Detectorists BBC4 – 3 December 2015 – Ju88 recovery

Looking forward to it, a great programme !!
Surely one of the TV highlights of the year.

Heads up, ‘Detectorists Christmas Special’ tonight, Wednesday 23 December, at 10.00pm on BBC 4.

Mark

Mark12,

I’ll take your word on the repair work on that rudder. Very crudely repaired.

You had me confused for a moment with your B-country reference, but I understand now that the principal character in the Detectorists has just accepted a post in Botswana in the final episode. To be followed by a Christmas Special.

Cheers,

Matt

The rudder was only loaned out, together with a small car load of other “pattern material”. All now safely returned and back in store you’ll be pleased to know Mark12 😉

FB

Is the ‘Christmas Special’ coming from B…B…B…Botswana?

Matt,

I think we would be pretty safe saying this is actually the same piece.

The rudder post had been crudely repaired with a couple or more sheet metal wraps some time before I got it in 1985.

Mark

Kevin,

Trivial analysis, but…I think you deduced that the Seafire rudder you found was the one that Mark12 was given, right? I beg to differ, based upon a comparison between his photo and yours.

The one you retrieved from the water was seriously corroded. For example, note the lower part of the leading edge (if that’s the right term). However, Mark12’s photo shows no such corrosion.

Was yours repaired after being pulled from the ocean before being gifted to Mark12? I doubt it, because there is still significant wear and tear on his rudder’s leading edge.

Here are the two photos for easier comparison.

Is either rudder the one seen on the Detectorists? I can’t see a positive link, upon quick comparison.

Cheers,

Matt

‘but am I the only one who wanted a DMDC fleece?’
As both an historic aviation nut AND a metal detectorist, I absolutely loved both the series. (get the boxset!) The development, characters and story lines, as someone above said, made it the best of British comedy. Apparently Mackenzie Crook is a detectorist……………
Try and watch it on Iplayer if you haven’y seen it yet. Looking forward to the Christmas Special, too.

They have plenty available. I’m sure they’d sell you several…

I lay myself open to judgement, but am I the only one who wanted a DMDC fleece?

Further to Marks response to the Seafire rudder, I was the Diving Officer for RAF Luqa, Malta in 1968 and I had organised a dive off Delimara Point looking for a 500lb bomb which had been seen by one our divers the week before. During the dive I found the rudder in about 70 ft in amongst the rocks not far from the bomb. There was however no more Seafire in the vicinity. The bomb was susequently lifted by the RN divers and detonated out at sea and the Seafire rudder hung on the wall in the diving club for some time, possibly until the RAF left Malta at which point this and the Mosquito prop I found went to other museums..KEVIN. [ATTACH=CONFIG]242371[/ATTACH]

My favourite bit ran along the lines of…

“What is it?”

“A brooch, still has it’s pin, got something written on it in Latin”

“What does it say?”

Lance gives it a rub and peers intently. “Status Quo”

I’m glad to see that there is a Christmas Special in a couple of weeks too

“Ring pull, maybe ’82. Something fruity, maybe Quattro. Or even Lilt….“

:applause:

Being a metal detectorist myself, I can relate to a lot of what happens in the programme.
I do hope they make a third series, I know the BBC want to.

A brilliant comedy, the like of which doesn’t come along very often. Am looking forward to the Christmas special.

BTW, Andrew Billen of the Times is not me :highly_amused: – my ‘review’ were my own words, so it must make that ‘gentle comedy with great characters’ impression on most who watch it.

If you do watch it try and get Series One – it introduces the players who reappear in Series Two. I believe a DVD of both series is due so might be a nice Xmas pressie…

Viewable on I-player in the UK.

Mark

And outside, too, if you know how. 😉

I thoroughly enjoyed it, a beautifully-written and performed series, British TV at its very best.

“Detectorists” is one of those gems of a programme that comes along every now and then. Hidden away on BBC 4 at a time slot many would miss. It’s a lovely gentle comedy that just flows along like a babbling brook. If they **** up with the props I don’t really care. It’s the characters that make it…

Viewable on I-player in the UK.

Mark

To be fair on the production team they did use a bit of real aeroplane, just imagine the indignation here if they had used a bit of non aviation scrap.

“Detectorists” is one of those gems of a programme that comes along every now and then. Hidden away on BBC 4 at a time slot many would miss. It’s a lovely gentle comedy that just flows along like a babbling brook. If they **** up with the props I don’t really care. It’s the characters that make it…

Around and around.

On a scouting trip for Spitfire wings in Malta in 1985, successful I might add, the guys at the Malta Museum gifted me this Seafire XVII rudder.

It was very delicate, it was unplanned return baggage, so I decided to partially bubble wrap it and take it on-board as hand baggage. I managed to get it on the aircraft but a rather officious stewardess said it would have to go in the hold. I protested its fragility and asked to speak to the purser. “I am the purser”, she said. I asked if she could kindly advise the captain that I was transporting vital Spitfire/Seafire parts back to the UK and off she went in huff, returning shortly to say the captain would like to see me and the part in the cockpit. The Captain, Neville Needham, was ex FAA, as I recall, and the rudder did the whole trip in the cockpit and I spent about an hour up front in the jump seat for both the take off from Luqa and the landing at LHR.

Times have changed.

The part was used for pattern information in the restoration of SX336 and I parted with in 2002.

I wonder who owns it now.

Mark