In 1964, If You Had A Spare £25, You Could Buy A…

Well that’s interesting, Jim but it was definitely Percy Sheppard who had it, I wonder where Ben Warris comes into the equation.

I lived in Worcs at the time and Ben Warris was interviewed about it on the local TV News and I also remember reading a newspaper piece about it.

A shot from 7 July 1970.

It desperately needed a windscreen and canopy.

Mark

TD135 is an old acquaintance of mine. It used to belong to Tynemouth ATC and was on display in pseudo 607 Sqn markings and natural metal finish outside their headquarters. The cockpit canopy was jammed open and so you could easily climb in and use your imagination. Later a friend of mine told me that the RAF had taken it away to be used in the making of the Battle of Britain film, promising to return it eventually, but, at the squadron’s next summer camp (I forget where) they had found it on the dump. The next I heard of it was that it was on display at a pub (presumably the Red Lion) somewhere on the Welsh Border which had been bought by the retired comedian Ben Warris. According to the newspaper report he had fitted a motor which would turn the prop when a coin was inserted in a slot machine, presumably with the proceeds going to the RAFBF. I wonder where it will surface next? It would be nice if it could fly again.
Jim
PS: In late 1955/early 56 I remember reading a classified advert in Flight magazine offering two Tiger Moths, one airworthy and the other for spares, for the combined price of £200.
PPS:
I’ve just done a bit of googling and TD135 was at the Spitfire Inn, Leominster, 1964-73, owned by someone called Shepherd, perhaps that was Ben Warris’s real name?? Also the BoB film details don’t match up so perhaps it was some other film???? Either way, it ended up on Dishforth’s dump in 1963/4 before taking to drink.

Well Jim the Spitfire Inn at Upper Hill near Leominster used to be called the Red Lion and I suppose it could be classed as near the Welsh borders, that’s also correct re the electric motor turning the prop, but I don’t know where the reference to Ben Warris came from though. Interesting.

The owners are currently busy titivating their ex-Iraqi Hawker Fury prior to a first flight

http://www.globalaviationresource.com/v2/2014/04/07/aviation-news-hawker-fury-fb-10-vh-iss-engine-runs/

I wonder where it will surface next? It would be nice if it could fly again.
Jim

It was under restoration to fly again, but now stored, so fingers crossed!

Around £500 for a good second hand one in the early 1970’s. The XK Engine great to work on though the tappet shims were a bit fiddly. Cross ply tyres like solid rubber wheels very scary in one of these, some use to put heavy weights in the boot to keep the back end on the road. Radial tyres were just coming in then. Just as well if they were still in use today there would be wrecked cars all over the place.

TD135 is an old acquaintance of mine. It used to belong to Tynemouth ATC and was on display in pseudo 607 Sqn markings and natural metal finish outside their headquarters. The cockpit canopy was jammed open and so you could easily climb in and use your imagination. Later a friend of mine told me that the RAF had taken it away to be used in the making of the Battle of Britain film, promising to return it eventually, but, at the squadron’s next summer camp (I forget where) they had found it on the dump. The next I heard of it was that it was on display at a pub (presumably the Red Lion) somewhere on the Welsh Border which had been bought by the retired comedian Ben Warris. According to the newspaper report he had fitted a motor which would turn the prop when a coin was inserted in a slot machine, presumably with the proceeds going to the RAFBF. I wonder where it will surface next? It would be nice if it could fly again.
Jim
PS: In late 1955/early 56 I remember reading a classified advert in Flight magazine offering two Tiger Moths, one airworthy and the other for spares, for the combined price of £200.
PPS:
I’ve just done a bit of googling and TD135 was at the Spitfire Inn, Leominster, 1964-73, owned by someone called Shepherd, perhaps that was Ben Warris’s real name?? Also the BoB film details don’t match up so perhaps it was some other film???? Either way, it ended up on Dishforth’s dump in 1963/4 before taking to drink.

My late father purchased Proctor V G-AGTC for £325-00 guineas in 1963 and sold her a few years later for £500-00! He also bought a 1935 4 1/2 litre blower Bentley from a side street in Whitechapel in 1952 for £150-00 and sold it less then a year later for £250-00 as its fuel consumption was to great!! Think around £70k for the Mk V today and £500,000 for the Bentley in today’s money!!

Oh for a time machine and a few quid! I have a couple of questions though. When did the owner pictured in the first post part ways with her? And what difference would BofB provenance (if genuine) make to her value on today’s market?

I believe that the Spitfire was sold in the 1970’s. By then Percy Sheppard had died and his son sold it. That is before they started making big money though. Last time I was in the stores there they had some large blown up photo’s of it on the one wall. That Spitfire was Mk16 so it wouldn’t have had BofB provenance.

@ SeaDog

‘Like’.

I’m clearing the decks here and will come and see you soon for a good chinwag.

Bruce

Oh for a time machine and a few quid! I have a couple of questions though. When did the owner pictured in the first post part ways with her? And what difference would BofB provenance (if genuine) make to her value on today’s market?

Ahh! What a great thread. Information. Fun. No bickering. No name calling. No need for moderators.

Just a good read.

Thanks Mark 12.

As a young boy (6/7) in the sixties I wondered why my Father didn’t buy one. I saw those ads. He was at Elliott Automation then, and flying himself about in Chipmunks on the premise of that being quicker than driving to see customers. He didn’t heed my wise words.

I gave him a second chance a few years later when I noticed the two seat Mustang conversion in Jane’s, but it was too late, he’d gone back to gliding.

If only he’d listened. I’d now have a Spitfire and a Mustang. Which I would have the engines out of and into a Mosquito.

In the March issue of Light Aviation, Arthur Ord-Hume recalls an option to buy a complete Bristol Fighter (now at Old Warden) in 1949 for EIGHT POUNDS……..

Might as well post this image again which I scanned from an old Flight mag a few years ago:

Just a year later but this one was a bit more expensive… but airworthy!

20/20 hindsight!! In the 90s I bought XL573 and XL613 from the ministry for £3550.00p No engines/jet pipes or aux drive gear boxes. I thought that was a good deal. Especially when I sold them on to young Pover!!

Mark12;

Thanks for posting the link to the inflation calculator. Interesting stuff!

Now, not being around to have a chance of snapping up a £25 Spitfire, I tried the next best thing.

I bought the new series one Airfix Spitfire Mk I when it was released in 1979 for the then rrp of 45p.

According to the calculator, that would now equate to £1.93.

The actual price of the same kit today is £5.99.

Quite a difference!!

Regards;
Steve

It is amazing. There are still bargains to be had. A Lynx for 5k!! In 40 years time, some people may be saying….remember you could buy a Lynx for £5k – now that wont even buy a weeks shopping!

PS: I am trying to find somewhere

Fascinating stuff.
Out of interest, I wonder what the asking price was for a complete Stirling, Whitley, Albemarle or Halifax?