Anyone Going To Beltring ?

Martin Bull · #1 (**permalink**) June 26th, 2002, 12:57 PM

Sorry guys, I'm not a re-enactor.
But this corner of the forum looks a bit undernourished so I thought I'd try and liven it up a bit !
So - anyone going to, or coming over for, Beltring next month ? Re-enacting there ? Looking for anything in particular to buy ?

Stevin · #2 (**permalink**) June 26th, 2002, 05:49 PM

Martin, for me, the uninitiated and

about the Beltring, could perhaps enlighten me/us into the iuntricacies of the Beltring?

Martin Bull · #3 (**permalink**) June 26th, 2002, 06:07 PM

Sorry Stevin, of course ;

Its' official title is the 'War & Peace Show but everyone just calls it 'Beltring'.

'Beltring' happens every year at Beltring in the county of Kent ( very near the Channel Tunnel ). It bills itself as 'The World's Largest Military Vehicle Spectacular' and is now spread over 5 days, from 17-21 July.
IT IS HUGE!
As well as masses of armoured vehicles, trucks, jeeps and re-enactment groups just about every militaria and deact weapon dealer in the UK is there together with many from France, Benelux and Germany. Just to walk around this show for a day is totally exhausting - for the wallet, too!

For more, see

www.thewarandpeaceshow.com

Stevin · #4 (**permalink**) June 27th, 2002, 07:41 AM

Looks like the place to be! Wonder if I can get Christa to postpone the wedding!

I wonder if Keep Them Rolling will be there. They're a Dutch club perserving original WW2 vehicels. They are always present at every memorials etc. It is GREAT to see them driving through your street with the dozens of them. Especially two years ago when they had veterans in them!

Martin Bull · #5 (**permalink**) June 27th, 2002, 07:43 AM

Wedding !? Oh, ho !

Stefan · #6 (**permalink**) June 27th, 2002, 05:20 PM

Hi, I will be at Beltring hopefully on the Friday, I am going to a re-enactment on the severn valley railway this weekend (leaving tomorrow) and have another re-enactment on the south devon railway two weeks later (on the 14th of july).
How about you?

Stevin · #7 (**permalink**) June 28th, 2002, 09:59 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Martin Bull:
Wedding !? Oh, ho !

Oh! You just wait untill I figure out how to put a picture on here! hehehe....

What is most important, Christa shares my interest in veterans and she usually keeps quiet when I come home whith yet another book...Although one look can say more than a 1000 words sometimes...

Martin Bull · #8 (**permalink**) June 28th, 2002, 07:43 PM

Stefan,
Not sure when I'm getting down there, as yet. Hopefully it'll be Friday - the weekend is a nightmare of crowds. Watch this space . . .

Stevin,
Only joking - I got married myself only last year. Congratulations - she sounds too good to be true !!

Stevin · #9 (**permalink**) June 28th, 2002, 10:43 PM

Thank you and Oh man, she IS!

[ 28 June 2002, 05:43 PM: Message edited by: Stevin Oudshoorn ]

Popski · #10 (**permalink**) June 29th, 2002, 07:43 PM

G'day

Was working on my BSA WM20 1942 today at a shop just around the corner. The owner scared me alot telling me he was going to Beltring, it seemed a nce place to sell some military BMW's Zundapp and NSU bikes. Thought of sneaking in the back of the van and come out of the back on the boat. He had some german "stuff" to sell also. I could convince him to let me have a sneakpreview before he sails. Could be interesting.

Popski

Martin Bull · #11 (**permalink**) July 10th, 2002, 07:44 AM

Only a week to go......!

Martin Bull · #12 (**permalink**) July 15th, 2002, 07:19 AM

Four days to go and the sun's shining . . .

sommecourt · #13 (**permalink**) July 15th, 2002, 01:08 PM

I'll be working this weekend (okay, so it WILL be on the battlefields, but...), so won't make it sadly.

Hope you will give us a full report Martin, in due course.

Martin Bull · #14 (**permalink**) July 15th, 2002, 01:40 PM

Call that work ! £%&*()"@ h£ll !

I'm going on Friday - with a strict cash spending limit !

Martin Bull · #15 (**permalink**) July 18th, 2002, 06:52 PM

12 hours to go . . . !

Martin Bull · #16 (**permalink**) July 19th, 2005, 03:04 PM

Well, it's that time of year again !

I gave last year a miss - but I'm going this Saturday. Anyone else going...?

Martin Bull · #17 (**permalink**) July 24th, 2005, 06:06 PM

The economic downturn was very evident at this years' Beltring - plenty of people wandering around the stands, but very few actually spending money.

Some real bargains to be had as many of the stallholders were dealers from the Continent ( even one from Finland ) who really preferred to take cash back home, not the militaria they'd brought with them.

The only thing in really big demand was the MP43/44 Sturmgewehr ( due to the popularity of re-enacting ). Prices now creeping up toward £2000 for good ones.

Wish I'd bought half-a-dozen all those years ago....

[img]redface.gif[/img]

Kai-Petri · #18 (**permalink**) July 25th, 2005, 02:57 PM

Personally I think the WW2 article prices might be at their peak at the moment. As less people know or care about WW2 it means less buyers and thus less value. I guess this would be the time to sell really.

I might be wrong about the prices but that´s ok with me...

I have bought some items but that´s only to make me understand more of the time period, not just read about it but also to feel and see it. I won´t be selling any of those if I can choose.

Stefan · #19 (**permalink**) July 26th, 2005, 09:30 AM

I dunno Kai, more and more people are getting into collecting and re-enacting every year, prices are still climbing. I'd give them a few years yet.

I was there on Sunday, Martin, did you see the Soviet group by the T34 with the medics and such (my girlfriend is one of the medics), they are my mob. Sadly I was training cadets until saturday and only got there Sunday morning in time to be rained off.

How about Detling, anyone going this year? Calls for a new thread methinks!