Severnside Area MVT Newsletter – January Thru April 2008. Sheet 1 of 4.
My apologies for the absence of the Severnside Area report in the latest Windscreen, I sent it in two days before the deadline, by e-mail. I don't know why in hell they didn't print it, after I took the trouble to write it all! So I've tacked it on at the end…
Forthcoming Events:-
The Show season is upon us, starting this weekend:-
Sat/Sun April 26/27 th , JK's informal camping weekend, at the Lower Lode Inn, Forthampton , a couple of miles South West of Tewkesbury. Just turn up, our favourite kind of event!
AND Sun 27 th , another Dallas Dig-Out, at Cold Ash Farm, Hermitage, Nr Newbury.
Sat-Sun-Mon, May 3-4-5 th , Kennet Valley Area MVT presents “Route To Victory” , commemorating Operation Market Garden, at Ramsbury, Wilts. WW2 U.S and U.K. vehicle convoys, re-enactments, hog roast, barbecue. Evening 40's dance and searchlight display. Living history and arena displays, open to the public Monday, with Liberation Parade of selected vehicles. Air display, including C.47 and paratroop drop. Located North side of Ramsbury, on the B4291, midway between Marlborough and Hungerford, near Junction14, M4. See full page Ad in Spring 08 Windscreen, p92.
AND Sat-Sun May 3-4 th , North Somerset Show, the IMPS will be displaying as many vehicles as they can muster. Contact James Shopland 07968 274480 for entry details.
Tues May 6 th West Wiltshire MVT Meeting , from 20.00 SHARP at the Pig & Whistle, Forest Road , Melksham. This pub is run by Neil Mitchell, an MVT member with a fair collection of vehicles, hence the change of venue. Try and remember to bring a prize for the raffle!
Sat-Sun May 10-11 th , Castle Combe Steam Rally. Very popular, most likely full up by now! For military entries, call P White, 01453 890571.
Tues May 13 th - Gloucester MVT Area meeting, from 20.00 at the RBL, Hardwicke. Raffle prizes would be welcome…
Sat-Sun May 17-18 th , The Little Vintage Show , Cambridge , just off the A.38. Nice local show, hosted by our Chairman. Contact JK for entry form, 01453 890920.
Sat-Sun-Mon May 24-25-26 th , “Trucks & Troops” at the National Motor Museum , Beaulieu. Over 200 vehicles turned up last year, in spite of the weather! Advert is in the Windscreen & CMV for entry details.
AND, same weekend, Selwood Steam Rally, (35 th year) at Southwick, near Trowbridge. For Military entries call Ian Mitchell, 01373 461578 but closing date was April 9 th .
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Thur May 29 th , Severnside MVT Area Meeting, from 20.00 as usual at the RBL, Kingswood . Try and remember to bring a prize for the raffle…
Tues June 3 rd , West Wiltshire MVT Meeting, from 20.00 sharp at the Pig & Whistle, Forest Rd , Melksham.
Warwick Offredi:- Sorry to tell you that Warwick is very ill, and is thus unable to handle any trade enquiries for the Kemble show. He is undergoing chemotherapy, and we hope for some better news of his condition shortly.
Members Deceased:-
For those who don't attend our monthly meetings, and may not have heard, Edwin Ford died back in mid January, having suffered a severe stroke in the Summer of 2006. Several members attended the funeral, some with their military vehicles, as requested by his wife Carol.
Also, Barry Bayliss died Tuesday February 19 th , his funeral was very well attended, and his Austin K9 was used as the hearse.
Kemble National MVT Show:- In case you haven't seen the full page 32 ad in Windscreen, we are on track and scheduled, as usual, for the last weekend in June, 27-28-29th.
Events Roundup:- See page 94 of the Spring '08 Windscreen, for an excellent article by Phil Plumb, on the joint West Wilts & Severnside New Year Road Run. Those who didn't take part may now kick themselves, very hard and several times, I hope!!!
Along with Steve, Tina, Tim and Alan, I was pleased to attend the IMPS New Year Dinner, held January 13 th at the Bridge Inn, Yatton. We were also treated to a viewing of part of the Shopland Collection, stored in two large barns. Space does not permit an exhaustive list, but in my opinion the“star” items were:- AEC Matador, Austin K5 (or 6?) in pristine desert trim, Bedford “O” Type, Bedford RL, Bedford QL, Dennis-Merryweather fire appliance, AEC turntable ladder fire appliance, a pre-war Crossley truck, and a “Fergie” petrol/TVO TE20.
