Beltring 2002 - From the Frontline continued

Barbs and I had made a deadline to clear all incoming paperwork by Friday the 5th July and head down to the Hop Farm on Saturday the 6th, set up our caravans and relax at the KM motoring pageant ready to start on Monday the 8th. Monday arrived and we were setting up our caravans. The first volunteers were the Crowhurst family who arrived looking for work. Within hours the booking-in crew was established and by nightfall Big Monktons had been pegged out we were up and running. Paul Shea in our low loader had already started his vehicle movements and had lined up half a dozen vehicles, ready for their respective owners to collect on arrival.

Tuesday the 9th

Early exhibitors started arriving. Booking in was starting to grind slowly into gear in the capable hands of Carena and girls. Rory was away off in Americas field setting out the roadways and from the aerial shots he did a great job. Nick and I found ourselves sorting signs and listing the new ones we needed. Eric Bell or Erk the Rint to his friends who had volunteered months before the show found himself taking on an unenviable task from Steve James. Day after day the silver fox did his bit setting a fair pace for some of us younger ones to keep up with, many thanks Eric we all look forward to working with you again next year. Lunchtime saw the arrival of The T72 on our low loader. At over 11" wide and 63 tons it was far from being the biggest load to arrive at the show. Bert was making final repairs to the stall holders field prior to the marking out team taking over. Evening time found us all relaxing with a well-earned take away and a beer.

Wednesday the 10th

Exhibitors were now starting to steadily arrive. Carole Hart and Gabi Dunlop set up the merchandise area as Malcolm helped setting up around the site. The marking out crew commenced on the main stall field with over a thousand pitches to mark out. It's a daunting task although Tom and Mudge, assisted by Trevor, Paul and Tony just put their heads down and got on with it. This must be Tom's sixth or seventh year marking out the stalls and every year the trees never seem to end up in the same place. Paul called from Leicester to say that he'd had his second puncture in as many weeks, but not to worry as he was already back on the road and heading South. It would take a lot more than being loaded with a Sherman and a half-track, and getting a puncture, to fluster our unwavering driver.

Thursday the 11th

Each morning saw the list of jobs left to do reduced, volunteers popped up from all quarters. Stallholder's pitches were quickly being filled as the team plodded on marking out. With over a thousand to set out it takes a minimum of three days to lay them all out. As marquee companies leap on to each pitch as it becomes available traders chase the availability of their stands, exhibitors prowl patiently awaiting that elusive bargain that might well be on the very next stall.

Friday the 12th

By now the show has unofficially started as the morning rolls on military vehicles start to pour in, more stallholders arrive and the officials start to take on their roles. Barbs, Rita, Hayley, and Co are all cranked up in booking-in with the knowledge that there will be no let up till Sunday the 21st.

Saturday the 13th

All the stalls have been marked out, the Miller marquee is going up, all 31,000 sq ft of it, Ginger Gammon's tent is up and kitted out, road ways are in, displays are setting up, traders are trading, the show is on and Kitchener's is open. Where was the Imps Jeep Raffle or the club shop? Nowhere to be seen even though prime space had been allocated on the new Miller field. With calls received from various groups that had been let down on transport, I put them all onto Paul and waited for his call. The only call I got was "So Rex, where do you want these extra vehicles, the holding area is full".
	Booking in on Saturday 13th (click picture to enlarge)

Sunday the 14th

	Terry Elliott's gangs were busy preparing the new 2nd Arena and Miller field displays. Alongside of this Terry's man Mick Stockton had been working steadily for 2 weeks changing all the Hop Farm signs back to 1942. As the show has grown each year we always try to add something new and this year was no exception.
1940's Hop Farm sign (click picture to enlarge)

Monday 15th

With only two days to go to its first official day of the show vehicles were pouring in hour after hour. Most of the infrastructure was in place as the water bowsers began to arrive and the volunteers were starting to work to the rota. The new merchandise stand was selling T shirts at an alarming rate along with anything else people could get their hands on.
	Another convoy arrives on Monday (click picture to enlarge)

Tuesday 16th

	24 hours to go before the public would start to arrive. In a mad frenzy of activity around the site we were busy trying to finish off all those little "just" jobs, new hand rails on the bridge between the living history field and Americas. Replace most of the arena fencing with new fencing after the new pipeline had gone through along with the erection of a safety barrier inside the arena. Road planings were being laid in areas most needed, new duck boards arrived for the newly painted showers. By now the Dougie Preece memorial board was in place standing where his stall had once been providing a focal point for all who had known him.
The living history field before it was filled out. (click picture to enlarge)

Wednesday 17th

At 6.30 am the first of the public started to arrive. As this had been anticipated The Hop Farm staff were there ready to greet them. By 9.00am Malcolm Dunlop, Colin Dawson and Bob Ellis not forgetting Hobo were mustering their troops to meet and greet the public in full Military Police dress. From 9am to 6pm the Churchill entrance was manned by Dunlop's and Dawson's raiders providing the public with their first taste of what was to come.

