Saturday – is ARMOUR day.

This is the big day as this is real time travel. We are recreating a scene that actually happened in Dorchester on the build up to D-Day.  Dorchester was full of armour and associated support vehicles. Every road, drive, playing field was full of tanks and armour. The noise that we will make going through Dorchester will be the same as it was 66 years ago. In fact there is a building that had a chunk taken out of it by a Sherman tank and it was never repaired – I wonder…

A 20 -22 mile round trip.
Again we plan to drive down from the camp with the tanks and armour and soft skins to assemble in the village. The press and the public will know in advance our leaving time and we expect the village to be lined with people waving us off.

The route has been planned and has been driven. We intend to take the tanks and armour to Dorchester via some of the historic lanes and villages of Dorset and it will be like time has stood still - this is going to be a sight not only to see but to hear, smell and feel too.

As this is exactly what would have happened from the 2 – 6 June 1944 and beyond the breakout. On the way to Dorchester we will also be taking in historic places of interest. And we are planning to visit one of the water proofing tanks that was used to check the waterproofing of all invasion vehicles. This area is very rare and unique. We also plan to have some off roading along the route too.

The Saturday time table is as follows:

Drive down into Maiden Newton as 09:30 and line up in the street as we are 'opening' the show. We leave at 10:30 and head for Martinstown for a pub stop at around midday.

We then leave at 13:00 for Dorchester to drive through the town to be parked up in Brewery Square for 14:00 for the public to come and see us and for us to visit Dorchester town if you so wish.

17:00 we all get ready and organised for the Carnival parade as we are heading up the Carnival and we are leading the way - at this point the roads will be closed for us. Another circuit of the town.

We will then blast along the main roads to get back to Maiden Newtown for 19:00 to open Maiden Newtons evening bash - swing band etc etc and the public will be waiting for us to return. We can then travel back to our campsite.

Throughout both days we will be advertising the MNaW event to the general public – so be prepared to give out fliers!