Honorary President: David Fletcher MBE
The new 'Great War Presentation Tanks of England and Wales' CD researched and written by the group is now available for purchase. This is the first time their stories have been brought together in one volume.
Copies can be purchased direct from us at £10.00 each including p&p. Cheques should be made payable to Friends of the Lincoln Tank and sent, together with your details, to Angie Hibbitt, 3 The Lodges, Main Street, Carlton Scroop, Lincs NG32 3AY
************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
The Friends of the Lincoln Tank stall will be appearing on Saturday 10th September at the Bicker Steam Threshing weekend. The show is just south of Boston and is actually on over the whole weekend of the 10th and 11th. If you've not been before, you have been missing a treat. There will be all sorts of vintage and classic vehicles on show and all sorts of events will make it a day to remember.
Everyone is welcome to come along and say hello to us on the stand, tell us your memories of tanks in Lincolnshire or bring along any tank related items you'd like us to look at or identify.
It goes without saying that we'd love to see any Friends of the Lincoln Tank members who are in the area or visiting the show, as always everyone is more than welcome on the stand!
************************************************************************************************************************
Friends of the Lincoln Tank are very interested to see that the old Cheltenham pub in Lincoln is to be renovated and re-named The William Foster. As we all know William Foster was the man who founded the factory in Lincoln that would go on to invent the first tanks during the Great War. Such an honour is well overdue for the man who did so much for the City, including serving as Mayor and working tirelessly to improve many aspects of City life, such as street lighting, sewers and water supply
We at Friends of the Lincoln Tank wish the management and staff of The William Foster all the best with their new venture.
************************************************************************************
A group of the Friends spent a wonderful day at the Muckleburgh Collection in Norfolk a couple of weeks ago - here are some of them 'mucking' about in the workshops....
**********************************************************************************************************************************************************
We had two very long, but enjoyable days at RAF Waddington, lots of interest in the group and as always in Ian and Pete's splendid replica tanks. The sponson is looking good and we now have a number of items of merchandise available including the brand new CD - The PresentationTanks of England and Wales.
If you missed us at Waddington - we will be at the Heckington Show on 30 & 31 July 2011.
********************************************************************************************************************
STOP PRESS!!!! We are at the RAF Waddington Air Show this weekend - come and say hello and take advantage of the very first chance to buy our new CD on the Presentation Tanks of England and Wales at a special introductory price.
***********************************************************************************************************************************************************************
Friends of the Lincoln Tank are very proud to announce that our new Honorary President will be the world renowned author, historian and television personality, David Fletcher. Anyone even remotely interested in tanks of any period will know of David's work at the Bovington Tank Museum and his appointment is a huge honour for our group.
**********************************************************************************************************************
It is with great sadness that we have learnt that our Honourary President, Professor Richard Holmes, has died after a brave fight against cancer. None of us will ever forget the wonderful evenings we had listening to Richard speak, he was a very rare talent and a very approachable person. We will not see his like again.
***********************************************************************************************************************
WE WILL BE AT THE METHERINGHAM AIRFIELD OPEN DAY THIS SUNDAY 1 MAY 2011 - COME DOWN AND SEE US!
************************************************************************************************************************
Spring is almost here (allegedly) and we are pleased to announce our 2011 season of talks. Please take a look at our Forthcoming Events page
************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
2010 was a tremendous year for us. We had our wonderful season of talks, and were able to get out and about at several events during the summer. The sponson has taken shape and captivated crowds at all the events we attended. We have had a number of emails from all over the world from enthusiasts who have shown an interest in our activities. At long last our database on the Presentation Tanks of England and Wales was published, with grateful thanks to the Lottery Heritage Fund for all their support. We're still delighted to hear from anyone who has information on any of the Presentation Tanks and especially about that still elusive photo of the Lincoln Presentation Tank at the Water Tower!
2011 promises to be even better - we already have a number of exciting speakers for the season of talks, we will once again be at various shows and work continues on the sponson.
We look forward to seeing you this year.
************************************************************************************************************************
Friends of the Lincoln Tank were very pleased to hear the news that Lincoln City Council have reversed their decision to sell off or develop Wickham Gardens in Lincoln. The gardens were once the resting place of Lincoln's very rare Mk I Presentation Tank and have been a much used open space since their official opening in the Spring of 1914. Friends of the Lincoln Tank have been working closely with SWINGS (Save Wickham Gardens, Infants Need Green Spaces) and thanks to the diligent and tenacious work of both the SWINGS committee and members alike, this historic part of Lincoln and its connection the the tanks of the Great War has been saved for future generations, well done to all of you.
************************************************************************************************************************
Friends of the Lincoln Tank continue to capture the imagination of those who are interested in both military history and the history of engineering in general. As the title suggest, Heritage Commercial Magazine usually concerns itself with the world of lorries, vans and goods vehicles from days gone by, but as can be seen by their News section on the magazines website, their interest goes well beyond commercials. The magazine usually includes an eclectic and fascinating mix of stories covering commercials from the dawn of the internal combustion engine to more modern vehicles, but the Editor of the magazine saw our replica sponson at this years Lincoln Steam and Vintage Rally and couldn't resist taking a photograph to include on the web site. Go to www.heritagecommercials.com and click on News to see what they have to say about our efforts.
************************************************************************************************************************
The Museum of Lincolnshire Life is hosting an exhibition on The Great War from September 11 through to November 2010 - and in addition a number of Friends of the Tank will be exhibiting artefacts at the Museum on Saturday 11 September - please come along and have a look.
