Pickering War Weekend, October 2011

It was the annual War Weekend at nearby Pickering a few weeks ago, so here's a few pictures of the event. We've been away to Spain since then, hence the delay!
As usual, the day started well enough, with a rather large breakfast..

Pickering itself was well busy, and you could hardly get a look in, so we turned our attention to the village of "Le Visham", as usual done out as a German occupied area. Sentries were posted to ensure the locals good behaviour.

Germans looked on, as an Englishman abroad took in the sights & sounds of how things may have been.

I wanted to take this toy home .. there was one for sale in a militaria shop in Pickering, at around £1500 ... nice to have, but I don't see how I could have sneaked it past Mrs P. And then there'd be the credit card bill too. So I wimped out.

Peeler Jnr, by the newly Frenchiefied village sign.

This one was a jaw dropper .. we waited in vain for it to be launched, though it was pointed towards the distant moors.

German reenactors were generally chatty & helpful, and there wasn't too much strutting about.

This French patriot wasn't allowed into the occupied area, and had to make do with vocal resistance from the sidelines.

Onto to nearby Goathland, where the Allies were holding out. I have always thought that a .30 cal MG was pretty impressive ..

.. until I compared it with a .50 cal MG,, which was just mahussive. Difficult to jog around whilst shooting that one from the hip Rambo style I reckon!

The LDV were on guard near the train station, with some nice weaponry on display.

Bren gun on a tripod, not something I've seen before.

On the way home, across the moors, there was a road block .. deep undercover resistance fighters perhaps, or SOE reenactors? Whatever they were, the one in the middle was as hard as nails and refused to shift until I got out and gave it the word. It wandered off slowly, giving a look back that said,"Yeah, whatever".

An extra one from a recent boat trip on the Coronia, from Scarborough Harbour. I knew that the boat had been at Dunkirk, as had it's sister boat The Regal Lady, but hadn't realised the original name of it until I saw this plaque.

So there we are, a good day out was had, and we were lucky with the weather. Unlike whilst in Spain!

Regards,

Peeler

A damp week in Scotland.

Hi up there. Needless to say, but it's been a while .. again. Been busy, computer was very ill & then I couldn't get onto my own Blog. FGS! Well, now I'm on but the posting side seems to have changed - I really must try to keep up. What with extra shifts at work over the summer months, I've missed out on Newcastle & Derby shows sadly. My thanks to those new Followers who've registered despite my lack of posting recently, it's much appreciated.
As is usual in the summer months, my gaming has been a tad slow, (people are busy, on holiday, or working long hours), though a few of us have been able to work on a set of DBx rules for our Kallistra 10mm figures, which are coming on nicely & with a few more playtests & input from our other gaming chums, should be finished soon.
I thought I'd post about our damp week in Scotland - we had a pleasant enough time, staying near Dunbar, just south of Edinburgh, the only downside was that it rained. Pretty much all the time! Though it could have been worse, as there was flooding the week after we left. And it was that week in which those riots were on in London & other places too. Disgraceful behaviour I thought, which deserved a much more harsh response from the police & others, but hey - lets not get into that on here eh!
So, Scotland - a pleasant place to go, friendly people all round, and the food & beer was good & not too expensive either overall, which is worth noting in these difficult economic times. Which, however difficult things are, does not excuse rioting!! There, I've gone there again, I must stop that. Worth noting too that there was no such trouble in Scotland, as far as I know.
Here's a picture of a 25pdr, which for some reason was overlooking the bay at Dunbar. I don't know why it was there, but it was in good condition and my boys wondered if we could take it home on our tow bar. It would look good in our front garden I think.
An older artillery piece in a rare dry time at Edinburgh Castle, a marvelous place to visit. Whilst Mrs Peeler plans where to go next, Peeler Jnr keeps an eye on the nearby cafe ... as always, thinking of his next meal. Or snack. Or in between snacks snack. There are some good Regimental Museums here, which are well worth a look.

Good old General Haig, a much maligned fellow these days, looking very up for it.

There was a pretty good waxworks display of various events, this one caught our attention -

.. as Mrs P's late Father was called Alexander Stewart! It did make us chuckle as he'd probably quite like to wear that get up himself. And he'd probably claim some sort of ancestorship too, knowing him!

I can't quite recall if this next one was in the Castle or the nearby 'Edinburgh Dungeons', which were really good, but Peeler Jnr, being dressed in black, curled up in a dark corner & pretty much nearly killed me off as I turned the corner whereupon he unravelled himself and gave out a scary zombie like screech. It was a good job I wasn't armed, or he'd have been history on a reflex, I can tell you.