On entering the show ground you were drawn back to 1942. The bofors crew went in to action as the Land Army girls went about their business. Italian prisoners made free with our women as the local bobby had a word with a nurse who was showing a little more leg than was considered correct, as she climbed aboard the local bus. For us at booking in it was now flat out. Hayley and Carena covered stalls, living history and camping whilst Rita and Cindy handled the vehicle arrivals. Barbs ever present as always was well into a 36 hour day, yes that's THIRTY SIX HOURS non stop - that's not an Eric misprint.
	The bofors crew in action at the Hop Farm. (click picture to enlarge)

	The average day started at 8am and ran until 10pm. One of my first jobs each day was to go and see Shaun, the head of catering at the Hop Farm and arrange preparation and collection of all the egg and bacon baps that were required at booking in. Lunchtime saw vast trays of sandwiches and when dinner arrived at about 9.30pm it was freshly barbecued lamb, beef, chicken and pork with an excellent salad. As one volunteer commented "We's might not have much in life but We's do eat well". Wednesday evening saw the night of the double moon. Many a late night reveller came out of the bar and had trouble with their eyesight and at last the IMPS committee had arrived with their raffle stall!!
The night of the double moon. (click picture to enlarge)

Thursday 18th

Thursday morning arrived. Some of us had finally turned in at about 4.30am as the site went quiet and by 8.15am we were seen to be heading to the shower block which was doing a roaring trade. The longest I ever had to wait was about 5 minutes. The new duckboards were proving their worth. By 9am it was back to booking in for my daily breakfast order. Radio War and Peace which had been on the air for a week by now, was playing a great choice of music as our very own Chris Evans was providing one and all with daily updates. War and Peace radio never stopped keeping the show in the mood - 24 hours a day right up to the Sunday night. Without doubt one of the best additions to this year's War and Peace Show. We look forward to welcoming radio War and Peace back in 2003.
	Chris Evans at Radio War and Peace. (click picture to enlarge)

By now the Dunlop and Dawson raiders were in position as was  Paul McDonald's pirates. Hour after hour the Montgomery gate crews never stopped meeting and greeting campers, stallholders, exhibitors, re enactors and one and all in the now familiar ever friendly manner that has and is the trade mark of The War and Peace Show.

From 7am till 10pm this group of volunteers stood their ground. No task too big and no courtesy too small. Forming a friendly atmosphere around Rommel Way as vehicle after vehicle was marshalled into the holding bay prior to booking in, and released out into the big wide world of The War and Peace Show. If there is one thing I have learned over the years it's the way you are first greeted on arrival that sets the mood of the show. The mood is then carried on out into the show itself which probably explains why War and Peace has an atmosphere all of its own.

	Paul Arrived with the War and Peace Collection's Sherman BARV and Barbara's Jeep, both freshly painted at our workshops and ready to gather Beltring dust. Unloading was hampered by a mob of journalists and photographers all wanting the best pictures. Sherman The BARV appropriately won the Visitors Choice trophy.
Paul brings in the BARV. (click to enlarge)

Friday 19th

Today saw arena 2 swing into action with the fire burst of Roger Jerram's 105 Howitzer as Churchill entertained the crowds. Radio Kent was running live on air with 15 hours of programming direct from The War and Peace show. Every day of the show saw another TV company or radio station going live from the show ground as both BBC, Meridian ITV and Channel 4 covered the highlights of this years show for their weekend viewing audience.
	The Radio Kent bus. (Click to enlarge)

Never before had we managed to hit all the nationals together, our PR team led by Fiona and Hollie had been pulling rabbits out of hats as though they were going out of fashion. In fact the interest from public and enthusiast press was so intense a dedicated press trailer in the capable hands of Hollie was set up for the first time alongside the Radio War and Peace tent, that was being so ably manned by the lovely Andrea Davies who was fresh on the scene and mucked in where ever possible.

As the day wore on the pieces of the War and Peace jigsaw began to click into place, as evening arrived space was beginning to get a little tight. A drive round gave way to some missed areas for tomorrows deluge of exhibitors. As for stalls we were sold out for the very first time in the history of War and Peace. We were expecting to turn away late arrivals who had failed to book in in advance.

	The evening entertainment had got off to a bang the previous evening and was tonight was the first night of the Miller marquee as the 31,000 sq ft monster prepared to seat 1200 people for the nights entertainment. Kitcheners now aimed to be the family bar was also up and running with tonight's acts as Ginger Gammon's bar in the capable hands of Taz Kavanagh and Mr Ginger Gammon himself kicked off with another one of their theme nights. By 10pm booking in was ready for their nightly feast care of Shaun and his team as we gratefully handed over responsibility for this area to the irrepressible Steve Knight, now a full time part of the Hop Farm team.
The band in the Miller marquee. (Click to enlarge)

By now Steve on his third year as our night time booking in meeter and greeter was building up quite a rapport with his regular late arrivals as his kettle never stopped boiling. There's nothing more welcoming than a fine mug of English tea after a long trek across Europe and a cheerful welcome for all of you late night revellers. It was Steve who was controlling the double moon, although one of the funniest sights I saw was a couple of guys returning home from Kitchener's by the light of the silvery moon as it swayed gently to and fro in the breeze. Our late night party goers tried to steer a straight course by moonlight as they crossed the Remagen bridge and had quite a sway on. It was gone 4am when finally the site was quiet enough to go to bed, tomorrow was another day.
	Linedancing in Kitcheners Bar. (Click to enlarge)

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