Questions? Looking for parts? Parts for sale? or just for a chat,

The WD Motorcycle forum

WD Motorcycle forum
Start a New Topic 
Author
Comment
View Entire Thread
Re: Anyone going to the War & Peace Show?

I do feel that there is a perception problem with W&P as it now stands. Publicity seems to be targetted at Facebook and is of a level (and relevance) that it feels like spam and I took myself off the notifications list.

As far as I know, neither the proprietor nor any other person in authority takes any time to post on the relevant vehicle sites (this and HMVF plus maybe MLU spring to mind).

If mail responses to queries are published then I'm sorry to say that they seem condescending, blunt to the point of rudeness and the quality of the written English is pisspotical.

It just isn't good PR and as an outsider who has been undecided for ages about whether to make the trip over the channel, I feel that the buzz seems to have gone out of it. I no longer have the feeling that I'm missing out by not being there.

It used to be noticeable that the MV movement felt it belonged to them...this may have been an illusion for quite some time...but it certainly doesn't seem like it now. A large number of owners appear to feel that they're being exploited and the current management doesn't seem to be taking any public steps to rectify the situation.

Re: Anyone going to the War & Peace Show?

YES I WILL BE THEIR WITH MY ARIEL WNG AND BSA PARRABIKE
ITS MY FIRST TIME

Re: Anyone going to the War & Peace Show?

I put a message up a week or so ago.

For all those planning to go to War & Peace in Kent this year. Hope to see you on the motorcycle ride-out at 11am at the Spitfire bar on Friday 28th.

Must fettle to old girl this weekend and ger ready for my trip down on Tues afternoon. She was popping a bit on deceleration last time out.

Richard.

email (option): richardpurkiss@hotmail.com

Re: Anyone going to the War & Peace Show?

I'll be there on my pitch S1 or possibly R1, it depends how they mark it out, but it is last row pitch 1, so if anybody has anything heavy they don't want to carry around, you can leave it with me or just drop by and say hello, looking forward to the show and catching up with old friends,
Regards Gary

email (option): garys339@hotmail.com

Re: Anyone going to the War & Peace Show?

I shall be on the military lightweight land rover club stand with my W'ng.
Hope to do the ride out, missed it last year with several other as there seemed to be a mixup with the timing.

Re: Anyone going to the War & Peace Show?

" used to be noticeable that the MV movement felt it belonged to them...this may have been an illusion for quite some time...but it certainly doesn't seem like it now. "

Rik, I absolutely agree......this is the nub of the issue as far as many MV owners/attendees are concerned. At the same time, I acknowledge that what Andrew says is quite correct, except that I think folk have every right to "whinge" about what used to be "their" show. The new owner has openly said that the previous management put up with a lot of freeloaders and scammers who exploited the IMPS membership concession. Well, that viewpoint is highly arguable, but rather than just keeping his opinions to himself, he has annoyed a lot of people who brought a LOT of hardware who thought that getting an entry concession was at least a nice token gesture to offset the huge cost of getting their MVs in front of a paying public. The controversy was just so unnecessary. Anyway, as Andrew rightly says, its his show and his money. We all hope it works out well.

Re: Anyone going to the War & Peace Show?

As a postscript to the above, entrants have been advised in writing that if they try and sell stuff without a stallholder contract, they will be charged for a stallholder pitch....£450 or some such! You can understand the principle and in the past there has been some very flagrant flouting of what always has been a rule. On the other hand, it was always fun in the evening to do a trawl round the rows of MVs and check out the occasional pile of unwanted military goodies that an exhibitor was trying to get rid of. I dont think anyone got very upset about it as long as no-one got silly and exploited the situation. Presumably it means you now cannot stick a "For Sale" sign on your MV? Again, I just think being heavy handed is counter productive. I also wish the organisers much good luck in trying to extract £450 from any very large Dutch guys they catch.....even if its legal to do so!

Re: Anyone going to the War & Peace Show?

I queried this with War & Peace and had this reply from Jamie Wells;

Hi Richard,

Thanks for the email, this selling is for the full blown stalls in the military vehicle area, absolutely agree people selling the odd bits and pieces is fine and a great part of the show.

But it is unfair on the traders for those that are excessively selling.

Kind Regards
Jamie Wells

FRL Media Group
British Shooting Show
War And Peace Revival
FRL Media

email (option): richardpurkiss@hotmail.com

Re: Anyone going to the War & Peace Show?

Thats good. Pity they hadn't made this clear at the outset. PR is not their strong suit!

Re: Anyone going to the War & Peace Show?

I attended the show for the first time this year....Personally I enjoyed the experience...

