That's one ticked off the bucket list!

Here's what I look after and drive...


One I restored earlier, now in Canada.


I've also restored another Spartan (now in NI) and a Sultan (in a UK museum, not sure which). I also started restoring a Scorpion, but that project has stalled (again).

I'm also trying to recommission this, but I keep getting distracted by life and railways:

 

Went to Bovington when I was about 12 with the school. Think back then it wasn't a museum more a proof of concept

 

I was 12 when I visited but that would have been somewhat earlier than you no doubt. Clambered on to a tank only to be told to "Get off, you could break it." Break a tank?

 

There is a Russian tank in the war museum of the north in Manchester which has an information board about how strong it is and how shells could not penrtrate the armour . It also says keep off as you may damage the exhibit.

 

Some of the external fitting (lamp/mirror brackets, stowage straps, bins, baskets etc) on armoured vehicles are mild steel or aluminium and can be easily damaged. They would be classed as sacrificial under battle conditions. Mostly I dont let people climb on ours as they can easily injure themselves on the numerous metal protrusions, or worse still slip off it.

Saying that I have had people (including my own father) get stuck in the drivers seat as you need a fair bit of upper body strength to haul yourself out, and being a shorty myself I forget I leave the seat adjusted for me. When someone of 6ft gets in, they cant reach the adjuster and its not easy to describe how to move the seat to a complete novice. I do know of one incident of an owner who went to drive his Scorpion for the first time and the deck had to be removed to get him out again!

Having been to the Tank museum a couple of times, it is worth the visit and I think the new layout makes it more interesting than just a bunch of tanks parked in some rooms.

 

I assume that's aimed at me............ TBH, I don't really know!

But it has got me thinking........... 3 places that I would like to do are Beamish, The NYMR & Crich - mainly because the last time I visited any of them was well over 30 years ago when they were just really getting going.

 

I managed to put railways aside for a little bit, and got the Ferret re-assembled and working (I'll not use the word finished, as nothing every truly is!) and took it on a local carnival the other weekend. It was her first road run since leaving MOD service in 1984 (only road registered in 2013, and has been in pieces since then!), and as such had very little test running except a few laps around a field 3 weeks ago. All went well apart from the apocalyptic deluge near the end of the carnival!

Get Ferret working - another thing ticked off the list...

 

Indeed. This unpublished first-hand account from the C/O of one of the Indian regiments sums it up:—

Source: "The History of the 4th/16th Punjab Regiment", by Lt. Col. J. A. V. Bolam (typewritten manuscript).

In his memoirs, Spike Milligan recounts his close encounter with an 88 in Italy. an experience that left him mentally shattered.

 

I've been to Bovington, well worth the trip and Beaulieu is nearby as well as the Swanage.

My bucket list is getting very small now after my roadtrips last year and this year.

Next trip? GCR, Leighton Buzzard, Woody Bay, Shillingstone and a few more with Amberley in September hopefully




Oh and Steam just cos Anthony Coullis talked me into it

been most places in southern half of country now.

Have to visit the North East and North West and Scotland in the future

 

Very nice, you must be well chuffed!

 

Thanks. I'm looking forward to getting back on the chuff chuffs now though, clambering in and out of armoured vehicles becomes very tiresome when done repeatedly (with a low roofed garage!)

 

These are what I used to drive.
We went to a number of public open days with them and the kids loved it because they could pull yank kick anything and not be told off.
We told them if we couldn't break them, then they wouldn't.

 

As of tomorrow, being mortgage free...........

 

Beers on you then!

 

I'll gladly buy you a beer Matt, if you get your backside down to the MHR & I'm about.......

For instance come down for the "End of Southern Steam" - either weekend & I should be there....... BUT you'll have to find me first........

 

Joking aside, my Dad's on about organising a day out next year. I've been meaning too, and I seriously want to pay a visit to Hampshire or Sussex next year, the Southern bit of my platform 5 is rather bare!

 

Having Having gone mortgage free, I've now fulfilled a long held dream of going full frame & treated myself to a D750 & lenses - the Mrs knows - but not how much - the bank statement magically disappeared! Though she knows I need one more lens.... I told a little white lie as to the cost....... But I did justify it

 

ah, that's nothing, I have a Tank in my loft

 

So do most of us

 

I'd been wanting to go to Bovington ever since I was in my final year at secondary school, 40+ years ago! Finally got to visit in 2015.
Amazing and very interesting place. I was fortunate enough to be there when the tank demo was taking place and saw a Chieftain & Leopard in action along with a scout.
Here's the short video I made