As you do, we went for a drive out over the countryside, and came across this - which looks like an entrance to an underground area. I presume it was something to do with drainage or perhaps an underground reservoir, or maybe a basement as in a recent dire Danny Dyer film I've seen.

Whichever it was, it was locked, and as we pondered it, the mist began to roll on in. We made our excuses & left swiftly, before anything bad could happen.

So there it is, not too many photos taken really, due to the poor weather. Did I mention it rained all damned week? I think I did. It's raining as I post this up, hopefully the weather will improve for this coming weekend, as it's the nearby Pickering War Weekend - large hurrahs, it's always a good do & seems to kickstart our autumnal wargaming period.

Regards,

Peeler

Airfix/Matchbox...?

A short post, with reference to my photo in the previous post, about the "Airfix Cromwell tank on the bridge"... I did chuckle at the different thoughts & comments on it.. was it Airfix or Matchbox, was it a Cromwell, Comet or even a Sherman... do any of us have a decent memory these days? Well, clearly, I haven't..
I would agree that it was actually a Matchbox rather than an Airfix kit, on thinking of it after reading the Comments, which were much appreciated! .. BUT I would be sure that it was NOT a Sherman tank.. No, I definitely remember it being a Cromwell..er.. or maybe a Comet...and then a chap, Richard, posted this Link to me at TMP..
http://modelshelves.free.fr/dossiers/MB_GB/index.html
Just shows you eh! But at least we now know.. :-)
Regards and smiles all round,
Peeler

Duxford Imperial War Museum.

Back in the summer, after our visit to London, we stopped off at Duxford Imperial War Museum, just off the M11. Here's just a few pictures of what was on display, as there really was an awful lot of it, and I have to say, it is well worth a visit if you're ever down that way. The Title of this post is Linked to the Duxford Site.

Remember the Airfix Cromwell tank on a damaged bridge set? Well here it was on a 1:1 scale..

As said, this is only a very small proportion of the exhibits... but then, I don't want to be spoiling your visit...

Regards,

Pickering WW2 WeekEnd.

We went along to this re-enactment weekend on October 17th, (the title above links into a short You-tube video), a really good friendly and interesting time it was too, and only a short bus ride away on't Moor Bus Services, which makes a pleasant start to the day, it makes a change not to be driving.
The main event is at Pickering itself, but other nearby villages put on events too, so there is a lot to get around, as well as taking in some wonderful Moors views. After a large fat boys breakfast at a local cafe, we bought some pies to munch as we stood to watch the main parade through the town, made up of British and American military vehicles and such like. Germans are not allowed into Pickering itself, unless under armed guard, and so their display is at nearby Levisham. Mr Churchill, with large cigar and v-sign, naturally got the most applause and cheers. God Bless the fellow, and all of those involved, for saving us from European domination.
Unfortunately, I'd forgotten my camera.. (d'oh).. and for that, I blame my local landlord for selling me far too much Tetleys the night before. Thankfully, after a walk through the 1940's market, Mrs Peeler joined us, with car and camera, and we made our way on to Levisham.
Re-named "Le Visham" for the weekend, the village and station was "German Occupied", good to see, but also a warning perhaps of how things may have been, had we lost.
Anyway, here's some pictures of a German camp just outside the Station, I think these gents were actually from West Yorks. They certainly looked the part, and the equipment looked very realistic.

The Station itself was regulated by German Military Police types, who played the part very well, anyone dressed in 1940's Allied uniform was arrested, and 1940's civilians were questioned closely. Enjoyable, but also worrying, at the same time.

This flag was flying on the Station itself, I presume it was some sort of German Rail flag, but I'm not at all sure.

As we drove out of the village, some Americans turned up and had a mooch about.

Onto Goathland, and a rather nice display of elderly motor bikes.

And the Home Guard on display, watching out for any typical dirty Nazi tricks and suchlike.

This was different, a Bren gun fitted with a cylinder magazine, holding 100 rounds, for A/A use.

Were horses bigger in the '40's? I only ask because the bloke stood next to it was a good 6'2, and that horse isn't standing up straight..

Last, but not least, Le Resistance, cunningly disguised, and keeping a watchful eye on the Germans, just waiting for the moment to strike, cause chaos to the invader, then melt away into

the countryside again..

A quick Witter, both Gaming and Blogging are going well, I have a weekend in London coming up for a GdB Wagram game, at which I have the Austrian Reserve Cavalry, so hopefully that will mean a gentle start for me on the Saturday morning, and we have Smoggycon and Recon shows coming up soon, which we are gaming at, so some good days to look forward to.

I'd like to pass a welcome to the latest "Followers", being Tim from Norton, CJP, Pat, Mike Siggins and Billy, welcome to all, and a good selection of Blogs they have between them.

Regards to all,