I suppose we could almost count the Comet?

Moggy

One day mate, one day…

Desoutter anyone?

Quite a chunk of the Old Warden fleet fall into that category.

Moggy

You beat me to it…!:) 😉 🙂

I guess David was highlighting the ineptitude/unwillingness of certain Belgian authorities…

If you can read French then take a look at the comments on
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/BAM2007/signatures.html .
Yes, the Belgians certainly know how to value their own governmental bodies/organisations!

The term “une petite histoire belge” can be translated as “a typical small Belgian story”. Not exactly flattering…

Or “Petit pays, petite gens”… Small country, small(minded) people… And “people” means “authorities”…

Plus “A usual way they do things in Belgium?? Again!!”…

Thanks for that link.
Yes, I’ve read many of the posts (including the French ones).
Doesn’t make very happy reading.
A.

Hi All,
I seem to have some recollection of this flight being a featured on the BBC tea-time show Nationwide.
The reporter in the piece was a chap called Bob Wellings and I thought he might have actually been on board the aircraft for the last flight.
Can anyone shed any light on this?

Andy

I would love to, but I’m up in Lincs and dont drive.

Seems to be plenty of volunteer work out there.
We do at the Collection have people who come from as far a field as Lincs to work on aircraft and much further too and under more trying circumstances.
You could do your volunteering in blocks and stay over.
As Nosedive says, where’s there’s a will…

What about a guide at Old Warden who gave me hoplessy wrong infomation, that there was “nothing all that special about Comet Grovesnor House” that it had never been based at Hatfield as well as telling me various interwar bi planes were WW1 types! I have a pic of me peering (and not climbing in) to the lovely Hornet Moth (I want one) and him looking very hacked off!

Well our official tour guides are a very good bunch indeed, as I’m sure that anyone who attended last years aviation lecture will tell you.

Sometimes on a weekend there are security volunteers on duty and at least one of those has contributed to this thread already.
These are people who give up their free time at weekends for a less than glamourous volunteer job and they’re not always aviation historians although I know not one of them who hasn’t got an interest in the place and they do their best.
So, if you’re so sure you’re the font of all knowledge, may I suggest you volunteer. PM me any time and I’ll get you signed up ASAP.

Looking forward to seeing you there.

Andy Jones

I saw the programme last night but found it very disappointing. In my view there was too much about the people involved and not nearly enough about the technological problems involved in shooting down Zeppelins.

If this same programme had been done by say the History Channel it would have been far superior.

Colin

I disagree.
As far as the witnesses were concerned I found them fascinating and extremely clear thinking when one considers their age.

My wife comes originally from Poplar and my Mother-in-law rang after the programme to tell us that she knew some of the families (later of course) who had lost infants in the school incident mentioned.
I thought the mix of archive film and witnesses worked together very well and the facts were accurately delivered.

If anything, it’s programmes like this which set the benchmark for other TV makers to follow and proves that the BBC can still do it.
A.

The how to improve Legends debate usual starts in the aftermath of the event, and each year it’s exactly the same debate, queues, food, tents, toilets, step ladders, wind breaks etc……. And funnily enough the majority of us return the next year and put up with the same gripes, why ??????? Because the majority of us (AiB being the exception) love the event.

Actually Ian, your statement about me is incorrect.
I don’t mind F/L as an airshow, I actually think it’s pretty good.
It’s Duxford I’m no great fan of as a venue. I think TFC do a pretty good job on the airshow side of things and SG has some very pretty aeroplanes but I’ve never been a fan of Duxford and never will be.
I first went there in the mid seventies and although I’ve been back many times since, it’s never really grown on me.

Most of the issues here on this thread are the fault of Duxford, not TFC and I see nothing being done to improve them.

As usual, I say this, if you don’t like it, don’t go. I haven’t been for a few years now and don’t miss it.

I went to the October show last year and again the show was good, to see anything you needed to be on the tank bank but it wasn’t too crowded.

One other thing annoys me too. It’s the way people always bang on about F/L being the best in the World. That’s a very subjective statement in my ‘onest and although F/L is very good, invariably when you ask these people what other venues in the World they intend to visit this year (to compare) they don’t go anywhere.
It’s a bit like the old wild west joke about the best hotel in town–it’s the only hotel! Again, not the fault of TFC.

Cheers
Andy.

PS. I didn’t intend to get involved in this debate here but as you used my name I thought a response was in order.
PPS. Funnily enough, I might attend this year.