Duxford CLOSED!

Yes, although it usually feels as if there’s more of the former and less of the latter!

Quod erat demonstrandum – although today the use of Latin maxims is probably less acceptable still!

per aspera ad astra!

We apologize for any inconvenience caused

Quod erat demonstrandum – although today the use of Latin maxims is probably less acceptable still!

What is more worrying than the z, is the jetstream forecast for the next couple of weeks suggesting continuing waves of Atlantic depressions of varying intensity. So battening down the hatches times at Duxford I fear.

Quite right, Moggy (Post #7)
As a born/bred Fen Slodger I agree wholeheartedly!
Resmoroh

Unrelenting high winds have closed the Imperial War Museum at Duxford after exterior roof panels were ripped off Airspace.

The site, normally open daily, is shut until further notice following the damage, which took place to the building over the weekend.

Christian Pratt, head of marketing at IWM Duxford, said: “We don’t quite know when we are going to re-open yet. We will certainly be closed until Friday. By the weekend it will be much clearer whether we will be able to open next week.

“The exterior roof panels have peeled away on Airspace.”

The area has been cordoned off due to the safety risk to staff and volunteers.

Mr Pratt added: “I suspect it may take until the following week to ensure it’s completely safe because of the building’s proximity to the road.

“Given the time of year it’s not very clear when repair work will be able to happen.

“It was really windy on Monday night but it was over the weekend that the damage was caused, the wind gusts have got worse and worse.”

The museum closes on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day every year. It was due to re-open on Friday but has now been closed since Tuesday, last week, which will inevitably lead to a fall in New Year admission sales.

A statement on the museum’s website reads: “IWM Duxford is closed until further notice due to damage caused to buildings by high winds and the ongoing adverse weather conditions. We apologize for any inconvenience caused.”

cambridge-news.co.uk

Brian

Pete is of course quite right but as so often with our ever evolving language useage is the ultimate arbiter. I can assure him that during my school years in the fifties never a z was to be seen. And I see from my grandson’s school work that s continues unabated.

Ah well, you have my apologiez for being an apologizt for that spelling. But judging from the responses, it doesn’t seem that the ize have it here. Nonetheless I’ll keep my ize open to see what spelling is used on the IWM website announcement!

You already have. It’s in your constitution.

My god, we’ll be accepting “color” next…

Ah, I see you don’t recognize the Oxford ‘Z’ when you see it.

We, of course, do.

But this is Cambridgeshire and we’ll have none of that dark blue nonsense here 😡

Moggy

I do hope that they remembered on which side of the Atlantic Duxford Aerodrome is situated – and thus did not spell apologise with a z!

Ah, I see you don’t recognize the Oxford ‘Z’ when you see it. 😮 If you look in the Oxford English Dictionary you’ll see that -ize is the preferred suffix with -ise being cited as an alternative spelling. All OUP publications use ‘z’ in preference to ‘s’ in this context and it’s the house style of many other publications and journals and several universities including – if I recall correctly from courses I did a few years ago – the OU.

It was in general use in British English certainly for the first half of the 20th century and only began to lose ground to -ise in the latter part of that century. I think Microsoft had a big influence on this changeover by (incorrectly) flagging words ending -ize as spelling mistakes in spellchecker dictionaries supplied with early versions of Word. Interestingly, they no longer do this and both versions are now allowed.

One thing is for sure – words such as apologize and recognize are not Americanisms but perfectly acceptable alternative British spellings. The suffix -ize may well disappear in years to come – language, after all, is a living thing – but, at the moment, it’s a matter of personal choice (unless, of course, an organization’s house-style either forbids or insists on one or the other) so well done to Duxford for keeping up a fine old British tradition.

I’m wincing thinking of that poor Ambassador stuck outside 🙁

Hope the damage is a minimal as possible.

. We apologize for any inconvenience caused

I do hope that they remembered on which side of the Atlantic Duxford Aerodrome is situated – and thus did not spell apologise with a z!

Come on Chaps ! Chins up.

Where’s the ‘Blitz’ spirit?