On the Home Front, 1939-45 - fantastic 40s fun!

Saturday 15 and Sunday 16 August 2009, 11am to 5pm 

Recession-busting Free admission (A  £3 visitor car parking charge applies).

All allied and civilian 1940s re-enactors, vehicle owners and enthusiasts are warmly invited to participate*

Our third great year at Rufford after the success of our 2008 event - and bigger & better than ever! View photos taken last year by Red Zebra (click on Albums) and OSB Media.

Rufford was used as a training ground by troops and armoured military units in World War II, so a fitting a venue  (as well as very attractive) venue for this popular nostalgic weekend event which brings the sights, sounds, emotions and excitement of those wartime years back to life.

There's a great line-up of performers - visitors can meet ‘Winston Churchill’, ‘General Montgomery’, and many army, navy, air force and other wartime personnel, as well as civilians and children, all in period dress. Here's just some of the things to see and enjoy -  troops on manoeuvres along with vehicles, 25-pounder gun firings, an air raid plotting room, interactive display about the Battle of Arnhem, and ‘Mr Punch versus Adolf Hitler’ puppet show. You can join in with your favourite songs during the concert parties, and enjoy the period dance displays – have go yourself! See wartime fire pumps and equipment in action, British and American military police on security checks, (do you have your ID papers?!!) and enjoy a harvesting display by the Land Army. Buy period items from the 1940’s market, take a close-up look at military and civilian period vehicles (including a 1940s touring caravan), enjoy a wartime hat exhibition and much more!

Plus! Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Dakota flyover on Saturday afternoon.

Timetable of displays and activities

 *  Marquee in wet weather conditions

Ongoing activities

In addition to living history by most of the above timed groups, also enjoy;

• Living history by soldiers and civilians including by the Circle of Friends;  Civilians at War; Combined Operations Sheffield; Forties Chums; Histeria; Joint War Organisation; Lovat Scouts; Northern Forties; Sapper Eagles; Starcraft All Services and Summer of ’44

• Music by DJ Texas Tommy (between timed singing and dancing sessions)

• Laundry demonstrations by UK Home Front – and have a go yourself!

• Fire engine and exhibition by Mansfield fire Museum

• Fire service living history by the Fire Service Preservation Group/Notts Auxiliary Fire Service

• US military reporter The Writing 69^th.

• Period cars & picnic by members of the Kirkby Swing Dance Society

• More period vehicles, military and civilian.

• Children’s activities (including making a gas mask) with Earley Days (a small charge applies)

• Dressing up for children, with The Lost Patrol

• Land army & harvesting displays by Axholme Heavy Horses,  the Forgetmenot Land Army Group and Virtue to Victory

• Period hat exhibition by JJ’s Vintage Hats

• Period market traders with 1940s clothing, uniforms & equipment, and assorted period items for sale

Participating groups and performers confirmed include (in alphabetical order) Ancient Wisdom (with his new interactive Arnhem display and old favourite & hilarious Mr Punch vs Adolf Hitler); Axeholme Heavy Horses (Land Army display); Robert Burns ("Winston Churchill"); Circle of Friends (Field dressing station); Civilians at War (civvies); Combined Field Company RE (Bomb disposal); Combined Operations Sheffield (military strollers); Company B (singers); Earley Days (Children's activities, please note that a small fee applies); the East Yorkshire Regiment (British infantry 1944); The Festival Swing Dancers; Fire Service Preservation Group/Notts Auxiliary Fire Service (firemen); Foreign Field (battle school for children); Forgetmenot Land Army Group (harvesting); the Forties Chums (civvies and dancers); The Garrison (25-pounder, limber and tractor); Histeria (SAS living history & exhibits); The Historical Maritime Society (Air raid plotting room); JJ's Vintage Hats (hat exhibition); Joint War Organisation (military/civvie);  The Lost Patrol (US paratroopers), Lovat Scouts (Scots snipers and mountain/ski troops); Mansfield Fire Museum (fire engine and exhibition); Marth'a War (cookery); National Fire Service (firemen and pump); Northern Forties (military/civvie); Notts & Derby Pals (British army); Martha's War (Cooking with wartime rations displays); Moonlight Serenaders (singers); John & Claire Priestley ("General Montgomery" & aide); The Sapper Eagles (US engineers); Sittingbourne Homefront Society (military/civvie); Starcraft All Services (civvies); Summer of '44 (504 Squadron, Auxiliary Air Force 1940-41); Texas Tommy (music DJ); Tommy Atkins Society (British infantry 1944); UK Home Front (civilians); Virtue to Victory (Women's Land Army); The Writing 69th (USAF reporter); together with strolling couples & individuals, plus numerous period vehicles.

All allied and civilian 1940s re-enactors, vehicle owners and enthusiasts are warmly invited to participate*. Please note though, except for Italian POW impressions (very welcome as they were present at Rufford), no German/Axis impressions are permitted in order to preserve the Home Front theme. However, (non-SS) Axis impressions are very welcome, together with allies and civilians, at our multi-period extravaganza at the Sheffield Fayre on August Bank Holiday*. Thank you.

* So long as you agree agree to abide by our terms and conditions of participation!  Groups or individuals wishing to participate in this event are invited to register with us, so we can forward full details, and to click the link (left) for our terms and conditions.

There's a free admission 40s dance on Saturday with music, song and dance in the double marquee with dance floor, for registered event participants (only). Due to staffing issues, Rufford Abbey Country Park regret that this evening event is not open to the public.

 ^{There's also a substantial 40s theme within our multi-period Sheffield Fayre on 30-31 August, don't miss it!}

Visiting picturesque Rufford Country Park

The main entrance to Rufford is situated on the A614 Nottingham-Doncaster road, 2 miles south of Ollerton and 17 miles north of Nottingham. The park offers lots for visitors to see and enjoy:

- the remains of the 12th century Cistercian abbey with an exhibition on the life of the monks who once lived there

- craft centre and gallery with changing exhibits

- craft shop

- coach house, offering a variety of snacks and drinks

- Savile Restaurant, serving home-cooked lunches and traditional cream teas

- restored former orangery and bath house

- formal gardens, including a herb garden and the Rufford Sculpture collection

- Reg Hookway memorial Arboretum with a range of trees

- lake with a variety of wildfowl

- lakeside garden shop at Rufford Mill

- outdoor living store

- teddy bear shop

- woodland walks

- remains of two ice houses

- animal graves including the famous Derby winner, Cremorne

- picnic area and children's playground

Other events 2009

Click here for details of many other historical events organised by EventPlan next year.

Updated 12 August 2009