Beamish Museum "Dig for
Victory" - Sunday - September 1st
Day 4 - The last day of the show and another bright
and dry day, if a bit breezy. We had a three Jeep convoy to start the day,
dropping one off at the bottom of the farm hill while Lynne and I continued
around to the town for coffee. After we finished our coffee, we returned to
the show field and dropped off one Jeep there. We then headed back out to the
tram stop at the bottom of the hill leading to Home Farm.
Each area of the museum covers a different time
period. The farm is a working farm and is permanently a 1940's display. Many
of the re-enactor's dioramas were set up around the farm property, so we spent
some time looking around there and chatting to friends.
The barn had been converted to a dance hall for
the event. There was a little space in the farm yard near the barn and on the
side of the road for vehicles to display. Due to the number of public walking
up the museum road to the farm, the military vehicles exited the site at the
staff entrance and drove up the public road which bisects the farm property.
We caught up with our daughter at the farm,
doing the washing! If only we could manage that at home.
After the farm, it was back to the show field for
lunch and then out again with both Jeeps to the pit village. There we managed
a rare picture of Lynne and myself together. I'm usually always behind the
camera.
Another visit to the town followed, parking up
outside the Co-Operative Society. This spot gives enough clearance for the
trams to still pass the parked vehicles.
Back on the road again late afternoon, driving
down to the pit village to meet up with friends at the chip shop where we had
a well earned rest. There had been rain forecast from mid afternoon onwards,
so we'd already dropped one of the tents and packed everything into the other.
That way we'd only have one to dry if we got caught.
Fortunately it stayed dry and towards the end of the
afternoon, we made one last drive back to the show field. We dropped the last
tent and brought the modern car in to pack away the camping gear that wouldn't
fit in the trailer. Our friends headed off next and we took both Jeeps home
soon after, getting caught in a bit of a shower on the way home. Once the
Jeeps and trailer were away in the garage, we then returned in our other car
to collect the one with the camping gear that we left in the staff car park.
It was an amazing four days and is now firmly
fixed as my favourite military vehicle event of the year.