Pete TrumanOld Warden 😮
With a touch and go perhaps, then on to Leg-ends followed by an air to air photography session over Lincoln cathedral with the BBMF Lancaster.
Long term, a display over Port Stanley, a flypast over Buenos Aries, followed by a low level run along the Brazilian coast.
Oh, and definately the Queens Birthday flypast escorted by Jaguars.
Pete TrumanWell, no-one has picked up on this, but I was dozing through BBC Look East a week or so ago and they anounced that the airfield was to be retained by the MoD and transferred over to the army, or had I had too many glasses of vino, but I’m pretty certain that’s what they said.
Incidentally does anyone know whats happening on the last day of ops which is March 31st I believe, will it be a good show like last year, I want to stand at the end of the runway and feel the Jags move the earth one last time.
Pete Truman‘Shipwreck Ark Royal’
Stunning shots of the wreck recently discovered in the Mediterranean.
Swordfish wrecks on the seabed.
Interviews with surviving crew, including pilots.
Mark
I just noticed that in the Radio Times, looks impressive, hope I don’t forget to watch it.
Is the ship classed as a war grave? I know that it took a long time to sink, I think they tried to keep it afloat by tying a destroyer alongside. Only one man was killed, by the initial torpedo blast I think, as they had alot of time to get everyone off, maybe they recovered his body. It must have been the lowest death toll on a sunken capital ship during the whole war.
The Swordfish remains could be interesting, they must have slid off the deck when it sank, could be some recoverable bits there.
I will be interested to see whether it remains upright, If I had won the Euro Lottery last week I would have had it raised, there must be some interesting a/c below decks, anyone have an inventory of what was aboard at the time.
After the deep and difficult discoveries of the Titanic and Bismark, I’m surprised it took so long to find, after all it was one of the Navies most famous ships.
Pete TrumanAha, the blister hangar is in Lowes old coal yard on the site of the old Thaxted station.
Many years ago when I worked for RCA structural engineers, we used to do a lot of work for Mr Lowe.
He wanted to reclad the blister hangar frame to park the coal lorries in overnight.
Our engineers tried to make the calculations work, but couldn’t, the load tables had drastically changed since the 1940’s, anyone now trying to reclad a blister hangar in new materials will have a bit of trouble proving it will work, though we all know that it obviously will.
So presumably the skeletal frame is still up there, where abouts on the airfield were these located.
Incidentally your dad wasn’t in the garden today when I drove past, do you have a blue Clio, I saw one parked outside the bungalow over Xmas.
Don’t worry, I won’t gazump your E-bay ambitions, but any photo info from that would be appreciated.
Pete TrumanIn the spirit of ‘political correctness’ I wish to point out that my talk of a slow and painful death, as far as I am concerned, refers to all religious, murderous, trouble making, biggoted, zealots whether they are Protestant, Catholic, Muslim, Jewish, Sikh, Hindu or any other nomination that exists. Isn’t religion supposed to preach peace amongst mankind, as far as I’m concerned religion has caused more conflicts than any other reason going, after all, it does cross over into political issues as well, therefore you can stuff it, I was spoon fed religion when I was a kid, and it’s never done me, or anyone I know, any favours, quite the reverse in fact, I nearly walked out of my fathers funeral service last year due to the appalling rubbish that was spoken by the ‘preacher’, I only stayed because I had an image of the old man laughing his socks off at the ambiguity of it all.
Pete TrumanIn the spirit of ‘political correctness’ I wish to point out that my talk of a slow and painful death, as far as I am concerned, refers to all religious, murderous, trouble making, biggoted, zealots whether they are Protestant, Catholic, Muslim, Jewish, Sikh, Hindu or any other nomination that exists. Isn’t religion supposed to preach peace amongst mankind, as far as I’m concerned religion has caused more conflicts than any other reason going, after all, it does cross over into political issues as well, therefore you can stuff it, I was spoon fed religion when I was a kid, and it’s never done me, or anyone I know, any favours, quite the reverse in fact, I nearly walked out of my fathers funeral service last year due to the appalling rubbish that was spoken by the ‘preacher’, I only stayed because I had an image of the old man laughing his socks off at the ambiguity of it all.
Pete TrumanA bit of bad timing really with people defending free speech and all,abu hamza should have been picked up a long time ago for his public addresses so should that bmp toss-pot.People like these insult the right to free speech and should be picked up as soon as they start to stur up racial hatred.
If you had watched some of the news programmes last night you would have been aware that he was being kept on a long piece of string.
Personally I think he should be given a slow, painful death, but then he would be treated as a martyr wouldn’t he.
There are many decent Muslims in this world, despite what the media would have us believe.
What a sad world we live in, what’s the point of it all, why can’t we all just get on with life and enjoy what we are and accept our differences.
Pete TrumanA bit of bad timing really with people defending free speech and all,abu hamza should have been picked up a long time ago for his public addresses so should that bmp toss-pot.People like these insult the right to free speech and should be picked up as soon as they start to stur up racial hatred.
