On my regular route into Oxford , which takes me through the neighbouring village of Kirtlington ( great pub! ) I occasionally pass a beautifully preserved Half Track , surreally perched on the grass verge in front of a row of houses on a country lane. When I have time to stop and take a photograph or two, I never have my camera with me.
But last month my village celebrated the May Day holiday with a highly successful fair and “To Hell With It” was on show between the classic camper vans and the owl exhibit, safely out of the line of fire of the welly-wanging, morris dancing and skittles (I retained my skittles title and was awarded a fine bottle of Old Git - Hmmm!).
This M3 made it all the way from Normandy to Berlin with the 5th Armored and then served in the French Army into the ‘80s, when she was sold to a Welsh collector who did the restoration. The present owner, Julian Mitchell, recently repainted her and also has an equally immaculate jeep (and two beautiful dogs). He is currently restoring two Comet tanks with a fellow-collector. The Comet (for those like me who didn’t know) was a successor to the Cromwell, in service in time for the Rhine crossings and seeing action alongside the Centurion, its successor, in Korea. This will add some firepower to a future Lower Heyford May Fair!