On the 14/15/16th October 2016, once again it will be time for the Pickering (North Yorkshire) Wartime and 1940's weekend to get underway.
For those who have never been, it is an event that I would say that you must visit, especially if you are interested in the 1940's and WW11.
We attended last year and were quite surprised at the amount of people attending and even more surprised at how many people had really made a sterling effort to dress up for the occasion!
We queued a little while to get into the Pickering show ground, where you can park your car. Parking in the town area is extremely limited and you would be very lucky indeed to find a space up there, so the Pickering show ground was acting like a park and ride, with bus fares at £1 per person, per trip.
After parking the car we walked down a dirt track which lead us to the main building, where some of the events, food, and stalls were situated. They had a multitude of things for sale, from tea cups and saucers to clothing for those interested in WW11 re-enactments and things of that nature.
For those who have never been, it is an event that I would say that you must visit, especially if you are interested in the 1940's and WW11.
We attended last year and were quite surprised at the amount of people attending and even more surprised at how many people had really made a sterling effort to dress up for the occasion!
We queued a little while to get into the Pickering show ground, where you can park your car. Parking in the town area is extremely limited and you would be very lucky indeed to find a space up there, so the Pickering show ground was acting like a park and ride, with bus fares at £1 per person, per trip.
After parking the car we walked down a dirt track which lead us to the main building, where some of the events, food, and stalls were situated. They had a multitude of things for sale, from tea cups and saucers to clothing for those interested in WW11 re-enactments and things of that nature.
We noticed a couple of buses that were taking people to, and from Pickering town centre, where other activities and events were taking place, and then back to the show ground, and the car parking and camping areas.
This is indeed a event with two halves. One at the show ground and one in the town centre, about a mile away.
Frustratingly, the queues for the buses were vast and took an age to dissipate. From observing what was going on, it was obvious that the two buses were not cutting the mustard and many people, after a long wait, were deciding to either stay at the show ground, or undertake the mile or so walk to the town centre. We decided to stick it out and wait for the next bus, which ended up being about a forty minutes.
This is indeed a event with two halves. One at the show ground and one in the town centre, about a mile away.
Frustratingly, the queues for the buses were vast and took an age to dissipate. From observing what was going on, it was obvious that the two buses were not cutting the mustard and many people, after a long wait, were deciding to either stay at the show ground, or undertake the mile or so walk to the town centre. We decided to stick it out and wait for the next bus, which ended up being about a forty minutes.
Once at the town centre, it was very busy, with lots of people going in and out of the local shops, bars and cafes, some being serenaded by entertainers singing songs from the 1940's, along with people dancing and generally enjoying themselves.
There were pockets of vintage stalls hidden here and there throughout the town, and also at the train station, where occasionally a steam train would take passengers for a short trip, and then back to the station.
There were pockets of vintage stalls hidden here and there throughout the town, and also at the train station, where occasionally a steam train would take passengers for a short trip, and then back to the station.
As you would expect, the atmosphere was lovely, with lots of people clearly enjoying themselves, many people had made the effort to come dressed in clothing from the era, as they do at other events, such as the Haworth 1940's weekend.
The only 'sticky wicket' for us, was the bus service. Hopefully this year it will be much better.
The only 'sticky wicket' for us, was the bus service. Hopefully this year it will be much better.