Hi
There is a place in Cheshire were I grew up that I have always meant to go back and have a look at. It was still there in the very early eighties. The reason that you may be interested in this is because it was a storage building full of aircraft spares. The only access to it was betwwen some flats. There was no access to the rear and so it was hidden. All us kids knew about it through the Kids Telegram and we all had collections of NEW BOXED aircraft instruments. The building had at one time been stacked to the roof but over the years with people rumaging there was a layer of opened stuff rising up on either side. Digging down into the corners revealed the pristine stuff. There were also motor spares and many people had long radio aeriels fitted to their cars. Its hard to estimate how much was in there but it must have been in the Tonnes. Without giving the location away too much the local airfields were RNAS Stretton (Blackcap) a major FAA maintainance depot and Burtonwood an even larger USAF maintainance base. The stuff I had was British. I Can just imagine the panic if it hasn’t been found because of all that luminous paint. Pathetic . I will clear it out for them in needed. The easiest way for anyone else to find it would probably be at night as the whole building should glow in the dark.
Do any of you think you know of this or other sites
Cheers
Phil
Definition of a Gentleman
A man who can play the accordion but chooses not to.
By: 682al - 11th March 2005 at 12:31
I recall the Northern Aircraft Preservation Society acquired a superb WW1 propellor just because one of it’s members had gone to dump some rubbish down the local tip and a blade was sticking out of the pile!
I almost had a WW2 USAAF wireless receiver in the boot of my car but a council ‘erk politely reminded me that stuff dumped at the tip belongs to them, not the public!
What do we pay blimmin’ rates for?
By: skypilot62 - 11th March 2005 at 12:07
682al
Thanks for nothing – do you enjoy making grown men cry? :p
I try regularly at the local tip to see if anything turns up and the lads are very helpful but to date – nothing at all in 3.5 years! My best success at the council dump was 5 years ago in the Isle of Man when I turned up 150+ gas mask respirator bags of all types and ARP satchels. I went with two bags of rubbish and came back with 3! My wife just buried her face and slowly shook her head – she honestly could not understand why I brought more back from the tip than I took.
One day I WILL repeat that success (maybe!).
By: 682al - 11th March 2005 at 11:55
Ahhh, Wigan…
Scottish Aero had a store there until about 1980. Still got the auction catalogue for the final clear out somewhere. Mosquito spares, Merlin spares, a complete Frazer Nash turret…
Then, just down the road was “Kayes”. Surely one of the last genuine “old style” army surplus stores. Chock full of the most useless cr*p imaginable.
EXCEPT, those in the know would buy heaps of said cr*p off the old lady who ran it, in the hope that it would pursuade her to go in the back and produce a Type C flying helmet or two. Some had electrics, some hadn’t and they were all £2 regardless.
The area got re-developed in the early eighties and I heard that because of her intransigence in dealing with the council, the stuff all ended up down the local tip. I can remember flying boots of various types, sidcot suits, etc etc.
Oh yesterday, leave me alone!
By: skypilot62 - 11th March 2005 at 02:05
Do you need a driver? Wigan is only up the road? 🙂
By: Halibag-Phil - 9th March 2005 at 15:49
Think we need to chat
Hi will try and contact you off board tonight.
Cheers
Phil
By: 682al - 9th March 2005 at 15:44
The photos were taken years ago and the place gradually deteriorated until it almost collapsed.
There may well still be “stuff” there but little of it would be usuable.
Now, back to this place in Cheshire, what time should I pick you up and are you bringing the road map or me???
By: Halibag-Phil - 9th March 2005 at 14:44
Interesting
Wow were was that. Its not the same one as the one I am on about as mine had no windows. When was it cleared and did anyone salvage any of it.
Cheers
Phil
By: 682al - 9th March 2005 at 14:26
I have fond memories of one such store in that general location, but it doesn’t match your description. It’s gone now sadly, but was chokka block full of goodies in the early eighties.
This is “my kinda place”….
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March 9, 2005 at 1:33 pm