Visitor Tips

A few tips for visitors!

Head for Junction 3 of the A3(M) and follow the yellow and black AA signs to the show. You can use PO7 6HS on your satnav if you wish but follow the signs over your satnav directions.

We have free onsite parking and plenty of it, including disabled parking right by the show entrance. Please don’t stop or park on the road near the entrance or in any of the neighbouring residential areas.

Entry prices can be found on the Admission Times and Prices page.

Veterans and Serving Forces members are eligible for discounted entry by showing their HM Services ID cards, DDS Card or Veterans ID Card. Please note that a veterans badge alone may be insufficient,

While the fields are relatively flat, wear shoes suitable for a walk in the country as there may be uneven ground.

Make sure your shoes are comfortable, you’ll be doing a lot of walking around the 40 acres of fields our show is situated on.

While we do have some seating, there won’t be enough for everyone. If you are likely to need a chair, it is advisable that you bring a lightweight folding chair.

Plan plenty of time to enjoy the event – trade stalls open from 09:00, arena events from 10:00.

Bring plenty of film / memory cards / batteries – there’s a great deal to photograph!

Be aware that there are multiple fields. The main field you enter after getting your tickets contains the Trade Stalls, Food and Bar, Arena, and Vehicle Exhibits. There may be a number of additional exhibits. Turning left at the entrance and walking down past the toilets and first aid tent is the Reenactors and Living History field. There are many dioramas which you can freely explore and interact with. Feel free to ask questions and take pictures, so don’t be shy. These dioramas continue across the bridge. Going further you will find our second arena and post war exhibitors.

Why not join in the fun by dressing up in a relevant uniform or in a 40’s style. Sorry, we won’t give a discount for this but it will certainly add to your experience.

Be sure to talk with vehicle owners and reenactors. Maybe ask how you can get involved.

We have a varied program of arena events. You can view the show programme here. Some arena events are both exciting and noisy, please warn small children and the nervous. Those with sensitive ears may wish to bring earplugs for protection.

Dogs are most welcome onsite providing they are on a lead at all times. Owners must like always clean up their dogs’ mess so come prepared.

Marshalls will warn you of heavy vehicles moving to and from the arena, please keep clear of the roadways if asked.

The weather is set to be hot and breezy so remember to bring sun hats, sunglasses and suncream. We have water points throughout the site which can be used if necessary.

A lot of our continued success relies on adverting by word of mouth and by social media so be sure to tell your friends and to share your experience and photos.

Facebook Page

Public Facebook Group

Twitter

Use #Overlord2019

Above all – enjoy yourselves and if there is anything you think we can do better for 2020 – let us know!

Last Call for Traders, Charities, and Non-Trading Exhibits

Applications for new traders, charities and non-trading exhibits will be closing on 1st May, so if you are interested in attending, please be sure to get your applications in as soon as possible and before this deadline.

This is a hard deadline and we can not accept traders or charities which turn up unannounced during the show.

To make an application as a trader or a charity please visit the Traders page, and download the application forms. Charities should fill in the traders form, NOT the non-trading Exhibits form.

Non-Trading exhibits are any displays which are not traders, charities, living history or reenactment, or vehicle exhibits. If you have a non-trading exhibit and would like to attend, please fill out the Non-Trading Exhibits form.

Press Release D-Day 75

The annual OVERLORD show, organised by the Solent Overlord Executive Military Collectors Club, is being held at Denmead PO7 6HS on the second bank holiday in May  Saturday , Sunday, and Monday the 25th to the 27th May.

Hounds for Heroes Logo

Supporting military charities, the chosen charity for 2019 will be Hounds for Heroes, a local based charity near Petersfield who train and support guide dogs for wounded veterans.

The event, held in the Portsmouth area since 1975 has grown into the South’s biggest military show with 300+ military vehicles and 30+ re-enactor groups in period costume set up the living history field.

In 2019 the 6th June will be the 75 anniversary of D Day, when, code named OVERLORD, the British and Allied troops landed in Normandy to liberate Europe from the Germans.

To commemorate this anniversary, a daily 45 min. mock battle, complete with loud explosions and gunfire will depict the Normandy landings with re-enactors representing the German forces on the beach and Allied forces coming ashore from landing craft.


Photograph H 35176.
Valentine DD tank being reversed into a landing craft (LCT 882), 79th Armoured Division School, Gosport, 14 January 1944.

Along with various armoured vehicles attending the show, a DUPLEX DRIVE Valentine Tank, will take pride of place in the battle. This will be the first showing of this historic amphibious swimming tank,  fitted with a large canvas screen and twin propellers, allowing it to float and drive up onto the beach head.

In addition, in the second arena, a morning skirmish will be presented depicting other battles, followed by a demonstration of gunfire from five cannons demonstrating the development of weapons from 1865 to 1950.

The show will be attended by 120 trade stalls selling military wares, with a food court and beer tent alongside the main arena.

