Beltring. The War & Peace Show.

Discussion in 'WW2 Museums. Events, & places to see.' started by von Poop, Jul 4, 2006.

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  1. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

    The time of Beltring is nigh.
    19th-23rd of July.
    War & Peace Show - The Largest Military Vehicle Spectacular in the World - Home

    I couldn't recomend this show more highly to anyone with even a passing interest in ww2 (or any other recent Military period). I've camped there every year for the last 5/6 years and it just seems to get better and better.
    The World's largest MV related show, the vehicles are astonishingly varied and impressive but there's also the trader's stalls which take us approximately 7 hours to walk around every year. I've seen everything sold there from Boys Rifles through Heinkel tailplanes and tanks right down to every obscure book you've ever hunted for (well, almost). Veterans also seem to be very well looked after.

    Plenty of beer too. (Sheperd Neame's 'Spitfire' of course.)

    It is simply vast, mad, and not to be missed.
    (My brother once asked a mate who he thought the 'old dear' riding in a beautiful WW1 machinegun-mounted Model T was?... his reply: "Vera Lynne you t___".. things like that happen for the whole weekend)

    Check it out.

    Cheers,
    Adam.
     
    von Poop, Jul 4, 2006
    #1
  2. Paul Reed

    Paul Reed Ubique

    I will be there on the Leger Holidays Battlefield Tour stand; you will find us by looking for a big blue Silver Service coach! Would be nice to meet some of you, if you are about.
     
    Paul Reed, Jul 4, 2006
    #2
  3. mahross

    mahross Senior Member

    I can recommend it too. I went a couple of years ago, and getting paid for it too, and it was great. If you can't find what you want here then it probably ain't around. Also the model tent is very good too.

    Ross
     
    mahross, Jul 4, 2006
    #3
  4. lancesergeant

    lancesergeant Senior Member

    Whats the parking like for this venue.
     
    lancesergeant, Jul 4, 2006
    #4
  5. Paul Reed

    Paul Reed Ubique

    Whats the parking like for this venue.

    It's pretty good, big and there are also special buses from the nearby train stations in Maidstone.
     
    Paul Reed, Jul 4, 2006
    #5
  6. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

    Whats the parking like for this venue.
    We always camp so don't need to use the huge public carpark. However the whole thing is extremely well-run and no-one we know who's come for a day has had any trouble, other than the inevitable queuing for such a big event.
    (real hands on organisers. At 3am looking for a water point or somesuch you're quite likely to be directed by the chap in charge of the entire thing. Very helpful some of these Kentish millionaires....;) )
     
    von Poop, Jul 4, 2006
    #6
  7. lancesergeant

    lancesergeant Senior Member

    I am definitely interested the brain cell started glowing. Where's the campsite? I can imagine domiciles providing holiday accomodation would be to be fully occupied prior to the event.
    If I go down I will make it my while and make a weekend of it.

    You hear of Bovingdon open days, IWM and the like but this event is low key if VP hadn't bought the subject up I would probably have not known of it.

    Is it a similar layout to Bov but on a grander/larger scale or is stalls and exhibitions in one part demos another, talks and demonstrations in another.
     
    lancesergeant, Jul 6, 2006
    #7
  8. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

    Sort of similar to Tankfest but the difference in scale is marked.
    Campsite is right on site (always has been anyway, we had a tatty old Centurion right next to our pitch last year:cool:)
    It has been described as a 'militarised Glastonbury'
    1 Huge Field largely full of 2nd war/Vietnam Vehicles. (& privately owned Challengers, T72's, displays by museums of their stuff etc.)
    1 Huge field full of later & 2nd war Vehicles.
    1 Bloody enormous field full of military related stalls like you wouldn't believe.
    1 Big Arena full all day with various runarounds/demos of 'types' of vehicles and reenactments.
    1 Smaller arena for smaller displays.
    1 large shed of vehicles/gear that are on permanent display, I believe owned by the Cadmans.
    Loads of 'stuff' connecting all these areas.
    Thousands of vehicles, obviously mostly softskins but plenty of armour too. Loads of reenactors. plenty Beer.
    Weekend makes sense as I don't think you can really appreciate it all in a day, the stalls take up most of friday for us, like a wierd ratty museum where everything's for sale, first time we went we didn't even notice one huge field full of trucks until the end of the weekend, and we hadn't stopped moving about until the light failed.
    :)
    Cheers,
    Adam.
     
    von Poop, Jul 7, 2006
    #8
  9. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

    To Beltring we go!
    woohoo!
     
    von Poop, Jul 20, 2006
    #9
  10. lancesergeant

    lancesergeant Senior Member

    Me thinks I shall endeavour forth to said place.
     
    lancesergeant, Jul 21, 2006
    #10
  11. Paul Reed

    Paul Reed Ubique

    Come and see me on the Leger Holidays stand guys!
     
