last updated - 13th September , 2008

   Best viewed 1024 x 768  

Rawcliffe Hall.

Salute to the 40's Weekend.

August  29th , 30th & 31th  2008

Continuing the theme of wind, rain and mud that we have been having this year, Rawcliffe Hall weekend was no exception. What started of with clear sky's on Friday, was great for travelling down, and for setting the tents up, soon developed to drizzle on and off all weekend. The camping field at Rawcliffe Hall was small but as it happens, just the right size. As the entrance became extremely boggy,  the camper vans arrived and became stuck fast. There was no way they were coming into the camping are, all sorts of old military vehicles, including mine, were in use all weekend, pulling the new stuff out of trouble . So again, every available space was available for camping.

A lot of the vehicles and displays were camped outside some very expensive looking log cabins. Imagine these owners waking up in the morning and finding this lot camped on their front lawn,  again!!! Every inch was eventually taken up with vehicles and tents. If you had a truck, you slept in it, I decided that a modern tent was in order, just for size and practicality, with my trusty dining shelter as jeep garage. 

Many thanks to Paul Higgins and the rest of the Rawcliffe Hall Weekend group, for all their hard work into the weekend. It was a great success again. It just gets bigger and bigger. Well done to all.

( this paragraph has been removed, due to communications from Rawcliffe Hall Management )

Paul Higgins with daughter, Rachel. Always behind the camera, rarely in front. Paul has been one of the main organiser for the Rawcliffe Hall weekend on behalf of the MVT side of things for a long time, long may this continue!!!

Since his bad motorcycle accident, the quad bike from the Hall is a blessed relief from walking to much. Just remember it needs fuel once in a while, Paul...

Just found these 2 clips on YouTube.

Frank with his high pressure petrol stove          And of the Convoy, Taken by a member of the MVT North East.

Dr. Indiana Jones and  Professor Henry Jones,  were with as most of the weekend,  it is always great to see something different. They looked great in the part, with grail diary, brass rubbings, bull whip, spot on guys, well done.

picture linked to the Raider. Net for all Indiana Jones Fans. Hope they don't mind.

Henry always puts on something different for us, never did find what the cockerel was for.  But it did move around all weekend.

(It is not real by the way).

  John and Elaine Ward from Ingleton Homeguard. Came on mass with family, friends and dog.

Sunday morning and a parade of vehicles, mostly jeeps, round the arena.

Roops and company put on a great display of the 100 Bomb Group, with his newly constructed  flight control Dodge, with plexi glass dome of a bomber on the top. There were actual aircraft fly by sounds, played at high volume, causing more than a few people to look up.

On the run out to the "Ship" at Elswick, we kind of blocked the road, and filled the car park. But it was a good run, lasting about 2 hours in total.  I lost count of the number of vehicles, but it must have been over 40, of all sorts and sizes and ages..

Again, camping was where ever you could find a space. Fancy waking up in the morning, and finding this on your front lawn !!!!

Tim and James on someone's front lawn...

Every piece of ground available had something of interest on. But unfortunately, 3 poor souls did not make it past the first night. They must have been very skinny to fit into graves that thin??

I think that the star attraction of Saturday evening has to be this guy, Andy Eastwood. Highly entertaining set.  Old and modern classics played on the Banjo, Fender Strat and violin.

The Sunday morning Remembrance parade.

The main field was well packed in this year, access to the main field restricted due to the amount of rain we have had this year.

Again we had a fantastic fly-by of Phil Connolly's Bell UH1H 72-21509 , or Huey to the rest of us.

Click on the pic to take you to his web site, with a lot more pictures and sounds.

It certainly draws the crowds. As you hear the distinctive rotor sounds from a mile away, and gives a few low level passes at speed, then circles round to land right in front of you. One of the side .50 cals is now gas powered, and we had a brief display of that going off. Just a pity he could not have set it going during his fly past. May be next year.

Nice picture sent in by Dave McCoull, with his REO and the Huey

A good display of GMC's, Bob's is the one with the .50 and ring on

The size between Dave's Vietnam  REO and Richards WW2 MAC

The battle this year was one of a smoky affair. Somebody must have been given a job lot of smoke canisters ?? More vehicles involved  than usual, which made it a lot better. Bob drove his jeep in, right at the back of the photo, but he was shot almost immediately. Poor Bob.

Back to Events  Page - click here.

Back to Home Page - click here.