Explosive Fun!

The War and Peace show is taking place from 16th - 20th July and visitors to the immensely popular Kent event will not be disappointed by the action. 

Visitors to the Sunday of last year's show may remember a bus being blown up and driven through as a finale to the show, certainly if you were in the area it would've been hard to forget!

The spectacular finale is back this year, but with a twist.

Local Couple Bev and Mick Wayley from Rochester, recently moved in to their very own fort in Borstal.  The fort had fallen into disrepair and whilst the family of four carried out renovations they lived in a caravan for two years.

The seven birth mobile home has now become an object of hatred for the family, after having to endure the cramped living conditions for so long.  Now comfortably installed in their own fort, originally built in 1883, the family long to see the end of their temporary home.

A discussion with a family friend Fred Cornwell planted the seed of an idea in the Wayley's heads. Fred choreographs the pyrotechnics for the War and Peace show and had previously masterminded the bus explosion.  Knowing that the  organisers were looking for something "a bit different" for the finale to the 2003 show, Fred mentioned to the family that they might like to donate the mobile home to be blown up. The two youngest Wayley's, 8 year old Matt and 11 year old Grant thought it a fantastic idea and so the family decided to donate their former abode and are now looking forward to seeing it blown to smithereens!

"We are getting involved as a sort of thank you to our sons, Grant and Matt" said Bev Wayley, "They have put up with a lot over the past couple of years whilst we got the house ready and deserve some recognition for not complaining despite what we put them through! To top it all off and make sure that episode of our life is firmly behind us, our youngest son Matt will be pressing the button to set off the explosives and then Grant is hoping to go into the tank and drive over the wreckage!"

The War and Peace show takes place from 16th - 20th July at the Hop Farm Country Park, Paddock Wood,  with the finale on the afternoon of Sunday 20th.  The show is open from 9am - 6pm and further information can be obtained by contacting the Hop Farm event line on 01622 872068.