Febuary 2010

Hi All

AGM

The AGM went well with many items discussed and reviewed. In particular it was decided to donate £1,000 towards a memorial to the First World War Airmen who lost their lives operating from the airfield.
It was also decided to donate £500 towards providing a rest area and refreshments for those Normandy Veterans visiting Normandy in June this year (Chairman’s Report for 2009).

BARN

Work has commenced on the water tap repair so the muddy area at the lower end of the Barn should soon be a thing of the past. There will be some more work required but this will require a working party and some better weather as we need to dig a soak away n or near the lower bays to provide better conditions there. But sorting out the tap will help a lot.

We currently have two bays empty and available for occupation; someone has contacted me on wanting a bay but didn’t leave a contact number so if you know who you are please call me again!

We have had to put up the Barn rent slightly, by 50p per week, to cover the assumption that there will always be an empty bay. Up until now we have assumed they will always be full however this year this has not been the case. We have tried to keep the increase as low as possible but if this does not work out we will have to review it again. Can I remind Barn people they can pay by standing order if they so wish

CLUB BBQ  (see poster) 1st May

Following on from the not so successful Christmas Dinner, and as mentioned previously we have arranged a Spring BBQ at the Stow Maries Airfield. Provisionally we this will follow a similar format to the previous visit there with a meet up at The Prince of Wales Pub in Stow Maries and then on to the Airfield where we can have the BBQ and spend the afternoon there. This is really worth going to the airfield is unique as the only first world war airfield left in its original configuration and with more than 90% of its buildings still standing it really is worth a visit.
I see the Airfield has obtained a genuine first world war truck for restoration!

If you are interested register your interest with Richard (see poster) their will be a small charge for the BBQ as yet undecided. We will work on a minimum of twenty people any less and we will not run the event so please let Richard know of your interest ASAP

CLUB TALK
We have arranged a talk for the April meeting, on Chain Home Radar to be given by Andy Tyler. Andy has given this talk at other events and it has been greatly received.

We are going to try to have more talks at our meetings, so if you have any ideas, suggestions or know anyone who would be able to deliver a talk to us about military or related subjects at the meeting let me know.

MILITARY AND FLYING MACHINES

The first full page advert are now out and we are getting a lot of interest, with nearly all the entries at least double on  where we were this time last year.

If you are a vehicle owner / living history group / stall holder / exhibitor / and want to attend please go to the show site via the link and book in, if you have any special requirements we will do our very best to accommodate you. For vehicle owner you can book in on line its quick and easy and we would love to have you!.

For visitors have a look and see what we have coming and I am sure it will be a great day out for you. As the only Military vehicle and Air display located within the M25I am sure we are worth a look!

We are booking the first of the air displays and so far we have a Spitfire and Messerschmitt ME 108 confirmed. We are awaiting confirmation on the Battle of Britain Flight. 

To recognise the fact that Ford Motor Company is just down the road and to celebrate its wartime activities we are planning to have a feature on Ford vehicles with at least one example of all the Ford WOT trucks built there so if you have or know someone who has a Ford WOT or any other Ford for that matter of the period (pre or wartime) get them to bring it along. Its early stages yet but there is a possibility of doing a run in the evening to the Ford Factory for a photo opportunity to take them back to where they were built nearly 70 years ago.  . 

We are also looking for pre war and war time commercials for a display as well.

TONY BUDGE

I am sure many of you are aware but Tony passed away suddenly early this year. Tony was one if not the first bog military vehicle collectors, at one time having over a hundred tanks in his collection and at least the same probably more softskins. He has attended our show as a stall holder in his role as MD of Ryton Arms. A big importer and seller of militaria with some special contacts abroad meant he could supply the collector with unusual and rare items. A great and helpful person his passing leaves a gap in the militaria collecting world.

EVENTS

1) I co-ordinate events for Havering Council. We have two events coming up with a military link or theme that you might be able to help me with.

26 June this year is Armed Forces Day, which celebrates past, present and future Armed Forces personnel. We plan to have a parade through Romford which will end at Romford Town Hall. At the Town Hall, we are looking at the possibility of having some activities for the participants and members of the public. One of the ideas is to have a range of military vehicles for people to look at.
As many of our veterans are getting on a bit now, they are finding it harder to march any great distance. If we have cadets and active personnel in the march, they would like to go a reasonable distance. One idea we have is to look into the possibility of having some WWII trucks for the veterans to travel in as part of the parade.
  
The other event is the Havering Show which will be taking place on Sunday 29 and Monday 30 August (Bank Holiday). Over the summer period will be the celebration of 70th Anniversary of the Battle of Britain. We will potentially be looking to have some form of military displays of vehicles, a fly over and other related exhibits and stalls.
  
Would your organisation be able to help me with any of the above ideas? Or could you point me in the right direction of people or organisations that might be able to help?

Thanks very much 

Mike Thomas, Events and Campaigns Officer, London Borough of Havering. Tel: 01708 432 427 Mob: 07904 116 984
Fax: 01708 432 002 E-mail: michael.thomas@havering.gov.uk

2) I am currently working on the Armed Forces Day to take place on June 26th 2010. Please could you advise me on how to involve some of your members who may like to come along and display their military vehicles’, I would like to have all types, in the large car park  and perhaps NAFI wagons Selling teas coffee etc. I am also putting together an evening of 40s entertainment inc a swing band and The Rat Pack.

