From: Nigel Hay MILWEB \(www.milweb.net\) (Nigel@milweb.net)
Date: Mon Jul 21 2003 - 08:18:04 PDT
The citation Winston Ramsey, Bart's publisher read out at the presentation
reads...
"Two years ago this trophy was inaugurated in the name of one of the
founding fathers of the military vehicle preservation movement - the late
Bart Vanderveen - and its purpose is to honour in a tangible way notable
contributions to a movement epitomised by all we see here today.
The award is nominated by you and I'd ask everyone to send in their
nominations for next year - the form is in the programme.
When Bart began restoring and writing about military vehicles back in the
late 1950s, he could never have envisaged in his wildest dreams an event
such as this.
This show had its early beginnings as a small rally organised by like-minded
enthusiasts in 1980 at Chilham Castle. This first show led to the formation
of the Invicta Military Preservation Society with the lovely acronym - the
IMPS - represented here by its current chairman, John Burford.
The next show in 1982 was held at the Kent and Sussex Railway at Tenterden,
and this combined military/steam theme continued until the show moved here
to the Hop Farm in 1987. That year 185 vehicles attended.
Two years later it had grown to 400 vehicles and included tracked armour,
and Rex Cadman came in to help organise a show which was growing in size and
scope every year.
In 1994, 1,000 vehicles attended the 'Back to the Beaches' event to mark the
50th anniversary of D-Day, and there were even more entrants the following
year in 'The Victory Show'.
The name War and Peace was adopted in 1996 and the show extended to run over
three days. Like Topsy, it had grown out of all proportion to its early
beginnings. I used to walk round with Bart who never ceased to be amazed at
the variety of vehicles, some very rare, others which his discerning eye
would quickly spot as not original.
Mock battles were introduced attracting much media attention, but behind the
scenes the future of the show was threatened when the Hop Farm was put up
for sale in 1997. Fortunately the new owners, Brent and Fiona Pollard, were
very keen to see the show develop but the demands on IMPS to run it with
more than 3,000 vehicles and hundreds of trade stands was getting
logistically and financially impossible. So a long term agreement was put in
place to ensure the future of the War and Peace show which is the now the
largest event of its kind in the world.
There are over 13,000 exhibitors, traders and re-enactors taking part today,
and some of the original club members organising the show today are the same
as those at the first event 21 years ago.
Bart Vanderveen is no longer with us to see the show but I know that he
would thoroughly support the nomination for this years award.
It goes to the War and Peace Show and I would ask John Burford to come
forward accept the award on behalf of The Invicta club ad its devoted
members, and Rex Cadman to receive it on behalf of War and Peace Ltd and his
staff who work so hard to make it such a success."
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