Yorkshire’s autumn countryside is not only famous for its stunning views but also for its many wartime revival events. Our event calendar seems to grow each year with new events being added, providing an excellent focus for our membership to support and help share the enjoyment of owning
( and maintaining ) a classic military vehicle.
The dales town of Grassington wartime weekend has become a firm September favorite and is well supported by the public, re-enactors and MV owners. This year the displays included the 101st AB, complete with their tented camp, British D-Day Beach marshaling point, a German military field hospital, a Russian pioneer unit in addition to the local Home Guard and all of this to period music from a wide variety of entertainers, including the period RAF Swing Band, Echo 4-2.
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The whole town gets behind this event, now in their 4th year, the setting is very special indeed, a atmospheric town with friendly inhabitants and visitors literally throwing themselves at your vehicle. Great fun and of course, enjoying the star-lit dark skies with a beer chatting round the various campfires is a real bonus. So if you’ve never ventured to the Yorkshire dales this event is worth putting in your diary for next year.
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Over in west Yorkshire, Otley’s vintage car rally continues to attract a decent crowd with growing number of our members go to show the MVT flag and display their motorcycles and vehicles.
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RAF Church Fenton after a gap of many years, once again hosted a major airshow. Keen to support this new most welcome addition to the diary, Brian Slingsby and Simon Roberts together coordinated an impressive display of almost 80 military vehicles from the 1940s right through to modern day.
Very decent really given the relatively late request for assistance from the event organisers, and the date clashing with our planned end of season “Crank Down”!! So a new plan was rapidly needed that involved almost 100 miles of driving on narrow roads, green-lanes sustained by a hearty “northern” pack up lunch.
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On the Saturday, displays of aviation history in clear blue skies sent pulses racing, as a superb flying collection included the RAF’s first fighter jet, the Gloster Meteor, and a rare chance to see a Mig 15 in
flight.
As a former 1930’s airfield, the wartime displays included a Douglas
C-47 Skytrain ( as used in band of Brothers ), and a Spitfire and Hurricane from the
Historic Aircraft Collection. However, once again the highlight for many was the Avro Vulcan escorted by two Gnats.
Our annual Crank Down event brings so many MVT members (not just from Yorkshire, as all are most welcome) together including many new members.
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Mid October sees Pickering’s famous Railway in Wartime event, this event continues to draw massive crowds from across the UK. Originally conceived over 25 years ago as by the North Yorks Moors Railway to bring in visitors in the off-season by rolling back time to a very specific October 1943 – it has long surpassed their expectations.
Pickering is only one of the towns along the heritage railway that now runs all the way to Whitby with something at each location. For some of our members the run out exceeds 180+ miles, and has added excitement
( or despair ).
Mike Humphreys & Melvyn Bean traveling in convoy this year, gained a flat tire on their towed 5.5" gun and found getting the spare from the Matador was aided by gravity however putting it back took a 5 man lift! After this 30 minutes change. They found relief close at hand, a local fish and chip shop. I am pleased to report that they did arrive safely in Pickering ready to enjoy the weekend.
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