Had a good run over from Cheshire arriving late Friday morning in the wind and rain to find that the stand size was much smaller than in previous years. After much head scratching I decided that I could just fit the fifteen vehicles expected in the space allocated if we erected all the 9x9s outside the perimeter at the back of the stand with the Sankeys behind them. Obviously going to need the cam netting to keep the Organisers in the dark! By late Friday evening the majority of members had arrived, but the dining shelter, EMLRA flag and banner hadn't. We improvised.

By early Saturday more members had arrived but some were still missing (see later). Terry and Heather with their Land Rover military demo V8 90 set up a superb desert scene on one corner of the display complete with desert "sand", rocks and palm trees. On the other corner Steve and Tony Marsh set up an excellent light arms display ably supported by Anthony and Sarah. These focal point displays with the Carawagon Command Centre and Sue's Series 1 formed a front line that brought the punters onto the stand to admire the serried ranks of vehicles formed up behind. Joe Public were stopping in significant numbers to admire the small arms display with Tony / Terry in a fully kitted out sniper suit, Anthony in full combats plus Sarah who was in full NBC kit and was usually to be found lying prone in front of the display completely still. Great debate ensued amongst knots of people watching about Sarah's state - was she / it live or a dummy? One toddler bravely came forward to test just as Sarah moved - the toddler did a very creditable 0 to 60 time issuing a growing wail as he departed. Great laughter all round, and with the jungle at the other end of the display, a great attraction. The wind remained a feature of Saturday with its strength gradually increasing as the day drew to a close.

At 2am on Sunday morning the wind won and the cam nets were taken down before they blew down. I slept through all this excitement, one advantage of growing deafness! Sunday dawned bright and very windy with the EMLRA choir serenading our "birthday boy". Steve S's actual age is a closely guarded secret, but he ain't 21! Mike and Christine arrived with their pristine 110 FFR and while manoeuvring took out a rear tyre on a cam net stake not recovered from the earlier take down. EMLRA will be striking a special medal for Mike for the calm and laid back attitude he took to ruining an almost new Trac Edge. The crowds seemed a lot thinner on Sunday though we did finally get EMLRA into the arena display having been "forgotten" on Saturday and after I'd had to negotiate with the Organisers on Saturday night. The arena interviewer moved on quickly when Dave T described his vehicle as a109 GS IKEA (see Dave, not me!). By late morning we began to get wind that something was afoot with regular visits from Judges and Stewards asking us to be ready to go into the arena again that afternoon. We therefore decided to start packing up about 2.00pm ready for our second sortie to the arena at 3.30pm. At 3.30pm our convoy formed up complete with laden trailers and headed into the arena. Despite an appalling sound system the realisation dawned that EMLRA had won the "Best Club Stand" award and with it a cheque for £150.00. The assembled members agreed that £75.00 of our winnings should be donated to the Army Benevolent Fund with the rest going towards a second lightweight dining shelter. Just as that excitement subsided Tony told me that I was wanted in the centre of the arena as my Carawagon had been awarded third place in the "Best Classic" class. The £50.00 winnings have already gone to swell Shell's profits! After a couple of circuits of the arena we all headed out and home. Steve S was seen going around the site in ever decreasing circles as he desperately tried to find the exit gate. He did eventually get out and was last seen heading up the A1, Durham bound.

Footnote: or the show that nearly never was!
LRO employ an organisation called Live Promotions (LP) to run the show on their behalf. Officially LP says that they will issue six free passes to any Club wishing to attend irrespective of the size of the Club. Regional Clubs with a membership in double figures get 6 passes, EMLRA with an international membership in excess of 750 get six passes. Over the last few years EMLRA has been able to negotiate its way around this difficulty. The 14 vehicles that won the Best Club Stand at the LRO Show at Driffield earlier this year all had free passes. In July this year I negotiated 15 free passes for Peterborough. At the end of August I asked if this could be increased to 19 as additional vehicles wished to attend. I was told that EMLRA would receive 6 passes only not the 15 previously agreed. The additional 13 vehicles could attend on receipt of £585.00 i.e. £45.00 each. The EMLRA committee took exception to this. EMLRA believe a Land Rover Show should first and foremost be an opportunity for enthusiasts to meet to share their enthusiasm for the green oval. EMLRA believe that it is inappropriate to expect enthusiasts to pay to provide an attraction for the paying public. They already pay their fuel costs to provide the attraction and members attended Peterborough from as far afield as Durham, Cheshire, Gloucestershire and Cornwall. This is in addition to their significant restoration costs. To pay to put a vehicle on display as well is unacceptable. EMLRA regret that LP was intransigent on this matter. It was only through the direct intervention of LRO magazine that the 15 free passes were reinstated. However, this meant that I had to turn down the extra four members who wished to attend. Given all the hassle outlined above it was disappointing when four vehicles allocated free passes failed to show up.

Peter Barratt