Don't You Know There's A War On?

This was a long-form post that I wrote a couple of years ago and never used, for reasons that escape me now. Perhaps I couldn't think of a title. Anyway, enjoy:

Its the nineteenth of August 2017, which is two weeks after the right wing violence in Charlottesville, and there's a Confederate flag flying in a Wiltshire field.

Fortunately, this is not a white supremacist rally - not overtly, at least. There are an awful lot of people in uniform, most of them white, middle aged men. But no, this is a meeting of military vehicle enthusiasts and re-enactors.

We're in Laycock to visit the Abbey, but this event proves to be more interesting, at least initially.

I didn't notice this chap's rather quizzical look until I came to process the image. 

This bloke with the faraway look in his eyes was busy polishing his weapon. No, really.

Out on the high street, there is a slightly surreal addition to proceedings. The allies and the axis powers have each set up a check point, about ten yards apart, complete with machine gun nests, and were busy stopping traffic.

Checkpoint Charlie

World War II wasn't the only historical era represented, however...

Status update: The Vietnam war has been over for while now.

The new Axis of Evil...

It isn't entirely fair to say that it was an exclusively white, male event. There were a few women knocking about.

Air Raid Precautions. Because you can never be too careful.

There was a fashion show in the marque.

As the event broke up in the late afternoon, people in vintage uniform dispersed around the village, like this WRAF in the grounds of Laycock Abbey.

Look...over there!