But it seems considerably down on the number attending the 60th Do 10 years ago and considering the additional number restored since, where are they, in the US I suppose, and stuff Goodwood, that’s just for car freaks, let them just have the Arrows, they’re red, fast and appealing to the Ferrari brigade are’nt they. A Spitfire meeting at Duxford without MH434 is beyond belief, and are we only going to get just one Hurricane and no Buchon.
At least Sheperd Neame are going to be there, hooray, a decent pint at DX for a change.
Woohoo, theres a treecreeper outside my window, only he’s going for next doors roof instead, never seen that before.

Unbelievable, I’ve got over a thousand vinyl albums and CD’s and the only ones with any aviation related covers are Zeppelin 1 and 2 plus Blind Faith, I wonder if Ginger Baker’s daughter is still embarrased by ‘that’ cover, even us so called, 1960’s ‘freeloving’ generation thought it was naff and exploitative of such a young girl, I remember buying it from a record shop in Minehead when I was working at Butlins and insisted on them putting it in a bag, 37 years on, would she be prepared to do it now, the black tape may have to be somewhat more expansive.

When did the last vestige of Princess Flying Boat succumb to the scrap-man’s pot?

I have a vague recall of seeing what I think was the/a fuselage when making a crossing to the I.O.W. in the summer of 1963. It would have been at the crossing point used by rail passengers from London.

Ringing any bells with anybody?

Mark

You would only have seen anything if taking the ferry from Southampton to the IOW, the main route from London Waterloo would have arrived at Portsmouth Harbour station and connected from the jetty there to Ryde, you would have seen nowt of Calshot, however, if my memory serves me well, you may have been lucky enough to have sailed on one of the paddle steamers still operating at the time, unless you fancied a good walk to Clarence Pier and travelled on one of Mr Cockerills finest inventions.
Also, sigh, on reaching the other end, you would have had to travel on either the unique petrol driven tram along Ryde Pier or caught the last surviving O2 driven steam train via all stations to Ventnor.
Anyone have a time machine going cheap, the nostalgia has got to me.

Seriously though, what are the chances of this really happening, am I allowed to hold my breath for a brief or long period. I have to say that Air Fete was one of the few airshows that were really good fun for both enthusiasts and Mr and Mrs Family, apart from the dogs, always a ridiculous situation allowing them in, I have 2 myself, but however brave my Jack Russell is, (and he has Rotties for breakfast), I wouldn’t dream of forcing the poor little sod to experience a B-1 wing back flyby.
I recall on an earlier thread by Moggy, that he was concerned, as the organisers carry on by almost Royal accesion, that the will to put the thing on would go out of the window.
C’mon chaps lets get on down and make this thing happen, book the Thunderbirds and Blue Angels for next May and start shipping in the Polish sausage, you know the public will respond.
There must be someone from the Hall tuned into this site, lets hear what they have to say, wer’e missing a great Anglo-American institution here and we need to get back to normality, stuff the terrorists, you’re letting them win, I’ll volunteer to search the cars and give suspicious looking people a good kicking.
I hope that your information has substance Moggy, as I’m cleaning my lenses in anticipation already.

Can’t find anything on the Radio Suffolk website, however rumour has it that headlining the first show will be the B-2 Spirit flying in formation with the Vulcan.
Can’t see us all qeuing to get in the one gate next to the old viewing area, especially if the Browning armed Hummer is in place, apart from that, the handbag search will be intolerable, no liquids!!!!!, no mobile phones, ( hooray ), no cameras or electrical equipment, ( Boo ), no-one allowed in with a dark skin and a beard, however it will be worth the 10 hour wait for the Polish sausage and a Bud for breakfast, or will it be tea, or even supper.
Can’t wait to show my allegiance to the flag.
Sorry to be so cynical, but none of these terrorist scum have stopped Waddington or Leuchars, so why is Mildenhall so special, aren’t we all in the same boat, the current climate seems to suggest that we are.

I remember being in Saffron Walden when HFL were still based at Audley End, and finished their first four Spitfires more-or-less together.

One Saturday all four seemed to be being airtested – it was wonderful watching them playing around Walden being put through their paces. Not to be seen again, sadly- well, not there anyway!

Adrian

My son was at Saffron Walden County High School during the last few years of HFL’s tenancy, for those who don’t know, the school is at the bottom of the hill at the end of the runway. He used to come home sometimes with tales of constant overflights, I think it put him off going to airshows as he was subject to them every day.
I was always a little dubious about air testing newly rebuilt vintage a/c over a school containing 1000 kids.
One Saturday I took my old man shopping at Saffron Walden and drove him up the little track to the airfield. We stopped at the barrier at the top to be confronted by 2 Spitfires ticking over right next to us, almost within reach.
There was a crowd of people on the airfield, including 2 old boys, one in a wheelchair, we learnt that they were Alex Henshaw and Jeffrey Quill plus a group of people in connection with a Canadian Squadron that had flown one of the Spits.
The 2 took of together and proceeded to fly a scintillating routine, I’m sure that one of the pilots was Mark Hannah.
It was capped by a low level pass over the school below us and a steep low level climb up the valley towards us that had everyone ducking.
That would have been summer 1992, and did I have a camera with me, nooooooooo, there’s not usually much to photograph at Walden Waitrose.