If you had watched some of the news programmes last night you would have been aware that he was being kept on a long piece of string.
Personally I think he should be given a slow, painful death, but then he would be treated as a martyr wouldn’t he.
There are many decent Muslims in this world, despite what the media would have us believe.
What a sad world we live in, what’s the point of it all, why can’t we all just get on with life and enjoy what we are and accept our differences.
Pete TrumanJust to inform you that after a few more downers, including a blocked pipe, my son was sent home to his mothers yesterday, it’s a bit quiter there, no dogs and I’ve just had my central heating boiler in bits as it’s not been happy, but he’s coming over here in a few days.
I gather that he has been making up for the state of the hospital food, but I saw him last night and you wouldn’t believe that he had been so seriously ill, it’s his mum and I that are the emotionally damaged one’s, we’re knackered.
In case anyone has any kids or relatives at Derby Hall, Nottingham University, the powers that be have jumped into action and issued everyone on three floors of the hall with preventative tablets, unfortunately! my son is very popular and everyone had been partying in his room for a few days before the illness. The prof suspects that he had a bad virus that mutated into meningitis after a few days, otherwise he would have been dead in a couple of days without treatment, harrowing thought, I think he is a lucky lad, and I’m a lucky dad.
Thanks for the offer of the trip round the museum, but as I said previously, his only interest in aviation is the drinks trolley on Easy Jet, shame, considering some of the stunning airshows that I’ve taken him to, but that’s modern youth for you, Ollie must be an exception.
Thanks again for your support chaps.
Pete.
Pete TrumanI saw an old Flypast article the other day about an RAF Kittyhawk that flew under a bridge and lost the outer 3ft of its left wing, and again, made it home. A member of the public handed the wing wreckage in to the nearby (Spitfire) base. Don’t have the reference sadly, and the mag (not mine) has disappeared.
Spitfire Bridge was east of the old Winchester bypass, a quite attractive concrete arch I recall. There was a lot of controversy when it was demolished a few years ago to make way for the M3, along with some ancient burial sites and a hill fort I believe.
Pete TrumanJust an update to tell you that my son is out of danger and doing well. On Tuesday they took him to surgery and inserted a tube into his arm that pumps anti-biotics straight into his heart. I gather that he will remain in his special room for another 10 days then come home. He was very perky yesterday and is now able to get out of bed, all he was interested in was trying to stay awake to watch match of the day.
There’s a good view of Duxford from his window, I told him that it’s a pity he wasn’t ill during a display, we would have had an interesting view.
Thanks for all your concerns.
Pete.
Pete TrumanNice piccies, I’m very envious that I couldn’t be there.
For an update my son appears to be making a good recovery, but he’s not out of danger yet, the most frightening bit was when they got a meningitus specialist out of bed at 3:00 on saturday morning to look at him, you know that there’s big trouble then.
Apparently he was very close to the end, fortunately this team at Addenbrookes sussed it out very quickly and pumped him full of stuff that saved his life.
He is still in the special ward on the top floor but being looked after by this proffesor who I’ve learnt is the second in command of the whole hospital, he really knows his stuff.
I think he will be ok, his only problem at the moment is that it has affected his eyesight and no-one can say whether this will recover.
One doctor went mental about the 2 doctors who previously examined him, the one at Notty Uni and the one in our village, his words were that they should be shot, I gather that they are in big trouble for not seeing the signs.
Am so knackered myself, have not slept or eaten much for the last few days, thanks for your concerns.
Pete.
Pete TrumanHere’s a couple of piccies taken from the Lanc at North Weald
Fabulous piccies, did you take them? I had an idea that Ray Hanna was flying Black 6 that day, I do recall them flying a fast, close, low level display that day, I to have it all on video somewhere.
Was the other wing of the Lancaster host to 2 Spitfires or 1 Spit and a Hurri, I can’t remember.
At one point the 2 BF-109’s were used for a quite impressive strafing routine for a TV programme involving Martin Clunes as a nutty Group Captain, it was about the initial suspicious alliance between the USAAF and the RAF, a very funny black comedy, anyone remember this, it also starred Sally B and I think MH434, I don’t recall it being mentioned on this forum before.
I recall going to Duxford and seeing the 2 Messerschmitts being painted up in temporary colour schemes for the programm, can anyone comment on this.
Pete TrumanJust an update, my ex has just roared up to Notty and picked him up, she’s quite worried about his condition but is stuck in a jam on the A14 so I’ve arranged an emergency appointment at our health centre.
Moral of the story, whatever the circumstances, always stay pals with your ex when kids are involved, otherwise situations like this would be impossible to deal with, I shall try and get the doctor to reccomend a viewing of a Mosquito as essential treatment.
Pete TrumanIf the burgers are as good as the one’s used to be at Mildenhall, I will buy it, whatever the cost.
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