************************************************************************************************************************
Friends of the Lincoln tank had a display at the Lincoln Steam Fair August 2010 showing the full size sponson now updated to include internal modelling. In particular were the newly added ammunition rack complete with 6lb shells, details to the barbette stand and the internal space now painted in white as per the actual tank. It's interesting to note how little room there is inside one of these machines!" 
*************************************************************************************************************************
Our efforts to build a replica Mk IV tank have caused huge interest in the world of historic military vehicles and have now hit the national press with a full page spread in the August 2010 issue of Military Machine International magazine. Ian Young and the good folk at MMI are obviously all in favour of a full scale working replica tank being built by Friends of the Lincoln Tank and we thank them very much for their enthusiasm. If you haven't got your copy yet, don't delay.
*************************************************************************************************************************
Friends of the Lincoln Tank have been contacted by a group of concerned residents who are worried that Wickham Gardens in Lincoln is about to be sold by the council for redevelopment. The gardens were the site chosen for display of the Lincoln Presentation Tank in 1919, so we have an interest in seeing that the gardens continue to be an open public space instead of a housing development. The area is not only of great historical interest, it is a valuable green space, much used by parents with their children and we at Friends of the Lincoln Tank wholeheartedly support the campaign to save Wickham Gardens. Watch this space for further news.
**************************************************************************************************************************
We will be at the Lincoln Steam Rally on Sunday 22 August - please come and say hello and have a look at the sponson!
**************************************************************************************************************************
Saturday 26th June saw the return of the hugely popular National Armed Forces Day with events honouring our fighting men and women happening all over the country. Friends of the Lincoln Tank were honoured to attend the event at Lincoln Castle and we were given a prime spot at the Castle's East Gate alongside a wonderfully restored wartime Bedford Lorry, several Willys Jeeps and a pristine Universal Carrier.
The weather was terrific and so was the welcome we received from the good folk of Lincoln. We took our replica Mk IV armourment sponson along with us and I am delighted to say that the majority of those we spoke to were fully aware of the connection between Lincoln and the first tanks. Furthermore, without exception, everyone we met was very much in favour of our ambitious plan to create a full size working replica Great War tank. If people needed an idea of what our final machine will look like, Ian and Betty Douglas were both also in attendance inside the Castle along with Ian’s fabulous ¼ scale Female Mk IV remote controlled tank.
You need only have looked at the line of people filing in and out of the Castle grounds to see how popular the event was and how much support there is for our forces personnel working both at home and abroad. Friends of the Lincoln Tank feel hugely privileged to have been part of the event and would like to thank the public for being so enthusiastic and Malcolm Douse for letting us attend the event. 
*********************************************************************************************************************
n the 29th and 30th May 2010 Friends of the Lincoln Tank visited the Carrington Steam and Vintage Rally. This was a very special event for us as it marked the public unveiling of our wooden prototype Mk IV tank main armourment sponson. The sponson was created from wood and aluminum with resin rivets in order to investigate construction methods and double check our measurements before we start work in steel. If we can raise sufficient money for the project the next sponson we build will be in steel and all being well, will be followed by the rest of a working, full scale Mk IV tank. The sponson was well received at the Carrington Rally and judging by the response we got from the general public, people are right behind our scheme to create a replica Mk IV tank by 2016. Friends of the Lincoln Tank will be displaying the sponson at Arms Forces Day at Lincoln Castle on 26th June 2010, we'd enjoy meeting you and hearing your views on the project. For further information or to make a donation, please get in touch via the Friends of the Lincoln Tank website. NB see also the Projects Page
********************************************************************************************************************
Ian Walden's talk on 16 May appears to have caused a stir in the local press. The Lincolnshire Echo have run a spread on Ian's theory regarding Grange Crescent's distinctive rhomboid shape. If you missed the article, you can read it on the Echo's web site www.thisislincolnshire.co.uk
********************************************************************************************************************************************************************
We are at the Carrington Rally at this Whit Weekend - come and say hello! If you miss us there - we will be at Lincoln Castle Armed Forces Day on 26 June 2010 and also the Lincoln Steam and Vintage Rally on Sunday 22 August.
***********************************************************************************************************************
We were delighted to hear that our friend Phillippe Gorczynski has recently been awarded an MBE and offer him our warmest congratulations
*********************************************************************************************************************
The Friends of the Lincoln Tank are looking forward to mounting an exhibition at the Museum of Lincolnshire Life in September and October 2010. We will also be hosting a 'Tank Weekend' to launch the exhibition. Further details to follow.
********************************************************************************************************************************************
BBC's Antiques Roadshow on Sunday 8 November 2009 was filmed at Lincoln Cathedral - there were some very interesting items relating to Fosters and the Lincoln Tank as well as some pertinent historical information
**********************************************************************************************************************
A number of members of the group attended the unveiling of the new Heavy Branch-Machine Gun Corps and Tank Corps memorial at Poelcapelle on 10 October. The day was both memorable and emotional for all those who went. Our Chairman, Richard Pullen was honoured to be able to lay our wreath accompanied by the grandson of Captain Clement Robinson of the Tank Corps, who won the Corps their first VC. Richard was moved to note that Captain Robinson's grandson was actually wearing that very VC.
Poelcapelle 10 October 2009
Menin Gate 10 October 2009
*********************************************************************************************************
A Geophysical Survey was carried out on Saturday 12 September at the Water Tower, Wickham Gardens, Lincoln to try and locate the site of the resting place of Lincoln's Presentation Tank. Friends of the Lincoln Tank members Dave and Angie Hibbitt (Grid Nine Geophysics) carried out the earth resistance survey on the grassy area in front of the tower, hoping to be able to find evidence of any remaining plinth or railing under the surface.
More images on 'Projects' Page