Tanks for the memory
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esidents of the Isle of Wight could be forgiven for thinking they were about to be invaded recently when they caught sight of a Centurion tank approaching their shores. However, they had no reason to worry as this veteran of the Gulf War was on its way to the Isle of Wight Military Museum at Cowes, where it will be the star attraction when the museum opens in the spring. The Centurion battlewaggon and its companion, a Centurion armoured recovery vehicle, travelled to Southampton from the Army depot at Ashchurch, near Tewkesbury. The pair journeyed to their new home on an £30-tonne artic, crossing the Solent on Red Funnel Ferries' Raptor Class vessel Red Osprey. The Centurions will certainly not be out of place at the museum, as John Hinchliffe, one of the directors discloses: "We currently have around 22 tanks and vehicles including a Sexton self-propelled artillery gun dating from about 1943." As it is a working museum, restoration work will take place on all the exhibits and it is expected they will all be mobile. Excellent! Come springtime, the Hawk and Foden the dog will definitely have the Reliant Robin booked on the loW ferry.