 Visitors are encouraged to join in the fun by dressing in period uniforms and costumes, and the event will be open from 9am to 5 pm each day       

Admission prices can be found here.

Vehicle owners, reenactors, traders and other exhibitors are invited to make applications using the forms found on the website here.

Merry Christmas

Just a quick message to wish you a very Merry Christmas from the entire Overlord Show Team!

Applications OPEN! | Overlord Show 2019 | Overlord D-Day 75

Calling all Exhibitors!

It is that time of year again and I would like to formally announce that the applications for OVERLORD D-DAY 75 a.k.a The Overlord Show 2019 are now open!

You may be aware that 2019 marks 75 years after D-Day, and it has been decided that we will really push the boat out this year to commemorate this monumental event in history. The team are pleased to announce our most ambitious plans for the main battle, where we hope to simulate the Normandy landings, landing craft and all. 

While we wish to focus on D-Day this year, we continue to believe that the Overlord Show is dedicated to providing an interesting, exciting, and educational experience of “recent” military history, and is fundamentally multi-era, and we continue to welcome applications from all military vehicles, reenactors or other exhibits regardless of the associated era. 

As in previous years, the applications for the show will be processed online. Please make an account on our website (If you made an account last year you will NEED to re-register for 2019), and visit the Exhibitors Page. Application forms for each section can be found by clicking the respective buttons on that page!

If you encounter any issues, please do not hesitate to get in contact using the Contact Form.

We look forward to seeing you at the show!

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Here’s to Overlord Show 2019

It was a great show this year, completely defying the weather forecast. We even had our best ever Monday with footfall being comparable to Saturday and Sunday, which has helped offset the increased outlay. With this, we bring good news that the show will be going ahead next year from Saturday 25th to Monday 27th May 2019 at the same location – The Lawns, Denmead.

Overlord Show Facebook Page

2019 Facebook Event

With this years success, it goes without saying we have a couple of people to thank for the hard work they have put in, in the months leading up to and over the weekend itself.

Firstly, all of the vehicle exhibitors, reenactors or living historians and traders, without which we wouldn’t really have a show. As always, your attendance is greatly appreciated.

Will Gibson and his team and the cadets of T.S. Active for their assistance with carpark marshalling, and first aid.

The T.S. Alacrity Marching Band for their music and continued support.

The Portsmouth Marine Cadet Drill Display team for their spectacular and entertaining performance.

The Garrison for bringing the WWI trench display to life and additionally demonstrating their 18 pounder howitzer.

Adrian Hill for choreographing the battle and organising the ammo, and Tex and his team for setting up the bigger bangs!

The Wessex Hill Runners for their 4×4 Course!

Those who assisted with marshalling duty, and site security in the evening!.

Also our sponsors Horndean Tyres and RMS Waste Disposal Ltd.

We’d also like to that all of the members and friends of Solent Overlord Executive Military Collectors Club who spent the last year planning the show, and the members who dedicated their time over the duration of the weekend to help with the many many jobs which needed attending to.

And anyone else I have forgotten.

As part of our quest for feedback, we would like to ask all members of the public to respond to our survey.

There are different surveys catered to each type of exhibitor. Traders wishing to give feedback need to do so directly to the Traders Coordinator.

Public Survey

Reenactors and Non-Traders Survey

Vehicle Exhibitors Survey

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Less than a week to go! Overlord Show 2018

There is less than a week to go until this year’s Overlord Show.

The team are hard at work setting up the field as we speak. The grass has been cut, we have made major improvements to the main vehicular roadways in the vehicles field and also in the public carpark – 100 tons of tarmac planings have been distributed atop ballast to level and remove ruts from the field and prevent potential flooding. However, the forecast looks good for the back end of next week and across the weekend so this is unlikely to be a problem. It will be quite breezy and sunny so remember to bring sun cream so you don’t get burnt.

All exhibitor passes and information such as sign-in sheets have now been printed and will be sent down to the field in the coming days for exhibitors when they arrive. A polite notice that exhibitors are NOT permitted on site before noon on Wednesday so please do not turn up before then.

Over the show weekend, we will be quite busy and we may not be able to respond promptly to emails or messages. Most information can be found out on the Show Info pages. Entry Prices, Open/Close Times, the programme and FAQs are all there!

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Not long now!

It has been a while since we made any updates and with just over 2 months until the show, I thought it would be a good time to start to drive up some hype.

As always the organisers have been working tirelessly over the last few months planning the show and improving the field. We have now improved our water distribution at the site with new water pipe, taps, and standpoints. We will also be improving signage en route to the site with official AA event signs.

Applications have been open for a while now and are making good progress. If you are yet to make an application, please do so as soon as possible via the Exhibitors page.

We still have loads of space for reenactors and vehicles. Traders are approximately half full. If you have any problems, do not hesitate to get in Contact and we will try our best to assist you with this.

