonely if YOU the vehicle owners don't support the arena events - which are of course an integral part of our 5 day spectacular. Please make an effort to take part in events - especially if you are asked to do so by a marshal or IMPS helper.

We have some new events this year, such as a 1940's fashion show, the Hymers from the "1940's House" TV documentary, plus the major swing concert of the year with the Herb Miller Orchestra - tickets are selling fast - don't miss out!
That fund raiser extraordinaire Albert Figg will be joining us once more to further the memory of the veterans who fought in WW2, more veterans will be attending than ever - without their efforts some 60 years ago we wouldn't have the freedom to play with all these vehicles that we take for granted.

Peter Skelton is once again kindly providing the award for the best BSA "Para bike". Having ridden miles around the showground last year searching out the velocipedes, which were often well hidden, he asks that if you have a para bike you wish to be judged, please call him on his mobile at the show 07931 6010180 to let him know where your entry is located.

No edition of the Bugle would be complete without a serious reminder about the Jeep Raffle. EVERY TICKET SOLD PUTS A POUND COIN IN THE CLUB ACCOUNT. No excuses- sell some tickets!
Please do your best to entice your friends to try their hand at winning a jeep.

Let's all make sure we make it a safe show, enjoy the bars but remember drinking and driving is not only stupid it's also illegal as the showground is covered under the Road Traffic Act. How we all behave influences the publics perception of us and the hobby as a whole- we are at the mercy of the worlds press for the five days, that's another reason for our careful and published policy on the wearing of German uniforms. If you have concerns about any potentially offensive flags, uniforms or display material, please contact Tony Lawrence during the show.

And finally, As the Boris Johnston, the newly elected Member of Parliament for Henley on Thames would say "Go back to your workshops and prepare for Beltring"

Compiled by Nigel Hay