Having been involved previously in organising a much smaller one day event for 13 years(and that before the advent of huge Health and Safety and public liability costs) I can imagine how much work goes into this one....

Expecting the organisation and P.R. to run efficiently and seamlessly from the first show is frankly a fantasy expectation...

I also spoke to the John Allison during the show and one of the things we discussed was the follow up 'post mortem' that attempts to highlight the problems that have occurred and their possible solutions....

There's never any shortage of criticism...There is always a shortage of constructive comment and people who don't like change will probably never be happy...

As Oddball said in Kellys Heroes...'I'm just drinking wine, eating cheese and catching some rays..you know?'....

What is it with the negative waves?... ...Relax and see how things shape up as the show becomes more established again over the coming years...Ian

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

Re: Anyone going to the War & Peace Show?

There were 30 bikes on this years rideout. Not as many as previous years and I expect the weather put a few off, but we actually had a nice ride with nice weather.
A few photos..




email (option): richardpurkiss@hotmail.com

Re: Anyone going to the War & Peace Show?

Ian, the bottom line (pun intended) was that most folk on balance enjoyed and appreciated the show (feedback over the last couple of weeks from many attendees) but there was much criticism over the extremely poor provision of sanitary facilities, which went down very badly considering the surcharge for the latter that was imposed. This was a great pity because it was one area that the Show got right at the Folkestone venue.......so why not carry on the good work at Beltring? This in NOT a minor issue when you have so many people camped out for ten days or so, many with families.

Re: Anyone going to the War & Peace Show?

It was my first time there and took the WD16H as an exhibitor. We got there Monday and had to be towed on site by a kind German chap in a big Yanky truck because of the mud. He dragged us around the site but all the spaces had been roped off in advance and there was nowhere for us to go. Some groups of people had roped off massive areas and I never saw them filled all week. Luckily for us a friend saw us sliding past there camp and let us squeeze on the end of there pitch. Thank you John, you really did save the day for us. We were getting desperate to get somewhere and running out of options as the German chap didn't want to drag us round every field. We hadn't been assigned a pitch and I have no idea where we were supposed to go

Toilets were a big problem, Wend and I were at the bottom of "Outer Munkton" field (I think that's what it was called), our nearest toilets were 10-15 min walk across a by now ploughed up slippery, muddy field, so not much fun. It didn't affect a lot of people in our camping field as they had there own private portaloo on there pitches, that were padlocked. As the portaloo bloke drove round people were buying them off him. There were 2 toilets right by us, one 10 feet away and one 10 yards away and the people wouldn't let me or Wend use them. It was a case of hunt the toilet, especially with the missus with me. The Americana camping field was the same, one block of toilets when they should have been spread out more. I go to several music festivals each year so I've seen more than I want to of disgusting portaloos, thankfully the ones here were kept clean.

On a positive note, there were a fantastic number of stalls and we seemed to find something new every time we walked around them.... Yes we spent lots of money
The living history and re-enactors camps were brilliant, these people really live the life and act the part and had all the kit with some amazing vehicles. Lots of 40's civvies as well.
Lots of tanks and unusual vehicles driving around the arena and around the site. We had a great view just sat outside our camp.
The 2 marquees with entertainment on each night was a good idea. You had rock bands on in the Spitfire marquee and something for the over 70 year olds in the other one

We really enjoyed ourselves there, made even better by the people we met. Great to catch up with lots of forum members and a special thanks to Richard Purkiss and Reg for making us welcome at there camp on our long hikes back and forward from camp to show.... That was a long walk.
And well done to John Alison for putting on a great show, good to see you and have a chat, and put in perspective the money and organisation that goes into an event like this. So support it or lose it, thats your options, you'll miss it if it's gone..!

email (option): horror@blueyonder.co.uk

Re: Anyone going to the War & Peace Show?

Horror...sorry didnt get to say bye bye ! I was off to do some washing up when you last popped in to the camp. Thought I would see you on the rideout !? Lowly WM20 spluttered and popped at first but after about 10miles started to perform a lot smoother and not konking out at the junctions ! Had a good potter around the camp on Friday and Saturday afternoons.
Pleased to finally meet Ron on the Wednesday (or was it Thurs ?)
Keep polishing your helmets !!!
Rich.

email (option): richardpurkiss@hotmail.com

Re: Anyone going to the War & Peace Show?

We left Midday Friday as we had a bike rally to go to, so we missed the ride out which was a shame. Only rode around the site a couple of times as it was like riding with 2 flat tyres in that mud. Thursday was great as it had dried out. I'll get Wendy to polish my helmet

As you can see, it needs a lot of buffing
IMG_5191

email (option): horror@blueyonder.co.uk

Nieuwe pagina 1