    Paul Reed, Jul 21, 2006
    #11
  12. lancesergeant

    lancesergeant Senior Member

    Sorry gang didn't live up to expectations. Asked the attendants where yellow car park was for the overspill told them it was near a roundabout. Three gave different directions !!! One pound twenty for a cup of tea. The SS re - enactors from Tankfest were there and a few had on white singlets with the SS - didn't go down well with some of the older folk!!

    Positives would have to include the extra items laid on for the kids ie fairground helicopter rides and apc rides. Managed to take it all in one day. Impressive amount of hardware knocking about.
     
    lancesergeant, Jul 24, 2006
    #12
  13. Paul Reed

    Paul Reed Ubique

    It was a good week for me; nice to have time to wander round so much militaria, and see some good re-enactors and also some superb vehicles and displays. Weather was a little hot, however!
     
    Paul Reed, Jul 24, 2006
    #13
  14. Paul Reed

    Paul Reed Ubique

    Couple of photos: first, our Leger stand, with a 49th West Riding Div Jeep loaned by one of our guides.
     

    Attached Files:

    Paul Reed, Jul 24, 2006
    #14
  15. Paul Reed

    Paul Reed Ubique

    Left to Right:

    Superb snow scene.

    LRDG vehicle from the Desert Rats display.

    Excellent Normandy US display.

    One of the many stalls.
     

    Attached Files:

    Paul Reed, Jul 24, 2006
    #15
  16. Gnomey

    Gnomey World Travelling Doctor

    Good stuff Paul, looks like it was a good show.
     
    Gnomey, Jul 25, 2006
    #16
  17. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

    Red Ball Express.
    [​IMG]

    Staghound:
    [​IMG]

    Limbering:
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]

    SdKfZ.Com's Jagdpanther.... Amazing restoration.
    [​IMG]

    The Ardennes.
    [​IMG]

    Grant with Panzerfaust holes (it's a runner too!)
    [​IMG]

    Dukw with no bungs...
    [​IMG]

    Bedford 3 tonner:
    [​IMG]

    Ford woa2a???
    [​IMG]

    Gaz:
    [​IMG]

    And that's just a tiny handful of the 2nd war vehicles, star of the show for me was the return of a postwar French EWK-Gillios Bridge/ferry amphibian, like an M3 (one of those there too, maybe an m2??) only 3 storeys tall, mad.

    Also visited the Royal Engineers museum on the way down and I'd reccomend it to anyone, lots of vehicles outside and tons of interesting bits inside, strong evidence that the Engineers could always lay their hands on a cart/boat/lorry for filling up with quality loot. B)

    Cheers,
    Adam
     
    von Poop, Jul 26, 2006
    #17
  18. Gnomey

    Gnomey World Travelling Doctor

    And that's just a tiny handful of the 2nd war vehicles, star of the show for me was the return of a postwar French EWK-Gillios Bridge/ferry amphibian, like an M3 (one of those there too, maybe an m2??) only 3 storeys tall, mad.
    Got any pics?

    Good stuff though Adam.
     
    Gnomey, Jul 26, 2006
    #18
  19. lancesergeant

    lancesergeant Senior Member

    Was talking to the bloke who restored the Jagdpanther, he reckons that one side of it was blown out. They didn't have the parts, the German side couldn't help, so they had to draw up plans and fabricate replacement parts and took it to the tank testing ground at Pirbright. Smart job you can't tell which side it was. Did you see the staff car the type of which Rommel would have drove in. The owner wouldn't let anyone photo it!!! It was in the small tent next to the Jagdpanther.
     
    lancesergeant, Jul 27, 2006
    #19
  20. lancesergeant

    lancesergeant Senior Member

    Left to Right:

    Superb snow scene.

    LRDG vehicle from the Desert Rats display.

    Excellent Normandy US display.

    One of the many stalls.
    That snow scene for Bastogne was realistic enough, you looked at it and couldn't take it in with the hot weather.
     
    lancesergeant, Jul 27, 2006
    #20
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