Cold War Living History Event – The Soviet Threat

Welcome to Cold War Conversations episode 29 which takes place at a Living History event in and around the Hack Green Secret Nuclear Bunker museum in deepest Cheshire in the UK. I can heartily recommend visiting the Hack Green Bunker and we are planning an audio tour of the bunker as a future episode.

Today’s episode is slightly different as it was our first chance to try out our new “on the move” recording equipment which has kindly been provided by our supporters who make monthly donations via Patreon – a special thanks to all of them and we welcome our latest Patreon, Tim Price.

If you would like to support the podcast further and get access to these exclusive extras go to our web site at coldwarconversations.com and click on the “support the Podcast” menu option.

Now back to today’s episode. The Living History event at Hack Green Secret Nuclear was entitled the Soviet Threat and it aims to take you back in time, investigating what life was like either side of the Berlin Wall during the Cold War.

The event was patrolled by various re-enactors and checkpointshad to be passed as visitors are invited to venture between the two sides of the Cold War.

A large contingent from the South Staff Living History Group were there, mainly DDR themed., however, many areas were covered including RAF Moleworth Cruise Missile base, French Foreign Legion, The Royal Observer Corps, US Army Europe, 1st Gulf War, Soviet, Bundeswehr, BAOR, Polish, Czech and the Malayan Emergency.

What particularly delighted me was the number of younger people who have gained an interest in the Cold War and are part of the re-enactment community.

We join the episode shortly after I have passed the DDR checkpoint and I chat with the two DDR border guards who are now in a more amiable mood…