This years war and peace show was the worst i have been to in twenty years, not the exibitors and traders but organisation,and to close the event on saturday is madness, i wont be entering my bikes next year!

It was first time out for the new organisers...Perhaps you shouldn't expect perfection at the first attempt?....

It might take them a few years to get the right formula for such a big show....Ian

email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com

I thought it was underwhelming compared to previous shows and poorer than previous shows in pretty much every aspect including displays, vehicles and stalls. The much promoted motorcycle display area was very disappointing and the folk I spoke to did not want to display their bikes there due to its strange isolated position and lack of anyone looking after the bikes. I am not sure why it was thought wise to have a line up of modern speedway bikes alongside WW2 military bikes. To be fair, I suspect that newcomers to the show would have been happy, but I think it is highly likely that even fewer W&P regulars will bother next year. So I suppose the Show will morph into its new identity and the old stagers will find pastures new. On a final note, I was also disappointed to see far too much Nazi tat for sale in the stalls; this rubbish really does not do anyone in the historic military scene any credit and is plain embarrassing to see and no doubt highly offensive to many.

I agree with most of the previous posts however I thought the bike display was better than nothing and I put mine on the stand for three days,
It was very disappointing to arrive for the ride out which was in the program for the afternoon to find it had been in the morning, apparently it went with 7 bikes and 15 to 20 arrived in the afternoon. A lot of the bigger traders were not there but from the whispers those that were there did well.
I will give it another chance next year.

This year I went as a trader rather than a vehicle exhibitor and I enjoyed the show as much as I did on all the previous years that I attended.

So I would like to thank the organiser's and their team for keeping this event going when it had been scheduled for closure.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Mick and his team at the Red Ball display for a super evening on Friday..........

And I intend to be there next year.

Rob

email (option): robmiller11(a)yahoo.co.uk

I agree with you Ferg, the motorcycle display was so far adrift from the centre of show and no one there for security i didnt bother to put my bikes on show. In previous years the entertainment in the evening was superb, this year most bars we almost empty apart from the victory marquee during the day,they even used last years wristbands 2015! and posters.

I still think you are being too harsh on the organisers who have taken this large show on and who have had to work through the arrangements from scratch in less than 12 months...

It took 18 months, for example, to organise something as 'simple' as the 65 for 65 event in Normandy...

I feel fairly confident that if the organisers were approached with constructive suggestions regarding how the show might be improved next time they would probably take some of those on board...

After all it's also in their interest to make the show a success..
In fact more so, as they have already invested time, effort and money into the project...

It doesn't seem at all unreasonable to give the organisers at least one more go at it before going off in a huff......Ian

email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com

I never attended this years w&p show so cannot really comment on it but what I would say to the ones that complain, try holding your hand up when they ask for volunteer's, I know that when I started running the BSA OC open day weekend rally it was in a sorry state, in theme parks, which was okay for the youngsters but the cost of laying these on at one of these venues is horrendous so I changed to a certain rugby club where we had great beer good entertainment. I did this for six years, first couple were not so good but that all changed, for the better I might add, I only hope that next year with the local clubs helping out,it will get even better, although unfortunately I will not be able to attend, I will still offer my assistance though.

email (option): Jomichael@aol.com

John, the W&P Show is a commercial venture run by event professionals. The show is put on to make a profit, therefore, one assumes and lets face it, good old Health & Safety rules make use of casual volunteers a potential minefield. But a lot of the goodwill between the former operator and MV club members evaporated when the new operator chose to use inadviseable terms to characterise the way previous entry concessions had been operated. The lease on the present site allows, I think, one more show at the Folkestone site before the racecourse gets built over or maybe turned into another M20 car park! So the show moves on in terms of location and ethos......just the way it is. Lots of other shows in the South East to attend that really are club shows needing volunteers and deserving of support.

'Lots of other shows in the South East to attend that really are club shows needing volunteers and deserving of support.'...

Not really the same thing.. Your comments infer you lost something you don't like losing...I'm guessing that's the actual reason for your angst...Ian

email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com

Well the guy who owns the WD Triumph in the photo lost his downpipe.. .. Dave

"Not really the same thing.. Your comments infer you lost something you don't like losing...I'm guessing that's the actual reason for your angst...Ian"

Well the history of the War&Peace Show goes back some 30 years and for many years it was entirely a club show......only in the last 15 years or so was it put on a commercial footing but with free entry for the originating club.....Invicta Military Presevation Society, or IMPS. The club some 5 years ago then started up another club show......"Combined Ops" which has also become very successful but again, this year,its operation has been placed in the hands of the events team on the airfield that hosts the show! So you see, the MV scene is constantly moving on and just getting on with things the way it wants to.......with or without commercial involvement. No angst. Just some sadness maybe at the way some folk like to shoot themselves in the foot?......Kill the goose that lays the golden egg......whatever!

