Steve
Thanks for that.

As I said, he was a grumpy old git but we used to have long and interesting discussions, and arguments.

Most of the others in the local at the time I go in seem to have nominated me as replacement curmudgeon. Not sure I’m very pleased about that, but I couldn’t be a patch on Dougie anyway.

Mark
I would guess it was pre ’67. I think I’ve probably got a pic somewhere, taken with my first camera, but since I don’t know where any of my old pics are I can’t look.
I went round the collection at Hendon with my Dad, while they were collecting everything that might be useful. I’m confident it was before that, but no other real idea of date.
G-AVAV looks like it’s got a MkXI oil tank, or is it my eyes?

Thinking back in the dim recesses of my memory, I saw a Spitfire trainer at Elstree, mid-sixties I think. Memory again, although I might have seen a published pic that confused me, says it was G-AIDN. Was that the MkVIII? Was it at Elstree? What is the meaning of life?

I know it’s 42, before anybody tells me.

Ashley, wasn’t it the RL at Hinxton that wouldn’t let us in?

Originally posted by dhfan
Not me personally, but a chap in my local was in Singapore from 1952 ish to 55. (Couldn’t be me, I was born in ’52)
I can never remember which airfield or squadron he was on but he was an engine fitter, mainly on Mossies, Hornets, Vampires and Venoms.
All proper aeroplanes!

Dougie Slack died on New Years Eve.
The funeral was yesterday.

Cantankerous old b*****.

I miss him.

Originally posted by David Burke
David – I take it you have seen the Aeroplane Monthly article from the early 1970’s which described the type and the search for the Canadian remains. The author was successful in finding the windscreen only during his search so other parts might well be around .

This was mentioned in another Hornet thread recently. I think I remember a second visit turned up the wing centre section.

To a catering expert, which I’m not, I assume it’s not that difficult to balance quality and cost to supply good meals at an acceptable price. This also assumes that the catering operation hasn’t been sub-let, or told by the bean-counters to make huge profits.

It is equally easy for the bean-counters to destroy goodwill. The NAAFI at YAM was excellent. The tea was poured from large pots by an old biddy. The last few times I’ve been, the old biddy was a tea and coffee machine. The machine was still behind the counter and staffed so I really don’t understand the reasoning. I don’t know about the coffee as I rarely drink it but surely everybody knows that machine-tea is bordering on the poisonous, and certanly doesn’t resemble real tea. It may seem a minor point but it colours the entire visit to the museum.