Midlands Military Meet

A scattering of photos from the Midlands Military Meet at Campbell Town last weekend. Being the first one, it was a small event but we hope to grow it for next time.

There was a big metal shed that doubled as the Dealer's Hall and Exhibition Hall. Outside was a large dirt arena, where the live displays (enacting?) took place, and a scattering of displays around the outside (the Army and a collection of military vehicles). A small event is probably more social and relaxed than a larger gathering, but it puts extra pressure on those exhibitors that were there. I think both the WW2 group and the Light Horse did 3 displays each of the three days (or 2 on the last day) which was quite demanding, and it's hard being a dealer when it's quiet. (It's also hard being a dealer when you have more customers can you can deal with at once, but that's the sort of hard one can live with.) It has the potential to grow though, especially now that there is material available (photos!) to promote the next one in 2010.

(And if anyone reading this is interested in taking part or knows someone who might be...)
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Uh oh, German invasion.



But the Allied forces are onto them.



Yep, definitely dead.



The problems with boots...



Barbarians should not eat blueberry icecream. It's just wrong.



The dealers' tables were very interesting in their own right.















These are what you call specialist books.





That is a colour photo.




The Light Horse re-enactors frustrated me. They were far enough away the camera couldn't pick them up well and they sun was beside them, so the darker horses came out particularly badly. Sunday morning was overcast though, so I managed to get some usable photos (which I will put in another post).



In the big, metal shed pavilion, there was a corner of displays.







Anti-aircraft gun.







BANG! Setting off the 6-pounder


It can play games with your head though. On the Saturday morning, I came out of the pavilion while everyone was setting up, and saw two medievalish characters walking past some Word War II soldiers. I'm used to one twist on reality -- whether it's an old house or a replica ship or people in period costume against a modern backdrop -- but multiple twists can be jolting at first.

One very obvious thing missing from the photos is sound. The running commentary, the bang of the big guns, the pop-pop-pop of the smaller guns. You'd be standing in the pavilion talking with a dealer and suddenly World War II erupts outside :)