What a show! It's taken me months to recover from it! I arrived early enough on the Friday previous to the show to find that Eddie Johnson had thankfully previously marked out our pitch. This year we had twice last year’s area and the overflow into the following field… and it was still only just enough! I was there just in time to mark out the display positions JUST before the 'Welsh Contingent' in the shape of Tony and Gemma Hunt arrived with their normally aspirated Diesel 110. Jerry and Sue Bland plus unofficial club mascot (Hardy) followed shortly and took up their positions on the front of this year’s themed display. The road frontage was taken up with a display of radio-equipped Land Rovers, which included John Butcher’s award-winning 101 FFR and Jan’s Cyprus cammed Lightweight.

By Wednesday, the first ‘Public’ day, we were able to put on a show of no less than 23 vehicles on the main stand. We were able to keep this full to enthral Joe Public for the rest of the week, 38 vehicles appearing on the main display during the week. More success came when George Jackson (remember him?) was highly chuffed to carry off the award for the best Ambulance with the recently restored IIA. Well done indeed George. Other than FFRs in all their guises, our display featured vehicles from Arctic to Desert and Temperate theatres of operation, from Sue Cummings' ‘muddied’ Series One (Hmmm, Mud Wrestling…? Maybe not!) to Clive Elliott's newly acquired and rebuilt Wolf 90. To keep us busy, apart from the great unwashed (although there were more showers available this year!) public, there was the usual acreage of ‘Tat’ stalls, including that run by our own C&S (good to see you boys) to help remove the coinage of the realm from the deepest recesses of those pockets in Trousers Lightweight DPM.

New committee member Anthony Burrows and Sarah did a splendid job with the Club BBQ under difficult circumstances when charcoal proved to be elusive (apparently Ant went to no less than four dif f erent supermarkets in search of the necessaries) - thanks to both of them and their young Assistant Chef, no less than Marshy Junior Pyro in Chief, aka Tony. All were eventually fed and watered to satisfaction (a genuine Baptism of Fire!).It was good to see so many of our overseas members supporting the event, Julf Helsingius and Elaine, Dirk, and of course the inimitable Daniel. Thanks for coming and helping the Association with probably their biggest show of the year. The RAF, Army, SAS and the Royal Navy (well Royal Marines anyway!) were all represented in depth, sometimes quite literally (the smile on young Alan's face when he returned from an off road trip with Mike O'Connor will remain etched on my memory for some time to come! Thanks again Mike).

A welcome visit was paid to the stand be a fleet of SAS Pinkies. “Can we leave them here for a while?" As if I was going to refuse! Jerry did a great impression of a Cheshire Cat when he was invited to inspect them VERY closely! These were in addition to Julf's new toy driven by Wayne (yes folks, Wayne tuned up in a LANDY! Although not his own. Again.). Many thanks also to all those who helped to ‘fly the flag’ at this year’s event. There are far too many of you to list, but everyone of you contributed in one way or another. Please come back in 2005! Next year, I am told, we may not have the pleasurable draw of Eddie's Mine Protected 109 or Jamie's Patrol vehicle. Maybe YOU would like to fill that gap? Public Days next year subject to confirmation (2005) are 20th to 24th July. Book early please!

Report: Rex hunt. Photos: Steve Marsh and Rex Hunt