Kind Regards
Jeff

Dear Sir
I am the Events & Publicity Officer for Canvey Island and would be great full if you could advise me. I had recently put together the Armed Forces Day that was successful and received letters from Her Majesty The Queen and also from the Prime Minister Gordon Brown on the success of the event. I would very much like to include on the next Armed Forces Day organisations like yourself .Please could you let me know if this would be of interest as I feel the youth of today could benefit from this. The date for next year is Saturday June 26th, with a 40s ball planed for the evening.   

Jeff Rickards. Events & Publicity Officer, Canvey Island Town Council Tel: 01268 683971 Mobile: 07760769300

BARN VACANCIES

 There are currently  two vacancies for Military Vehicle storage in the Club Barn. Please contact Colin Tebb Tel:01245 476249 Mob: 0790 1781 983 or Gavin Cooper 01702 203198 for full details

NEXT MEETING

The next meeting on March 25th

Colin

Colin Tebb - Feb 2010

CHAIRMANS REPORT  FOR 2009 - 
FOR  28TH JANUARY 2010  ESSEX AREA  21st  ANNUAL GENERAL  MEETING

2009 was yet another year full of activity, including the 65th Normandy Anniversary commemorations and more locally the addition of the Hylands Park Event,  so in all we had a busy year.

The Essex Area membership currently stands at just under two hundred members.

In October we made the decision not to send out the Essex Branch newsletter in future for two reasons, one, most of the members having internet access and all receiving the Windscreen magazine it was felt that the Olive Drab was not so important as a tool of communication as it once was. Secondly and more fundamentally, I simply don’t have the time to continue producing it and sending out the Olive Drab newsletter which involves distributing nearly a thousand newsletters a year, so the time and cost in not producing it is appreciable.

On an average I estimate I spend twenty plus hours a month on Area/MVT business and much more so during the run up to the annual show which, with its continued success, requires a greater and earlier input from all the organising team.

As you know we ran our third show at Damyns Hall, it was a fantastic success and our biggest show ever; including the Tilbury events. Vehicles, stalls and visitors all exceeded our expectations and we received some great feedback from magazines, reenactors, stall holders and vehicle owners who attended.

I would like to thank Richard and Tracy for their fantastic efforts in arranging the arena events and working with the re enactors and static displays, together with all the Brew family who spent several weeks at the Hall digging trenches and arranging for the displays; I know they have big plans for this year which I’m sure will pay dividends.

To Colin Bolton, for his continued efforts in managing the vehicle bookings despite difficult family circumstances. Colin has said he wants to go out on a high so on the 20th year of  being involved in the show organisation he wants to call it a day and make 2010 his last year on the committee.

A big thank you to Keith and Nell Brooker for their management of the stalls on the days of the Show and in taking over the running of them for 2010.

To Dennis Buston and family for his commentating and providing the “voice” of the MVT for the duration of the Show. 

Thanks to David Try and friends who looked after security and health and safety elements of the show, the knowledge and experience which he brings to the event is greatly appreciated.

Thanks go to Gavin, Pete Dobson and Pete Skidmore for their efforts in running the Barn administration.

Nigel Hubert’s excellent work in running the Essex MVT web site continues to gain the area a lot of world wide attention and many connections with like minded people have resulted from it. The number of hits the site continues to receive is testament to its success. Nigel’s work on the main MVT web site continues with much success.

Additionally I would like to thank Nigel for his extensive efforts relating to the 2009 Damyns Hall Show, they should not be underestimated, Nigel now wants to rest on his laurels and take a back seat in the future! However! He is still helping us out from his back seat so we haven’t lost him entirely.

Thanks also to Gavin, who as Treasurer, works hard behind the scenes looking after the Area financial interests and helping out with the show organisation, his efforts are greatly appreciated.

Disappointingly we had to cancel the area Christmas dinner however we are planning to put on a late spring/early summer 2010 BBQ event at Stow Maries 1st WW aerodrome, date to be agreed.  We have already obtained permission for the event to go ahead, although it will be subject to the amount of interest we get from Members.

Thanks also go to Marion for her help and support throughout the year.

Looking forward to 2010 our 21st year of the Essex Area MVT, we have a lot going on, starting with The Winter Gathering at Heybridge. This was a great new venue and a good event which brought back some of the atmosphere of events we have attended in the past in the Heybridge area. With a vehicle attendance of some 30 vehicles, complimentary refreshments, and a lot of public interest, in all it was a great day and many thanks go to Shaun who put a great deal of effort into organising the Gathering for us. I think this will be a great event as it gets established in its new location with the music and dancing adding another element to it and this together with the increased space shows it has a lot going for it.

We hope to invite a few speakers to the branch meetings this year to give a bit of a new slant on our usual meetings.

Thank you to those who have volunteered to help with the 2010 show, without you and the Essex Area there would be no show. I hope you will continue to support and enjoy the events and activities of 2010.

Finally a thank you to all Essex Area members for your support and participation in the events and activities during the past year and we look forward to your support in the coming year.