Saturday Night Rant (letting off steam)…

A sobering link http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/server/show/nav.18338 from the National Bomber Command Heritage thread in August.

I agree and disagree on some points…

I agree heritage is something that we should keep an eye on, and try to retain, but at what cost? We can’t keep every base preserved that has seen people go out on active service not to return – it’s just not viable. As to saying that the buildings are in good nick, well maybe so, but how much would it cost to refurbish them and make them good for modern use? As I understand (certainly in Scotland) if you have a substantial change of use for a building, in most cases it has to meet modern building codes, something I doubt many ex MOD buildings would manage.

I know many bases are precious for some people, and I can understand the attachment, but how many bases do we have to save to preserve our heritage? Unfortunately, people with our hobby are very much in the minority of the the UK population, so perhaps having a few well preserved bases is better than none?

Do we get so upset when the MOD alters our heritage because the base is still active? We don’t have a say in that, but it amounts to the same argument. Think of all the control towers modernised, hangars modrenised or removed – that’s still playing with heritage isn’t it? Nothing can be done about that..

Preserving them as a memorial to those who died although an admirable idea isn’t in itself sustainable. Why can’t some sort of memorial do just as well? That’s all that gets left in many cases of ex-airfields that returned to farmland after the war; some don’t even have that…

Development doesn’t always mean greed – it can also mean progress. Remember that the house you live in is on what was once undeveloped ground, which I am sure was important to somebody at one point. Progress is going to happen, regardless.

It is admirable for people to stand up and try and make a stand, in Merkles case about the bunker, but heritage is about what it means to a nation, and what builds our character. A bunker is just that to the nation, no matter what it has attached to it. They were built as utility buildings, not meant to last much more than the duration of the conflict they were built for. Apart from us enthusiasts, nobody else is going to care – sometimes we have to realise that, ask ourselves is it a major part we are losing, and be prepared to let go.

Before we rage against the machine, perhaps to illustrate a point, this weekend I posted what I thought was a brilliant pic of the Vulcan at Leuchars to one of my friends – her reply? “So? It’s just a plane”. This is after all the news coverage, and all the effort and money invested in it. I find it beautiful, but others might not worry…

Playing devils advocate, some battles we’ll win, and some we won’t – best pick battles wisely. I’m afraid battles for bases like Driffield and similar just won’t be won…..

“and of course, Councils a Govt LOVE military and old industrial sites, Because they are all classed as “Brown Field sites” its easier for them than to even think of building on Green sites.”Indeed, very true. There is no doubt that the current financial situation will have an adverse effect on development but I guess it will also have a similar effect on the preservation and maintenance of the UK’s aviation heritage. There will be less to spend on aviation restorations, museums etc. As an MOD employee myself I am made aware of the importance of our heritage and, compared to the situation even a few years ago, we are made much more aware of our heritage than ever was the case previously. However, the UK’s finances are in a state and we need more personnel and equipment in the military not more heritage, however much it pains me to write it. As Philip Rhodes point out, it is particularly galling when structures which have a heritage value are in good condition and have been kept in use. A classic case in point being an old railway station on a heritage line I support. It was used as a store for the nearby garden centre whilst another further down the line was converted to a private house, all the others were very quickly demolished although they would have been in quite good condition when closed. Result – requirement to hunt for a replacement building and the subsequent dismantling of another surviving station from Monmouth with plans to move another which had also survived as council offices/stores. I guess we have at least saved one more! We care about heritage and I guess the only thing to do is to convince other people that its worth it too. However, its only going to be worth it for “other people” if a financial inventive is there – that’s life and we can’t deny it – we need to make it worth peoples pockets to save heritage. In some cases, I think we are winning but, in the case of Driffield, perhaps not. I suppose the exam question is, “just why is Driffield so special? There are plenty of other RAF stations around aren’t there?”

Heritage ?

I fully agree with you Philip,

I drives me to tears sometimes, I dont know how we have become so consumed by greed in this country,just look at the stockmarket greedy pigs as the papers called it,

I know why they want to knock the buildings down, its simple, Where they might get 100K ish each, for say 4 flats in the old Building, They can flatten it, and build 10 new Terraced low cost houses on it, selling at more like £175K,
Your right GREED,

PLEASE, read my post on the Aviation heritage page , it shows like you, where i live too, is just the same,

link is http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/showthread.php?t=84585

I did TRY and stop a Very rare Bunker from being demolished , I was even in the local paper withthe county Chief Archaeologist, and a MP, to try and save it, But because it was not protected, as soon as the developer took wind of us trying to save it, A week later it was Flattened,

it was one of only 2 left in the country, a Pillbox, with a Bofors Mount on the top.

Ive come to the point where I realise ,I am Powerless to stop the rot, and sadly Most people these days dont have a clue, or care for that matter, too busy watching “Big Bruvver “
its a sad state of affairs we live in today, I know you cant keep everything, But at least let us keep something,

and of course, Councils a Govt LOVE military and old industrial sites, Because they are all classed as “Brown Field sites” its easier for them than to even think of building on Green sites, :rolleyes:

I lived at Driffield in 1972/3 whilst Dad was posted ‘down South’ and the rest of the family were waiting for Married Quarters to become available at High Wycombe.

It was my Sunday afternoon ritual to walk the dog around the old airfield, climbing the steps into the control tower, wandering around the Thor missile site, the hangar with the bomb scar down the wall, even sneaking into the gunnery practice dome through a hole in the wall. Happy memories; but it’s a tough call, Phil…just how many wartime airfields do we, as a nation, save? All of them? (Obviously not, as so many have already gone) Just a few? But how to choose? Even Duxford cannot manage to do anything with the buildings on the non-airfield side.

I agree with you about developers – can’t stand ’em, and one of the only good things about the current times is seeing the greedy parasites go out of business; but with the pressure on housing and the need to avoid greenfield development then ex-MOD sites are in the spotlight. At least the credit crunch should keep Driffield as it is for some time yet…:(

Im fully behind you phillip.

I to was increadbly concered when north weald faced the axe but the futures looking bright. Not so bright for hunsdon tho!

You want to help and save the airfield but you just dont know what to do or how to do it. Its a hard thing battling with developers as they have such force. Hopefully with the economic downturn they might reconsidern development.

If theres anything i can do, do let me know

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