For anyone from the Isle of Wight wishing to exhibit, we have negotiated a 10% discount with WightLink ferries valid for the week before and after the show. And select times over the show weekend. Any exhibitors from the IOW will be sent this information AFTER they have made an application. We are not able to provide this to visitors.

In recent years, we have been trying to focus on special interest exhibits, and we are hoping on having a number of these exhibits at the show, to include a WWII 40mm anti-aircraft set display, a post-war T54 Tank. We may potentially have other special vehicle exhibits.

We are also looking at developing a display to commemorate 100 years of the end of WWI.

As with each year, we have requested a BBMF flyover, though admittedly we have not been particularly lucky with this.

Soon, we will be distributing our flyers, you might see a few about.

 

40s Fashion – essential for the new image of the Overlord Show

New to the 40s, no problem… you don’t have to wear a uniform, spend a fortune on hiring a costume or buy the genuine article, here’s how to achieve the look:

Have a stroll around the charity shops or on one of the internet selling sites and find a floral, button front dress, team it with a pair of low heel rounded toe shoes or lace-up flats with socks – stockings were scarce in wartime so ladies took to wearing ankle socks. A hand knitted cardigan, small brimmed hat, plain ‘Kelly’ style handbag, plus a shopping basket, this makes you the wartime housewife out buying rations for your family.

Perhaps a tailored suit, tweed or a muted colour, matching bag, shoes and trilby style hat for the country lady on her way to help out at the local WVS. Similar to a fitted plain jacket and tweed skirt, matching accessories. Gloves were ‘de rigeur’ and matched the outfit.

A pair of jodhpurs or dungarees, short sleeve shirt, headscarf tied around the head and some sensible brown lace-ups… voila! you’re a land girl.

Wrapover ‘pinny’ and hairnet/snood/scarf and you can be the local ‘lady what does’ – with so many household staff going off to war charladies were in demand in the big houses.

Borrow hubbies or dad’s boiler suit, belt around the middle, again the sensible lace-up shoes and a tied headscarf… you’re now ‘Rosie the Riveter’ working on Spitfires at Wadhams, Waterlooville.

Hair was put into pin-curls and ‘Victory Rolls’ were popular, longer hair often put into a snood to keep it tidy. Jewellery was understated, only a single string of pearls or similar during the day and brooches usually in the lapel of a jacket or coat.

Girls wore summer dresses, smocking was popular and in plaids, cottons and often matching hand knitted skirts and cardigans for winter. Lace-ups, sandals and ankle socks. Boys wore short trousers, usually until they were fourteen and left school. Lace-ups, long socks (usually grey) and a snake buckle belt – so hard to find nowadays – maybe a jacket or school blazer and school cap or a flat cap.

Gentlemen would be wearing suits/jackets with wide lapels and turn-ups – later in the war, these were banned as material became scarce. Braces, shirts tended to be white and shoes sensible, again a rounded toe and brogues were popular. The iconic trilby was the hat of choice. Office workers carried briefcases or small suitcases – similar to the ones child evacuees took on their elongated trip to safer areas for the duration of the war.

The choices are endless… try putting ‘40s clothes – images’ into your search engine, you’ll like what you find. And if all else fails, come along to the show anyway, you’ll love what’s there and always friendly advice to help you with your new image.

Most importantly…

Never go out without your gas mask. A small box, approx 20cm x 15cm x 15cm covered in brown paper, string attached to wear over the shoulder – you never know when there’s going to be a gas attack. Lots of ladies actually used theirs to carry their everyday items around, leaving the actual mask at home!

By Chris Allaway

N.B.
The Overlord Show team would like to emphasise that the 40’s theme is one aspect of the show which we have carried out in the past, but has been forgotten in recent years. We are simply looking to revive this aspect. We acknowledge that a significant number of vehicle exhibitors are not from this period, and we would like to make it clear that the objective of the 40’s theme is not one which is designed to exclude exhibitors with more recent vehicles but to encourage the public to participate.

Reposted from 2017.

Charities for 2018

We are happy to announce that the Overlord Show 2018 will be in support of Hounds for Heroes, Homes for Veterans, and The Spirit of Normandy Trust.

Hounds for Heroes Logo

 

 

Hounds for Heroes

“Hounds for Heroes provide specially trained assistance dogs to injured and disabled men and women of both the UK Armed Forces and Emergency Services. Through this provision, we aim to provide help and practical support leading to an enhanced quality of life.”

 

 

 

Homes for Veterans Logo

 

Homes for Veterans

“Alabaré’s Homes for Veterans provide supported accommodation to British Armed Forces Veterans who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.”

 

 

Spirit of Normandy Trust BannerThe Spirit of Normandy Trust

“The Trusts objectives are to increase the knowledge and appreciation concerning the events leading up to and culminating in the Normandy Landings and their historical significance and to provide financial assistance for veterans of the three Services and their dependents who are in need.”