Just spotted this story

In the interest of balance may I point out it also made the Torygraph?
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/picture ... -mums.html

was the judge trying to make a joke with the Mainwaring line at the end?

In the interest of balance may I point out it also made the Torygraph?
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/picture ... -mums.html

LOL, that was the OP!

Newspapers always get a 'loner' or 'oddball' or 'weirdo' angle to military enthusiasts stories - why write 'drives to his mums' in the headline?

I am not going to get drawn into a silly argument but it seems my sarcastic one liners are lost on some people (sorry about that).

So now I suppose I will have to creep back into long drawn out postings

As I have said this guy attracted attention to his vehicle with it being something different but not in keeping with a gun being inside either hidden or on display in some way or an other.
His vehicle isn't a WW2 classic that is connected with battle re-enactment.
People tend to look inside strange or classic cars where they would not with some hum drum euro box.
If he had been using a Mondeo it could have sat there for 6 months without anyone looking in.
However with his type of car even 5 minutes while he may nip into a shop for a cup of tea on route to an event could draw attention.
So he needs to take more care of hiding his guns.

If he had lets say a Thompson in a gun slip like I often do then it still looks like a Thompson

So having that on top/ in view would probably still cause the odd phone call from the MOP's.

If you have a Jeep or Kubel etc and it is obviously a WW2 vehicle marked out full for show display then even the average MOP would realise it is all Kosher and still look it over but not be alarmed.

For about 15 years I have taken jeeps to car shows even when no other Military vehicles have turned up in the class, I have displayed guns on them 30cal Thompson etc (normally strapped/ chained down with the Thompson).
Because the vehicle is a classic or replica WW2 vehicle then there is never any problem, the vehicle and it's contents are a living history display in their own right (even if the letter of the law may or may not back this up).
I tend to have gun covers on my weapons when I travel to an event but they still look like guns, I have meat a number of people over the years that don't bother with any cover and like me never have a problem with MOP's or plod.

Yes I think a car show may be a public place in some way because the public are in attendance, the show may or may not be on a public park not just private land.

Over the years many police have looked my display over and sat in the jeeps to have their photo taken
I had compliments from a Police fire arms training officer at one event.

If someone was to walk passed my house while I was loading guns in gun slips into my car or fitting a 30cal machine gun on my jeep in front of the house and think it suspicious.
Well if they rang the police and told them and the police answered "is that the guy in number 24 with the tank and field gun in his front garden", then on reflection the said MOP may then feel like a bit of an idiot

As I said when I took firearms to gun clubs in my FAC days I would if possible disguse them. For a while I had a rifle with a folding stock so this was slid inside a tennis racket bag and looked totally innocent to the average MOP.
The thing with battle re-enactment is we all like our kit to look correct to a varying degree so tend to buy the cover made for the weapon.

So yes you do need to be careful with covering up and especially in a normal or car especially if it is an eye catching car.

As CW has said the press has belittled this guy by saying he was at his mums to get his clothes ironed
However as I have said he could have stopped on route to a show for his lunch and still got into grief.

I carry my AFRA card all the time in my wallet so I don't forget it.
If I ran into a circumstance like this I would show the card (I like to think so anyway) before I opened the boot of the car to the police.

I suspect this cop saw some Brownie points in nicking this guy and to save face would not back down.

Anyway all I have to say on this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zilEV-VWbHA

LOL, that was the OP!

Whoops!
Then I'd like to point out it also made the Daily Wail;
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... t-car.html

However as I have said he could have stopped on route to a show for his lunch and still got into grief.

But if the guy had taken 'reasonable' precautions none of this would have arisen. In the boot or in a gun slip, pref. both there was no problem. He was lax, sloppy with his drills. We should all take note and tighten our safe practices.

I think a car show may be a public place in some way because the public are in attendance, the show may or may not be on a public park not just private land.

The Jeep at a public show, with you in attendance, loaded with period weapons, is a display, as you say. It shows the vehicle as you might expect to see it in the war. That is a reasonable excuse to have the weapons in public.
Dismount the weapons and wander around the traders stalls with them is not a reasonable excuse. What use have they when you are shopping?
Take the same Jeep and take it shopping to Tescos mid week loaded with guns. No excuse, you dont need guns at Tesco.
Same Tesco, on a Friday, in transit to an event, you have a reasonable excuse but dont leave them unattended.
The AFRA card will only help if you show good practice. It is not carte blache to run around in public with RIFs.

Quite, context is all if you are proving a defence. And there's the rub, much of what we do would ordinarily be illegal and it is up to us to prove that we qualify for exemption, should it come to the attention of the authorities.

Yes I think a car show may be a public place in some way because the public are in attendance, the show may or may not be on a public park not just private land.

Already posted the definition:
5. A public place is also defined in section 57(4) of the 1968 Act. It includes any highway and any other premises or place to which at the material time the public have or are permitted to have access, whether on payment or otherwise.

Heh, some light reading: http://www.cps.gov.uk/legal/d_to_g/firearms/

And this:
Section 19 Firearms Act 1968
Carrying firearm in a public place.
A person commits an offence if, without lawful authority or reasonable excuse (the proof whereof lies on him) he has with him in a public place

Regarding the proof point, this is a damn good reason to carry an AFRA card. It has the numbers of people on it that the police can call to corroborate your story.