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Victory Show 2009 (What a Cracker) NEW NEW NEW
written September 14, 2009, 08:24:00 pm by Tony Pearson | 286 Views | Rating:  (5 rates) My diary of the Victory Show 2009.
WEDNESDAY
The advance party head off to start getting most of the equipment on site and start setting up, apparently the weather was a nightmare, poor guys (thank god I don’t go until tomorrow).
THURSDAY
All the youngsters meet round at mine for 7.30am and we pack the last of the gear and get away for 8.00am picking up James shortly after, this means I have 6 in the car, Myself, James, Conor, Sean (his first event), Stiofan and Aidan.
We stop off at Newcastle for some cremated bacon; I did the right thing and thanked Brian for inviting us to the service, poor pig. James then jumps in Brian’s car and we head off. After one other stop we arrive at Victory around 4.45pm.
We had a quick catch up with the vanguard then immediately started putting the tents up, by the time we are finished for the night, the camp is beginning to look like it’s supposed to. Hats off to those in the vanguard, they had made up for the slow start due to the weather and had done a power of work done by the time we had arrived. A night round the fire and a couple of cans before hitting the sack, apart from Brian off course, he upheld the traditions of the 24hr watch and didn’t go to bed at all.............nutter.
FRIDAY
Up early and got some more tents up before breakfast. We then had a lovely breakfast, I did hear that we were a couple of rashers of bacon short but I don’t think it caused a problem.
A lot more graft done today and more guys arrive, display looks unbelievable. For those who didn’t see it, 4 dragons teeth, 2 hedgehogs, small guard post, a working checkpoint/stop sign, a polsen 20mm quad, 150 sand bags, the shower and toilet block, 11 small wall tents (four with awnings), 9 pyramidal tents and the mess tent, vehicles present were: a Sherman Tank, a Chaffee Tank, 2 Half-tracks, 2 Jimmy’s, 2 weapons carriers, a jeep and a weasel! All of this surrounded by a ten foot fence complete with wire and barb-wire!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We then had dinner; fries and Cheese burgers, just like being back at home.
SATURDAY
Up early (well most of us) and had a cooked breakfast, then set to work getting everything ready for the public, including turning the beer tent into a movie theatre showing original GI training films, the public loved it. Brian and Yogi were doing sterling work at the gate keeping the crowds moving, over the weekend we were to have over 5,000 people pass through our checkpoint.
Lots of guys milling about on the display, playing cards and such like until it was time for the battle, we also got a look at the Vulcan bombing run, very impressive, in fact the airplanes over the whole weekend very immense. Watching a Hurricane land and take off on a grass strip................does it get any better? The battle then begun, didn’t think it was great (from my point of view) due to our unit coming “in” for just the later stages of the battle, everything else looked superb, PD you are a star mate, the bangs looked awesome. After the battle we continued on the display and then had dinner, with many having seconds......and thirds!!! Night time was excellent again, lots of visitors to the “disco”; guys you are allowed to go to bed BEFORE its light!!!!!!!!
SUNDAY
Up for a cooked breakfast again, this time with a burger added into the mix of sausage, bacon, eggs and beans.
Today’s battle was much the same although those watching felt it looked better today, hard to tell sometimes when you are in your own little 7 x 7 bubble. Eventually Broke camp and got everything loaded (it was 8.30pm) and headed for the hotel. Never thought a shower could be so good, had a Chinese in the place next door to our hotel, it was lovely, we had a good craic when we got back to the hotel. A few of the guys nipped into Cosby, but no-one was about so they headed back. Nearly everyone was in bed for around midnight, yes, we were tired!
MONDAY
Up sharp for breakfast, got the gear sorted and on our way; Dropped gear and people off here and there, took a long time to unload the 7 tonner at Hartlepool, we then headed up the road, only for the A1 to be shut due to an accident, much detours later we arrived home about 8.00pm, my bed has never looked so good, that’s me until I unload the car, sometime during the week.
Summary
I think it was the best event I have been to so far, display was excellent (we started talking about next years before we had even loaded the van up at Victory), the guys both new and old were..........well................our guys, nothing else needs to be said.
The only minus was the poor 12 guys who had to pull out at the last moment, however the positive spin on that has to be: how many groups can have 12 pull out at the last minute (this doesn’t include those who said at the start they couldn’t make it) and still muster 37 on site.
Normandy 44..................................................Leads the way!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Event…………………………..9/10, next year just might get 10/10.
Roll on Pickering.
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