Year Report:
2011 was an even sedate year than the last. We
hoped that the run of bad luck and a string of undeserved and unwarranted
bad attention which had nothing to do with the group or its members behavior;
that seemed to embroil and suck us in at every previous event would be
broken. And thankfully it was. What also transpired is that there was
a lot of mistaken identity and some of the bad comments were a result
of this.
For example, when speaking to a gentleman at
an event away from the display, I was told that "You're lot are rubbish.
I saw you at "X" show and you had all the wrong kit
on". Considering at the time we were not even near that end of
the country, so could not have been at the show, he was invited to come and talk to the members and see
the display we had on. He finally left us a rather happy bunny. This
happens at a lot of events and why? Because people think DPM is DPM
and I always reply that this is not the case, and they think that any one in
wearing '80s kit is part of Forces 80. The biggest clue I
get when people are casting dispersions about the group is that they
mention vehicles. This automatically rings alarm bells as the group
does not regularly contain vehicles in its display and on rare occasions
it would only be a short wheel based land rover or an RAF land rover.
There is now a slightly more that a handful of groups on the circuit.
These range from OMG WTF are they wearing to Brilliant.
Why am I discussing the above because I am
fed up of being told that we are a load of crud because we DO
NOT have vehicles and DO NOT walk around in 95 pattern or soldier 2000
uniforms whilst stating we are a 80's group. If you are one of these
new groups and you feel you don't like the tone of this, well YES it
is most proberly your group I am referring to.
As said, not all groups are bad. And most
groups can and will improve and will do well by correctly researching the period.
Before Forces 80 started the group
took 6 months of research and had a shopping list 2, A4 pages long
before we even did our 1st show. We were basically 80-90%
correct on our first debut event. We have since then in the last 5
years carried out so much research its flowing out of our ears, from
knifes and forks to camo nets, from underwear to head wear . I have on
the shelf around 30 books on the British Army of the 1970/80's and the
Falklands war and that's just me. God only knows what the other group members
have. We try our best not to discuss other groups in public but some
times it gets to us.
This aside.
Lets be positive. The number of new groups appearing
is a good thing no matter how bad they are, as they could always and
can improve on things. We are maybe not the best
on the circuit but we are the closest to it and I am told, the most respected
group, because we do our research and we listen and take on board criticism.
All I can say to any one out there that wants
to do the period we do . Do your research. Talk to us, Ask and we will
not judge. We are not the end all and be all of re-enactment groups
but we know wrong from right. We have had to know. Just look at some
of the events we have attended and ask your self the question....
Could you actually stand there comfortably in your kit and talk to the
people that actually Know what they were wearing at the time and say
100% that you are correct.
Talk to us, We can help each other to nail
this period on the head.
Event List:
-
27th February - South
Cheshire Militaire, Crewe, Cheshire
-
7th/8th May - Battlegroup
North & Military Wheels & Wings Show - Yorkshire Air
Museum, York
-
20th to 24th July - War and
Peace Show
-
Doncaster Aeroventure Museum,
Cold War event
-
29th/30th August -
SAMA Event, Doncaster Aeroventure Museum
-
1st/2nd October
- Sherwood Forest
South Cheshire Militaire, Crewe,
Cheshire
A few of the local members attended
this yearly event. The response was as usual very good. Again the
storm troopers were very friendly.
Whoops No pictures,
Sorry.
Battlegroup North & Military Wheels &
Wings Show - Yorkshire Air Museum, York
Members about to go out on a patrol.
This was our first main get together
after the winter. Many a conversation was had over new kit purchases and
divulging new information. The event was a great introduction to the
show year and the response to our presence was encouraging. Several
patrols were sent out and several members even bravely carried out rifle
drill.
Members on Patrol engaging the enemy.
War and Peace Show
With reservations we once again
attended this show. Again we had been forgotten and was crammed in as an
after thought into the smallest pitch. We again attracted a modest
amount of attention and some friendly faces sort us out for a natter.
The atmosphere at this event was worst than ever. For once the beer tent
shut down at a reasonable time except a group decided on Saturday night
to have a party to the wee hours of the morning keeping every one awake
the night before most people had to drive home. Except for these idiots,
It was the most sleepful event I have ever had.
Doncaster Aeroventure Museum, Cold
War event
Early August saw us attend the
First Cold War event being held at the Doncaster Aeroventure Museum. By
hook or crook we were going to attend this event in an effort to show support
to the Museums endeavors. Within the small display field were 7
displays of which one group took up almost half of the designated area,
ranging from the 1970's to the 1990's. There was a Cuban crisis display
in one of the huts and a civil defence display on the Sunday. The Public
attendance was not as high as anticipated but traffic was steady.
This gave us time to catch up on a few issues like kit purchasing and
general catch up chit chat with the evenings highlight being an amusing
wasp launching session involving a fork and cola. Hopefully this
event will be held again in 2012 and we are looking forward to it.
Marks RAf Land rover stripped down in its RECCE role graced the grass
area in front of us.
Some of the members during a quite
spell. I have no Idea what these three were up to, Do you?
Captions on Face book please.
SAMA Event, Doncaster
Aeroventure Museum
Once again we were invited
back to the SAMA 82, caravan club's get together held yearly at
Doncaster. We arrived Saturday afternoon with the bulk of the group
arriving Sunday and a couple staying over to Monday dinner.
Sherwood Forest
Last year what with the
weather and the council cutbacks we thought this event was canceled. But
thanks to the publics outcry at the event being cancelled it was reprieved.
This turned out to be the hottest weekend of the year and boy was it
hot. But the nights were cold. The dress order for this event was to be
NBC but to do so in the heat of Saturday would have been daft. So
Saturday was ordinary combats but on Sunday the madness got to us.
We managed to scare 8 kids, 3 adults, 2 dogs and made a performer
speechless during his talk on medieval wooden bowl's. The event was also
attended by a new group Call sign Alpha who were located down in the
dark hollow we had previously been two years earlier.
Members await the public with one of the two camouflaged basher's in the
back ground, Can you spot it?
The Moment of madness saw 5 members in Full NBC, with Graeme on the
left, I hazard a guess that it is Paul on the right.
End Report:
Well that's it for another
year. 2012 is the 30th anniversary of the Falklands war and we
hope a busy one for us. We feel we may have shaken off our run of bad
luck as we were leaving events feeling happy. A few hic ups here and
there, but once again nothing to do with us, still did not manage to
dampen our year. So see you soon on the circuit and look out for us.
A final special thanks goes
to Paul Foggin who has turned in to the groups photographer and eagerly
follows members around to catch there good side and embarrassing side
and has provided the group with pictures over the past few years.
Thanks Paul, many
event would have not been documented without you.
