CEMA Trenches and Model Display

Andrew Belsey · Oct 29, 2022

I’m going to take a display of my trench models to the Kent County Showground in Detling, Maidstone, Kent, ME14 3JF ENGLAND on 26-27 November.

You may know that the CEMA team have some life-size replica trenches in the woods in Detling. (CEMA stands for Centre for Experimental Military Archaeology.) Led by historian Andy Robertshaw, these trenches are a 'must visit' for WW1 and history enthusiasts and an ideal family day out. It’s a very different experience being ‘IN’ a trench from just looking at them. They have an officer’s dugout (above ground) for you to enter and experience too. There will have guys dressed in WW1 uniforms in the trenches to show you around, as well as displays of Great War artefacts alongside my trench models. There will be a team of experts there to help educate you and answer questions you may have.
CEMA is expanding to other periods too - They have an Anderson Shelter for you to walk into and therefore experience the claustrophobic space. I will be bringing some of my WW2 models to display too and I have purchased a few copies of my book, Modelling WW1 Trench Warfare, if you wish to purchase one.
The Open Day will be on Saturday 26th and Sunday 27th November from 10am until 4pm. A donation of £5 will go towards future projects of the CEMA group, who are all volunteers. (No need to book, but last entry will be 3.30pm.) Please come with good footwear and please be careful while on site as the ground can be slippery. (The trench can be viewed from above, if you have mobility issues.) Please come along!
Andy

Nap · Oct 30, 2022

Hi Andy

What a great opportunity to see not only your fine models but also to effectively see the conditions in trenches and in WW2

Wishing you and the organisers a successful show

Hope we see pictures from the event

Thanks for sharing

Nap

Andrew Belsey · Oct 30, 2022

Yes Nap,
I'll try to post a review.
Thanks for your continued support.
Andy

Andrew Belsey · Nov 13, 2022

As time is getting closer. I just wanted to bump this up to remind anyone who lives in the South East of England. I hope that some of you can come.

Andrew Belsey · Nov 26, 2022

I took models along to the open day at CEMA today. It's always a very different experience being IN a trench and I always learn something. There was an ingenious adaption to a flimsy can to cook or brew on (taken from an old photo). I also heard that the smell of a dugout was called 'frowsty' - a mixture of smoke from fires with cooked bacon etc. in the confined space. As well as the trenches CEMA have a replica dugout and an Anderson shelter. It was also good to see a genuine MG08 machine gun up close.