Very muddy war and peace show warning !!

[Fjordhouse]

Tent has been build , items have arrived , start building tomorrow ... I will be ready on Wednesday morning today only rain rain rain but very good service from the war and peace show people hope to see you all on Wednesday regards Ben

[butterfly]

Just want to wish EVERYONE all the best with the show in what looks like more than trying conditions, stallholders and buyers alike.
Have a good one regardless


kind regards Kev

[RichardB]

Reality update -- I spent all day there yesterday and although I took wellies based on the pictures above, I spent all day in a pair of trainers and they're not covered in mud....I also didnt suffer from trench foot or require a kayak to get around..

So for those people holding off due to weather, id say definitely go. The pictures posted so far are by far the worst areas.
Yes Rene is sat in a large puddle and probably does have trench foot by now, and yes, the tanks do churn up soft ground. (..no shit!)

More rain certainly wont help, but for those people undecided, Id say go and support the stall holders and the event.

JMHO
Rich

[Fjordhouse]

It has been raining again now the whole place is filled with water and mud, if you want to come I wish you all the best, and a lot of success to come inside, it's chaos but have fun and stay positive come today, tomorrow rain and also on Saturday, there will be a lot of rain. all the best from a muddy Beltring Regards Ben

[reccetrooper]

I went yesterday (Wednesday) and it was worthwhile going, at least for me.

Negatives:
The gates opened late and we stood around with no info as to why the gates had not opened. A young lady was sent down to tell people by the gate that there was a safety meeting taking place before the event could open. Not many people would have heard her, and it would have been better if a loud-hailer or public-address system had been used to speak to the waiting crowd. Lots of people were on their mobiles and the Hop Farm switchboard was jammed. A dealer later told me the reason for late opening was the gate key was lost. Who knows? but the gate opened at 09:41.
Leaving the event around 15:30, the exits were closed and no-one was being allowed in or out, due to a missing child. Good that the Hop Farm takes missing children seriously, but most people leaving had just a bag or a bundle of vehicle parts so in no way was the missing child with any of them.
Some stalls had been moved, and it was difficult to find where they had been moved to.
The 'rows' were actually blocks, so stalls back to back had the same 'row number, and the stall facing had a different number. I don't recall if this was the usual way of numbering stalls, but it made it difficult to find one particular stall that I was looking for. (No I didn't buy a programme, not on top of £19.50 entry fee)

Neutral:
The ground was generally fine. Some wet and muddy patches, but firm in most places. The only place I stuck in the mud was inside a dealers tent, where the ground was like glue.

Positive:
I met the people I planned to meet.
I picked up a lot of not too expensive bits and pieces, some quite interesting (to me at least).
The weather held off and was dry with just a few spits of rain throughout the time I was there.

Weather on the M25 heading home through Essex/Herts section was horrendous, and I guess that's whats moved down towards Beltring overnight.

I wish everyone well that intends going, and a big thank you to the traders that are there. It would have been so easy for many of them to have cut their losses and stayed away, so please support them with a few purchases.

[SG500]

Just want to wish EVERYONE all the best with the show in what looks like more than trying conditions, stallholders and buyers alike.
Have a good one regardless


kind regards Kev

I went yesterday, the mud has certainly improved although the odd place was a no go area.
Met plenty of people, got some good stuff and generally had a good one.
Whilst not as good as some years its certainly a good day out.
If anyone's wondering if they should go or not, yes go for it!
Dave.

[bazooka chris]

Hi Guys

This is the first chance i have had to get on the computer since getting back from the show late last night.

It was great meeting up with everybody and also meeting some new friends.
The weather was really sunny on tuesday, karen even got sunburned, we walked around all day in wellys and yes we really needed them when we first got there, the mud was absolutly rubbish, trying to push a pushchair through it was not good, to say we got stuck a few times was an understatement.

Through out the day the mud was starting to dry out which was good, we left the show around 10pm but no time during the day had we even been able to get round the vehicle and reneacting fields as it was to muddy for the pushchair.

We arrived wednesday morning and kitted outselfs out with wellys and headed in, much to our suprise the show had really dried out quite a lot, we could have gotten around a lot of areas in our trainers unlike when we left tuesday night.
we couldnt be bothered to go back to the car to get them so walked around in wellys and we even managed to get around the vehicle field and reenactment camps with careful pushchair driving, trying to stick to the dry ish tracks, but still lots of mud patches around, the day was going well sunny and dry but then around 4.30 pm ish it started to rain.

A little shower at first but then full on rain with in about 20 minutes the mud had already stated to return, and by the time we left it had gotten a lot like tuesday morning what a shame.

Heard from some guys at the show that it rained all night, and the show has now once again become muddy, also the show organisers are going to delay the opening of the show until 9.30 am for the remainder of the show days to allow some clean up of the roads and tracks etc before the public come in.
so just be aware that unless you have passes like us you wont be able to get in until 9.30am

from Bazooka Chris

[Slick]

I think I speak for all who don't get to attend when I say; ENOUGH WITH THE MUD STORIES! LET'S SEE SOME PICS OF ORDNANCE!!!!!!!!


Now don't get me wrong. I LOVE mud. Used to live in a river basin where gumbo mud was king. The stuff would pull tires off a 4-wheeler's rim. And when it dried out, you'd twist an ankle trying to walk across it for all the foot sized cracks. Now, up here in the hills, ain't no mud for all the rocks. I'll take the rocks.

Rick

[bazooka chris]

I think I speak for all who don't get to attend when I say; ENOUGH WITH THE MUD STORIES! LET'S SEE SOME PICS OF ORDNANCE!!!!!!!!


Now don't get me wrong. I LOVE mud. Used to live in a river basin where gumbo mud was king. The stuff would pull tires off a 4-wheeler's rim. And when it dried out, you'd twist an ankle trying to walk across it for all the foot sized cracks. Now, up here in the hills, ain't no mud for all the rocks. I'll take the rocks.

Rick

ummmmmmm the reason theres lots of mud stories is the fact that this whole post is to do with the war and peace show mud !!! keeping others updated on current site conditions for when they visit, i am sure there will be pics of ordnance when others get back from the show at the end of the week.
i didnt even get round to taking any myself i was to busy enjoying the show or i would have posted some.


from bazooka chris

[Slick]

Chris

Understood. I can see how the horrible conditions can supercede the event. A shame, that. Takes all the fun, and picture taking, out of it. Maybe next year will be better.

Rick