Hi Guys – Grateful for some advice from residents of the SE of England !! After the Channel 5 “Fighter dig – live!!” programme on Sunday night (21.00 – 22.30) I fly back into Stansted at 09.45 on Monday, but my flight to Newquay doesn’t leave until 19.40. I have taken a look at one day car hire fees and they seem a bit steep (£40ish) as I had considered taking my first trip back to Duxford in 5 years. Allowing for the evening check-in without a car is it feasible to do the trip up and back in the time by public transport (if so what bus etc.) – or alternatively, I had also considered the Stansted Express and going to the IWM, or the RAF Museum for a brief look. But, no doubt, as a Bank Holiday they will be working on the main and tube lines that day ? Being back in the London area for a day and wasting it hanging round Stansted is just too much, and none of my relatives live near enough for me to scrounge lunch from!! All we have down here is the annual Culdrose show, and, until recently, lots of Merlins flying around !!
On another matter which people might find of interest, I walked past a shop chain called “Past Times” in Truro on Monday and in the window they had a D-Day display with, amongst many other goodies, a 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle, for £12, showing a 130 (Punjab) Squadron Mk V over the beach-head, plus two Tiffies. So I just had to buy it!!
It says “Spitfire AP-B was originally assigned to 186 Squadron which reformed as 130 Sq. on 5th April 1944, based at Lympne. The Squadron was assigned to the D-Day task of patrolling the landing beaches. In August of that year their ageing Mk. V’s were replaced with Mk. XIV Spitfires and the Squadron was re-assigned to anti-V1 patrols. The Typhoons are from 245 Squadron, engaged on D-Day in attacks on beachhead gun positions.”
They also had a very large hand carved Spitfire IX marked DU-L (312 Czech Squadron) in D-Day stripes which was £100. It is beautiful though – if only I could replace the DU with LO, FF or FU I might have spent my money – well Visa anyway!!! Spending that amount and then making a mess of removing the D and replacing it with an F would be a sacrilege!! Also on display are the Corgi 1/72 Spitfire and Hurricane, so all in all a good display of memorabilia – cheers – Allan 🙂
By: allan125 - 26th May 2004 at 19:41
Bank Holiday Monday
Hello DHFAN and Geoff – many thanks guys 🙂 – it certainly appears feasible to fit in Duxford in the time, even if briefly – I have printed all your information. Now all I need is good weather and no problems with the railways !! A brief look at Duxford again is better than no look at all, as I have no idea when I will be back in the “sunny” south-east from the Wild West again.
It’s a bit ironic really that until December ’99 I lived about 9 miles from Stansted, went there frequently, and also had numerous visits to Duxford – now I am in a black hole both aviation museum and eventwise and this will be my first visit back to civilisation since then. Even escaping by Ferry to France is expensive as Brittany Ferries at Plymouth has no competition.
cheers – Allan 🙂
By: von Perthes - 26th May 2004 at 18:51
Allan,
Hope this helps.
Outward Journey: Monday 31 May 2004
Station – Arr – Dep -Travel by – Operator
STANSTED AIRPORT 10:30 Train LONDON EASTERN RAILWAY
BISHOPS STORTFORD 10:39 11:02 Train LONDON EASTERN RAILWAY
CAMBRIDGE STATION 11:37
DURATION: 1:07
STANSTED AIRPORT 11:20 Train CENTRAL TRAINS
CAMBRIDGE STATION 11:56
DURATION: 0:36
STANSTED AIRPORT 11:30 Train LONDON EASTERN RAILWAY
BISHOPS STORTFORD 11:39 12:02 Train LONDON EASTERN RAILWAY
CAMBRIDGE STATION 12:37
DURATION: 1:07
STANSTED AIRPORT 12:00 Train LONDON EASTERN RAILWAY
BISHOPS STORTFORD 12:08 12:33 Train LONDON EASTERN RAILWAY
CAMBRIDGE STATION 13:12
DURATION: 1:12
STANSTED AIRPORT 12:30 Train LONDON EASTERN RAILWAY
BISHOPS STORTFORD 12:39 13:02 Train LONDON EASTERN RAILWAY
CAMBRIDGE STATION 13:37
DURATION: 1:07
Return Journey: Monday 31 May 2004
Station Arr Dep Travel by Operator
CAMBRIDGE STATION 17:05 Train LONDON EASTERN RAILWAY
BISHOPS STORTFORD 17:32 18:08 Train LONDON EASTERN RAILWAY
STANSTED AIRPORT 18:17
DURATION: 1:12
CAMBRIDGE STATION 17:34 Train LONDON EASTERN RAILWAY
BISHOPS STORTFORD 18:13 18:36 Train LONDON EASTERN RAILWAY
STANSTED AIRPORT 18:44
DURATION: 1:10
CAMBRIDGE STATION 18:32 Train CENTRAL TRAINS
STANSTED AIRPORT 19:00
DURATION: 0:28
In addition to the bus service mentioned above, the free courtesy bus operates the following timetable (inc on the BHM, 31st May).
‘This service will also be in operation on the following Bank Holiday Mondays:
3rd May, 31st May and the 30th August.
Operated by Stagecoach.
Outward from Cambridge to IWM Duxford
Leaves Crowne Plaza Hotel 10:25 12:25 15:25
Leaves Railway Station 09:40 10:40 11:40 12:40 13:40 15:40
Arrives Duxford 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 16:00
Journey times: Crowne Plaza Hotel – Duxford 35 mins. Railway Station – Duxford 20 mins.
Return from IWM Duxford
Leaves Duxford 11:00 12:00 13:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00
Arrives Crowne Plaza Hotel 12:25 15:25 17:25 18:25
Arrives Railway Station 11:20 12:40 13:20 15:40 16:20 17:40 18:40
Journey times: Duxford – Crowne Plaza Hotel – Railway Station – 40 mins. Duxford – Railway Station 20mins’
Geoff.
By: dhfan - 26th May 2004 at 14:52
I can’t speak from personal experience but you can get a train from Stansted to Cambridge, (probably change at Bishops Stortford) and there’s a scheduled bus service to Duxford.
Following pasted from Duxford’s website:
Between Monday and Saturday the scheduled Stagecoach C7 service operates from Stop G at Emmanuel Street, Cambridge via Addenbrookes Hospital, departing at 20-minute intervals throughout the day until 18:00. The return times from IWM Duxford are at 15, 35 and 55 minutes past the hour.
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May 26, 2004 at 1:27 pm