Well an interesting weekend all in all.

First the delay in the posting. I used to use a clever app on my phone as part of my login process to my blog. This works really well until your phone software goes gaga and needs a reinstall. Then you suddenly discover if all the security and backup settings actually work.

Turns out in my case they didn’t. But we’re back up and running again.

So last weekend was pure indulgence in my collecting and military interests. I visited friends in the Garden of England and spent two days investigating the War & Peace Revival Festival (2013).

For the uninitiated, think big boys toys. And explosions. What is there NOT to like 😀

Being a collector, the various stalls selling all sorts of weird and wonderful military gear and equipment were an anorak’s paradise. Except it was way too hot to wear an anorak.

Believe me, I tried it – admittedly more a British Army smock than an anorak, but you get the picture.

The living history section was also very interesting. A whole set of exhibitions, with equipment, uniformed re-enactors and more information than you could imagine. We visited the set of Blackhawk Down, Northern Ireland in the 1980s, some WW1 trenches and met a lot of people from all over the world – as re-enactors, storeholders and as punters.

The battlefield was a lot of fun – staged battles, lots of noise, pyrotechnics and running about. And although there was usually a decisive result and defeated bodies at the end of the battle, everyone got up and walked away after the whistle was blown – unlike the real thing.

Then there were the vehicles. If you like old cars and military vehicles, this was the place to be. My friends bought an ex-Army Snatch last year and are gradually restoring it. Many people at the festival have done this before and there was no end of encouragement and advice.

There was a funfair there too (old fashioned of course!) as well as the cast from the 1980s sitcom ‘Allo ‘Allo. That was a bit odd 🙂

We’re going next year. And if you’re looking for something of interest to take the family to where there’s lost to see, I’d highly recommend it.