A Vintage Celebration! “Visitors are coming through the gates in their team of volunteers who run the logistics. There are well over a thousands!” thousand exhibits on site and some of them a hundred years old. It costs six-figures to put it on and the surplus goes to national and local “At this rate, we could almost turn it into a four-day event!” joked Rally charities, other preservation projects and funding future events.” Manager, John Keedwell, (right) leaning on his Chevrolet Blazer whilst taking a phone-call from a late-arriving exhibitor.
“We’re on the South Cerney Airfield,” he said. “Look out for the fun-fare big wheel!”
John and fellow St John’s Lodge member, Martyn Slater, are also members of the Stroud Vintage Transport & Engine Club which organises the event; indeed, Martyn, is the Club Chairman. “The show started back in 1974,” said Martyn, “when a few of the exhibits here today were relatively new. It used to be held on the old Kemble Airfield, but it got so big that we moved here to South Cerney in 2011. It’s the Duke of Gloucester Barracks, the home of 29th Regiment RLC. We have a Page 1
Vintage Fairground
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Vance drops in
A few years ago, Martyn interviewed Vance Allan as a prospective member of the lodge. Vance mentioned his love of jumping out of aeroplanes and Martyn handed him some aerial photos of the showground taken by a parachutist. “That was me!” said Vance. “I took them.”
Vance duly joined St John’s in 2011. “I shall be the Senior Deacon come October,” he said.
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Jump4Heroes
Vance led the parachute team which dropped in on the Saturday. “I’m a Warrant Officer in the Army, working at Abingdon as the Unit Safety & Environment Advisor,” he continued.
“I am also the Team Leader for the Jump4Heroes parachute display team. Our mission is to raise the awareness of the population to the good work that the Royal British Legion does and carry the message that remembrance is not just for November. I remember every day!”
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Steam
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Miniature steam
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Charities.
Some of the charities which benefit include: Cobalt (Cheltenham) Diabetes UK Cystic Fibrosis Trust Royal British Legion RAF Association Jump For Heroes A variety of animal charities
Prostate Cancer UK
One of the contractors on site was Rocket Rentals from Dursley. Seafarers’ Lodge PM, Steve Case, who works for the firm, delivered this brand-new digger to go on display. MD, Simon Tomblin, has this charity very close to his heart as his godfather recently succumbed to the disease. Supported by the manufacturer, Kubota UK, Simon is donating a percentage of each hire for this digger to Prostate Cancer UK.
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Model aircraft
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Classic cars
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Classic caravans
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Emergency vehciles
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Provenance
This Ford C8000 saw service with Flemington New Jersey Fire Department and “answered the shout” to the Twin Towers tragedy in 2001. It also appeared in the Johnny Depp film, “Dark Shadow”.
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An eclectic mix . . .
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Buses and trucks by the score
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Animals
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Tractors by the dozen
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Bikes and more bikes
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‘Daredevil’ Dick Sheppard
The world-famous stuntman, who was born in Gloucester, is a regular at the show. Amongst his 500-plus films, he helped Michael Caine make his getaway in The Italian Job and James Bond escape his pursuers in Thunderball and Diamonds Are Forever.
Dick was famous for the Wall of Death and stock-car racing in the fifties and in 1969 he set (and still holds) the ‘Guinness’ tunnel-of-death record. “I rode an ex-Army motorcycle through a 100ft tunnel of fire that was only 6ft wide,” he said.
In his film and TV career, Dick has wrecked 2003 cars; (a world record).
Dick, who was promoting his new book, is also featured in the forthcoming edition of squaretalk (out soon) following a presentation to Royal Edward Lodge.
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Miltary vehicles
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Static engines
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Musical interludes
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Vale of Berkeley Railway Severn & Wye Railway. They have already established an engineering facility based in the old diesel engine shed by the docks in order to “A 4-wheel diesel hydraulic shunter has been prepared especially for restore heritage locomotives, rolling stock and other suitable items our show,” continued Martyn. “It was built by Thomas Hill Vanguard in from a by-gone era and to serve as an initial base. 1967 and spent most of its working life at British Gypsum in East Sussex. “At SVTEC, we have given them financial support.”
“The aim of this charity is to reopen the Sharpness branch line to passengers as a heritage railway tourist attraction, rebuilding some of the key structures that once adorned the historical joint GWR & LMS
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Ford Crustina!
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