Bovington Tankfest 2006 2007 2008

[von Poop]

Originally Posted by lancesergeant

Did you know he paid 90k for that Grant! They found it in a lake in Belgium and the original owner said it was the best of the lot that was there. Apparently new owner is chuffed to bits with it.

As we walked away from him after chatting at Beltring he said
"there's another chap's restored a Grant... cost him 45 grand... d'you know how much this was?..." [meaning aquisition and restoration costs, we expected 'nothing' or somesuch] "....Twice as Fu***ng much!"

There may be a slight misconception here, the rumour-mill being what it is

From what he told us then:
The tank itself is one that the chap who owns and runs it, (who's name I forget) spent time postwar strapping Panzerfausts to at testing grounds, all those hundreds of 20p size holes are from these fausts ("we put the turret back on, then blew it off, then put it back on, then blew it off," etc etc.). At beltring the top 37mm(?) gun was missing but he said Kevin Wheatcroft had approached him with a gift of a badly battered gun that came from a lake, I assume this is the one mounted and the source of the watery story?.


We thought it was the best thing at Beltring (the war and peace show), and if you get a chance to speak to the bloke make sure you do. Very entertaining, tales of blowing Chieftan turrets out of sight etc.

[lancesergeant]

There were a group talking about it at the top where the Chieftain, S-tank and the allied re-enactors came out in the half tracks, Sherman came out. I heard it off them. Funny how the story alters in such a short space of time. They might have been gilding the lily if one sees what I'm getting at. This group from what I can make out were/ are heavily into the Beltring scene or are well acquainted with them.

[von Poop]

Get yourself down to Beltring mate, stay for more than 1 day though, you'll need it. Tankfest was brilliant 'cos of the volume and variety of 'special', rare or significant tanks running and the emphasis on full-tracked vehicles but in scale, compared to Beltring, it's a village fete.

[Owen]

Originally Posted by lancesergeant

Not as odd as the commissar and the SS panzer grenadier having a joke at the side of the Kubelwagen. Funny rained from half twelve and stopped just after re enactment finished. Double take. Murray Walker seemed to be enjoying himself in the Sherman.

Amusing comment of the day has got to be when the BMW motorbike stalled and they couldn't get it going. A trooper standing on the chieftain shouts "Zee war is over for you" The look on the German rider's face was priceless.

Highlight was the Tiger doing the circuit, when they put the Tiger to bed in the corner shed about half five, there were a couple of hundred hanging round the fence around getting a better view.

You mean I missed that because we left early to watch the second half of the England game. B*gger B*gger B*gger.
Still if we'd stayed the kids would have had hypothermia.

[von Poop]

Originally Posted by lancesergeant

Amusing comment of the day has got to be when the BMW motorbike stalled and they couldn't get it going. A trooper standing on the chieftain shouts "Zee war is over for you" The look on the German rider's face was priceless.

Must have been standing very near you at the time (I'd be the foul-mouthed hippy in between the SU-100 and AS90)... He wasn't happy at having to join the infantry was he.

[von Poop]

Just been sent some pictures of the Grant being recovered from Pirbright(??). Spread over this page and the next few:
http://www.surfacezero.com/g503/show...772&ppuser=196

[von Poop]

This years Tankfest announced:
http://www.tankmuseum.co.uk/home.html
2 day event this time; 'all American Armour', thankfully they decided against the rumoured 'Yankfest' title.
__________________

[Owen]

mmmmm shall I go to the All American armour (or should it be armor???)event this year?

[von Poop]

I dunno, It would nearly all be stuff I could see running elsewhere, but Bovington has such a blinding collection I'm sure I'd be surprised.

[von Poop]

2008 Tankfest theme announced.

"The British Are coming"

Time for a troop of Comets to make an appearance?
Churchill tidied up and actually running?
Armoured cars.... mmmmmm...

http://www.tankmuseum.co.uk/news/pr_..._08_150108.htm
(Vickers Medium slated to run!)