YMVT

Area Report - July '11

As in previous years our season started with the York Crank Up on the 10th April. Organised, as efficiently as ever, by Chris Smyth this was the largest gathering we’ve seen with 62 vehicles of all periods coming together to park on the grass outside the Museum next to Clifford’s Tower in the centre of the city. Steve Carr’s photos are on our website and he reports “There were a couple of breakdowns, one just before, and one during the road run to York. One was 'A' Framed to York centre, the AA brought the other”.
	The event provides a great opportunity to convoy into the centre from the outskirts of Tadcaster on the busy A64 dual carriageway. So if you have not yet joined us for what must be the biggest one day event in the UK ( Chris thinks the World) then look out for the date of next years’ meet in our Calendar of events on the website. Chris is aiming for 100 vehicles next year so lets try and help him make it or better still exceed it. We don’t like to rest on our laurels ‘up north’ and York was quickly followed by our major event Wheels & Wings at Elvington, also near York, on the 6th-8th May. With the site filled to capacity this was yet again hugely successful and a brilliant weekend. Around 200 vehicles on were on display of which a quarter took part in the road run. I would encourage you to look at the photos and report on our website. The show report is also featured elsewhere in this issue.
I know some of you supported the Armed Forces Day in June events so if you have any photographs please send them it for publishing on the website. The beginning of July saw Nev Johnson generously hosting another of his annual summer barbeques and ‘bash’ at his home. Well attended and as successful as ever I think the evening revelry took its’ toll as no one seemed up for a Sunday morning run. Thanks once again Nev. Ingelton War weekend dates clashed with Nev’s but if you went along I would be pleased to hear from you.
Yet another event in our region took place at the Ponderosa in Heckmondwyke over the weekend of the 9th-10th July just before the print deadline for this issue. Now in its’ 3rd year a great deal of effort had been put in by the owner Howard Cook and his staff to build this into a major event. Stuart Wright from the club has been heavily involved in its organisation and we certainly owe him grateful thanks for all his hard work over the past few months. We were lucky in the main with the weather just having to dodge a few very heavy showers. This did not dampen the enthusiasm for what the commentator saw, in his experience, as the largest battle re enactment yet staged in the UK. This took place on both afternoons against a backdrop of ex stage sets and an important ‘bridge’. Tanks, halftracks, 25pdrs, mixed infantry and plenty of impressive pyrotechnics kept the crowds attention for almost an hour on each afternoon. I suspect there were a few ears ‘ringing’ after that!
I was with the artillery and we had to take cover from 3 ‘incoming’ rounds which showered us in light debris. One of the large buildings on site had been transformed from last year with a new stage, large bar and plenty of tables for the evening dance but also daytime food and drink and professional entertainment from two of the very best WW2 entertainers Lola Lamour and Paul Harper. There were a few military stalls but most were aimed at the general public. I don’t know what next year here will be like, but it’s a superb site within easy reach of a lot of us and it would be great to see it filled with WW2 vehicles from our area. See our website for photos. Please do ring, write or e mail me with reports of any event that you enjoy. Mike Humphreys.

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