Then there was the Stoneleigh Militaria, I drove up with John Curtis. Most of the usual crowd were there…
February 14 th thru 18 th , 14 of us did another superb privately arranged Ardennes trip , similar to that of exactly 2 years ago. We stayed in the same apartment complex-the Floreal Club at La Roche. We watched all the vehicles leave on the Belgian MVT's Winter Rally from the big hotel at Houffralize, visited the massive five pointed star shaped American War Memorial at Bastogne, and the museum in the town. We drove up into Holland , to Overloon, where there's an absolutely
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marvellous museum, “ Liberty Park ”. Took us 5 hours to see round it, and good cheap meal in the restaurant. Masses of big WW2 and post war trucks, including such rarities as the Stirling , and Oshkosh . Quite a lot of Russian vehicles, too, and all under cover. There were more exhibits to see in the grounds, including an assembled Bailey bridge.
As it was only another 20 miles or so, we also “did” the Arnhem bridge. Since the war, the area adjacent to the bridge has been redeveloped-more than once, so it doesn't look much like in the film.
On returning to Calais , after some shopping we had another look over the fortifications at Dunkirk . In particular, the tunnels behind the beach cliffs. They are still quite intact, apart from some of the gun emplacements on the beach beginning to topple over.
Sunday April 12 th the IMPS visited the Army Air Corps Museum, at Middle Wallop, near Andover . Some interesting stuff there, including a Jeep prototype helicopter. Apparently it handled too unpredictably to be of any use, though.
Severnside Area Windscreen Contribution-Spring Edition.
The Toddington Steam Railway Rally was a great success, after an absence of four years. A strong military vehicle presence, and over twenty steam propelled vehicles plus all the usual attractions, combined with good weather. Apparently a pipeline is to be laid across the show ground shortly, so next year's event is scheduled to be on the Cheltenham Racecourse.
Early in October, I received an e-mail from John Pryor, of the Royal British Legion's Weston Super Mare Branch. He was looking for some vehicles to augment their Poppy Launch and War Memorial Stone Dedication. Six members attended with their vehicles, and a couple of weeks later John Pryor e-mailed thanking us for our support.
Readers may have heard that the future of our National Show at Kemble Airfield was in some doubt, owing to a heavy financial loss sustained, and a shortage of suitable dates. After the Council of Management meeting on December 2 nd , I'm sure our readers will be pleased to hear that the show is definitely going ahead, and is scheduled for June 27-28-29 th . Thanks mainly to the efforts on our behalf, of our Chairman, John Keedwell.
Our annual vehicle road run, a joint event with West Wiltshire MVT, took place Sunday, December 30 th , with fourteen vehicles assembled at the Warminster services. A Dodge WC62, on its first official outing since being refurbished, developed a fuel starvation problem going uphill out of Westbury, and had to be towed into the service area by John Wardle's Land Rover. Many thanks, John! After having effected a repair to the Dodge, we started on our tour of interesting sites around Salisbury Plain. These included two ANZAC war grave sites, at Sutton Veny and Codford St Mary.
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Apparently these untimely deaths were caused by the 1918 influenza epidemic, there was a nearby camp site set up for the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. There are some training villages still used by the Army on the Plain, including that of Imber, taken over at the beginning of WW2.
Bernie Pitt, the Gloucestershire Area Secretary, who regularly attends our meetings and events, has recently undergone surgery, and is presently recuperating at home.
Unfortunately she was not well enough to attend their A.G.M on the evening of January 8th. We wish her a speedy recovery and return to her former good health.
Here's hoping for a dry and sunny 2008 show season…
John Weedon.
P.S. Bernie is now almost fully recovered, and back at work.
Web Site:- Aarron tells me he has managed to update our local website, after some problems. If you can't access it using www.smvt.co.uk try it through the main MVT site, www.mvt.org.uk . Arrow horizontal over to the right, click on “links”, and the other area websites will show, including Severnside. Click it and up it will come…
Change of Contact Details – Please note that I have moved, as of August 16 th last year. My new address is listed in the Area Secretaries section (last two pages) in the Windscreen.
N.B.:- If you need to contact an MVT official, please remember to check the LATEST Windscreen you have, or the web site, which should, hopefully, be up to date!.