August 2015
Tank Times
Published by THE TANK MUSEUM, Bovington, Dorset, UK, BH20 6JG
Tel: +44 (0) 1929 405 096
TIME TRAVELLERS WILL STEP BACK IN AMAZEMENT
www.tankmuseum.org
HEAD OF COLLECTIONS CHRIS VAN SCHAARDENBURGH
What Herbert George Wells could only imagine, The Tank Museum delivers - taking time-travelling visitors back to bygone eras in a stunning two-day event.
Chris van Schaardenburgh
The weekend of the 19th and 20th September not only heralds our dramatic ‘Warfare Through the Ages’ pageant but also brings down the curtain on the Museum’s 2015 season of breath-taking ‘action spectaculars’ when over 1,000 of Britain’s most skilled and knowledgeable re-enactors converge on the Museum to set up their encampments. There’ll be cannons, horses, and cavalry of all kinds, bowmen, pikemen, archers, camp followers, Cromwellian and Royalist troops, and General Ulysses S. Grant’s Union Army recreating the 1865 attack on General Robert E Lee’s Confederate capital, Richmond, Virginia, during the American Civil War. These highly skilled and knowledgeable devotees who are the cream of the UK’s re-enacting crop includes the Sealed Knot, the Southern Skirmish Association, The Great War Society, 29th Infantry Division, the Napoleonic Association, and the best medieval groups offering two truly spectacular days of non-stop entertainment. The various
re-enactor encampments dotted around the battlefield where visitors can get up close and personal with the life and times of ordinary soldiers and noncombatants alike.
At the close of each day’s entertainment all the re-enactor groups feature in a grand parade enabling a unique photo opportunity, followed by a short drumhead memorial service to all fallen soldiers and civilians of conflicts past and present. In addition The Tank Museum is showcasing a selection of its historic vehicles in two displays each day, plus a First World War battle re-enactment along with a demonstration of Second World War and Cold War era tanks.
Each day’s programme starts at 10am allowing visitors step back in time to walk through history to witness drill displays, battle re-enactments, and spectacular sieges.
Being that ‘Warfare Through the Ages’ is a Special Event Day, pre-existing annual passes will NOT be valid. However, our fantastic value Tank Museum Season Ticket is valid allowing admission every day the Museum is open including entry to our Special Event Days such as ‘Tiger Day’, ‘Tankfest’ and ‘Warfare Through the Ages,’ enabling savings - up to 50% on normal admission prices - and 10% discounts in the Museum’s shop and restaurant. All tickets are available online.
Inside… ● TANKFEST 2015 ● ARMOURED CARS OF SDF ● ORDE WINGATE ● TANK MEN - NEW EXHIBITION ● WHAT’S ON
THE TANK MUSEUM - THE WORLD’S BEST COLLECTION OF TANKS An Independent Museum and Registered Charity No 1102661
I joined The Tank Museum in April 2015 as the Head of Collections, taking over some of the responsibilities from Curator, David Willey, which allows him to spend more time in his curatorial role. My new position involves working closely with the Archive, Exhibitions, Education, and Workshop teams, thus helping to manage and give our visitors greater access to the Museum’s incredible collection. Currently we are working on the re-vamp of the First World War exhibition and the new exhibition, named, ‘Tank men: The story of the first crews’ is scheduled for launch in March 2016. The education team is attracting more and more school groups for organised educational sessions at the museum, while the workshop team are preparing the ‘Tanks in Action’ fleet for the summer holiday season while simultaneously servicing vehicles in the historic running fleet. Apart from the day to day management of the collection, my role involves me in looking at how best we operate our vehicles for shows and events, and deciding where best our maintenance, conservation and restoration priorities lie. Indeed, The Tank Museum is investing additional Continued on page 2...