Tank Museum Tour 2000

By the time I turned the MG into the Mill Arms car park my neck was aching from staring up into the sky, every cloud seemed a potential storm. was 7 th May and the day of the South Coast Koalas run to the Tank Museum at Bovington, Dorset. Like a fool, I told someone that it never rained in May this close to the Equator. Since then, we had a week of torrential showers and floods with more forecast for the afternoon. The sight of several entrants and fellow South Coast Koalas the pub car park cheered me up, as did the smell of breakfast! The Mill Arms had laid on their usual excellent buffet spread, which was a great start to the day. I don’t think the over- night guests knew what hit them as over 60 Sporting Bears arrived - there was certainly no hope of a lay in. From the pub, we were heading south towards Poole for coffee with our friends at the Victoria Education Centre. For the send off, John McMeekin was ready with his camera and entrants then followed a wonderful route through the New Forest devised by Paul and Jenny. Through the Forest the ponies were out in force, nothing like a moving chicane to keep you on your toes. The weather was honing up and the Forest looked lovely. The Victoria Education Centre were having a residential weekend, so there was a super reception committee waiting for us. Coffee, buns and doughnuts were much appreciated, and the children really enjoyed the chance to see and sit in the cars. Unfortunately, we did pick up a casualty as Tina’s Stingray didn’t make it much further. The second part of the run went across Poole Harbour on the Sandbanks Ferry. This had the potential for trouble, as the height of the tide would determine how steep the angle was between the ferry ramps and the quayside. Images of Cobra’s minus oil coolers loomed, so it was great relief that I saw a high tide in the harbour, this meant the ferry could come up higher and so lessen the angle. The Purbecks have some of my favourite scenery in the country and that Sunday, with the sun shining, they looked wonderful. Corfe Castle was at it’s best and, apart from the council having gritted one of the roads, everything went well. The Tank Museum had given us our own spot in the car park and children from the Victoria Education Centre had travelled to the Museum to welcome us as we arrived. Unfortunately, the communication between departments at the Museum had slightly broken down and they wouldn’t let us in unless we paid first. By the time this was sorted, several people had done just that and refunds were required, hopefully this didn’t spoil their day too much. The museum was an eye opener. You certainly wouldn’t get me in one of those things for long and it was no surprise to find out, as I squeezed myself into a 1 st World War tank, that more people died from Carbon Monoxide poisoning from the engine that sat in the middle of the tank, than were killed in action.

Who left that tank in the car park? 

All too soon, the day was coming to an end and people were drifting away. We tidied up the marquee, said our good- byes and headed home. The sky in front was as black as coal. Later, when I spoke to Paul Noon, he said that on the way home he had re- traced the route through the Forest and several of the roads were impassable due to flooding from the rain. I think you could say we were a bit lucky. Thank you to every one involved in the day for making it such a success. 

Chris Hardyman