This was my 17th 'War & Peace' and besides a few gripes, I think I had the most enjoyable time for many years. It felt much more relaxed.

I was camped where I usually go in Pattons Field, but the new public entrance was nearby, so for the first time for a long time, the public had to walk through the vehicle fields before getting to the re-enactors and stalls. This meant I for once (when I was at the tent) had passers by to chat over the bike with. The stall holders griped over this as they usually swallow up the un-suspecting public immediately into their stalls, so they rarely got to the vehicle fields. Not so now.

Vehicle movement was allowed all day around the one-way circuit and this I know pleased visitors who got to see vehicles actually moving (as well as in the arena). There was definitely more to see around the site in terms of the home front village (including about 7 nice vintage 'home service' bikes) etc.. and they certainly put their heart and soul into the effort to organise that.

Yes the motorcycle tent was disappointing. It was not manned and the exhibits low in number. It was strangely placed, I think to create more interesting corridor to the more isolated Kitcheners field, but it was still closer to the event ring than the IMPS display area. I parked my M20 there for 3 days from about 10am - 5pm and I purposely stayed there for an hour or so on arrival and departure to chill out. Its surprising that as soon as there was anybody on the stand the public would stop and chat and the time I was there I was constantly engaged.

I suspect there were at least 30 odd wartime bikes on the site (plus all the other ones) and it was disappointing that people chose not to display.

The biggest disappointment was the ride-out. I went out on the 11am one (as usual) and there were 9 military bikes with 2 civi outriders (Ginger). I was told the rideout was 11am and there would be the arena event at 1.30. I think there should have been an information board at the M/C display stand advertising the usual ride-out, as mot bikers seem to have at least looked in on the stand. But the programme was confusing.

Though the vehicle entries and traders seem to have been down by about 20% and a couple of re-enactor groups let the organisers down, the atmosphere was the same and I had a chilled out enjoyable 5 days.

email (option): richardpurkiss@hotmail.com

Some cracking photos here..
https://www.flickr.com/photos/122710573@N07/sets/72157668598588773

email (option): richardpurkiss@hotmail.com

I'd like to agree with Richards comments. I attended as a seller and from the Monday to the Satuurday evening, I got to talk to all types of visitor, from vehicle owner, trader, day visitor (family & collector) and to our foreign visitors. All were happy with the show, vehicle owners could move around, traders were selling, families with children (many who having parked at the top of the field, were amazed at the re-enactors camps) and collectors looking for that gem amongst the trade stalls.

I found the officials most helpful, having arrived on Monday, I could not get my wifes wristband (she needed to sign for it), as she and my daughter were not ariving until Thursday and coming by train. I talked to the officials in information and when my wife arrived Thursday evening, one phone call and the wrist band arrived by Jeep at the entrance for train visitors.

On the Tuesday, visitors were not allowed in until 10am (pre booked tickets said 9am), this caused an upset, but from Wednesday the opening time was moved to 8am, the organisers saw the problem and corrected it.

Toilets and showers I found good and the Ghurkas should be commended for their hard work.

The motorcycle tent could be moved closer to the grandstands I think and this would suit the guys displaying and be closer for inspection by the public.

As we all know, since the show moved from the Hop Farm, there has been this attitude that less people are going, well I remember the problems at the Hop Farm, as there not being enough space, with people having to come the week before and roping off areas for camping and re-enacting displays. Well this is not a problem at the race course. Kitchers field is massive and yes it looked empty on Monday evening when I cycled round, but on Thursday it had filled out a bit and there was space for every one.
The re-enactors displays have grown now that they have more space than that at the Hop Farm, and every year they just get better, I appreciate the hard work going into this !

The weather this year was simply Mediterranean, and added to that "feelgood" feeling.
When Rex announced last year that he was retiring from the show, it sent shock waves through the MV world, well I'm glad someone took it on, they may not have pleased everyone (you never can) but it still took place this year and if you didn't go you missed out !

Please see the links below for a couple of youtube 2016 show movie/photos.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQbXpl-dDiE
(is that you Richard 1.05 into the clip ?)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3iAnGeqOjk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcB6ydOauf8

Regards Gary

email (option): garys339@hotmail.com

Yep... me and Jacco von Sippenberg on or M20's rolling past.

email (option): richardpurkiss@hotmail.com