Hallo,

I used to get them more or less regularly in the mid-sixties. I found a cover on the web, actually on Lecampe.fr which seems to be a French version of the big ‘E’.

brgds
Alan

According to my bits and pieces here:

c/n 38 was registered on 20.10.61 as G-ARTU having previously been XM797. Crashed at Old Warden 2.9.69 as XM797 (remains to Canada?)

c/n 39 ex XM819 also regd 20.10.61 as G-ARTV, sold 15.2.62 to Egon Evertz KG, Solingen as D-ELSA, restored 30.1.68, wfu 22.9.70, restored 12.2.73, Sold to the USA 2.77

I visited Stapleford on 3 June 1958 where I logged G-APLP (c/n 35), VH-TCA, plus three airframes c/n 41, 42 and 43 (later ‘PWX, PWZ and PXW resp). Also present were G-AOFU (c/n 20) and ‘OZO (c/n 29).

brgds
Alan

Planestory,

I can offer this shot of Workmaster G-APMJ. Why I was interested in it at the time (ca. 1960) I have no idea, but you are welcome to it. Drop me a pm and I’ll be happy to send you the original.

brgds
Alan

Interesting, that. I wonder what would have happened if you’d secured the book for £4.20 and then refused to pay more than £7.45 in total, saying that you’d report the matter to eBay if the seller refused to complete the transaction on those terms. Would eBay have supported the seller, saying that their quoted postal charge of £3.25 was only “recommendatory”, or ruled that the seller could not circumnavigate that, by quoting his own, higher postage charges, and required the seller to complete the transaction for a total of £7.45?

I am pretty certain that Ebay would honour the originally quoted postage cost even though in the case of doubt one should clarify with the seller before bidding. The seller shouldn’t get away with imposing his own (inflated) postage costs, if the ‘official’ note above shows less. Over here you wouldn’t get away with it, because Ebay prefers DHL, who partner the post office on parcel logistics.

I personally have some 120 books with Amazon, some aviation, which I find much less time-consuming and much more convenient. As long as your book in listed in their database you simply insert the ISBN number and they provide an illustration. Should the illustration of the cover or dustjacket be different to yours, you state it in your description. There seems to be no time-limit, and I choose my price (including their chunk, plus a small amount to cover the difference between what they pay you for postage and what you actually fork out). This precludes that you either sell your book at the end of the ‘other’ auction for 20P, or not at all, leaving you with costs for the insertion and costs for the re-insertion. Furthermore, I can increase or reduce my asking price whenever I want. I can check what the competition is asking and juggle my price accordingly. For example I have Jean Batten’s ‘Alone in the Sky’ for some astronomical amount, simply because she endorsed it, and I will enclose a photo I took of her doing so (when and where was that then…?!). A sale is received via email, upon which I go into my account to retrieve the address. I have to ship within 2 working days, which I seem to have managed to date.
If you need to make room quickly at whatever cost then A is not for you. I have four large stacks of books waiting for buyers, but strangely enough, the bookshelves are yet again full!

Hope this helps.
brgds
b_d
p.s. There’s also Abe Books for consideration , but I have no experience with them

Pretty cool recognition, Airart! Perhaps it was a Swedish/British inspection team, the Brits having turned up in the Anson…..:)

And, Frazer Nash, to have spotted the people on the hangar roof requires 8/8 sight, well done!

In fact, I’ve just been out to get new batteries for my magnifying glass, but that Anson still defies my weak attempts at recognition. I think what is misleading us is that what seems to be an elongated nose is in fact a bowser or somesuch behind it towards the hangar. It might even be a three-engined job, and I’m not even suggesting a Tante-Ju! For some niggling reason it seems to say to me, I’m French, and look like a Cessna Bobcat, and the two whiskers, vertical but not parallel, belong to something else behind me…

And while we are pondering it, here are two more pics but much more sober. I must have taken them in the 70’s when visiting my brother in Enfield. The legend on the Ford says ’85 (Southgate) Squadron Air Training Corps’. Did this one survive, looks too good to not have…

cheers
Alan

Tried to add the missing photos to my original but couldn’t. Hope this doesn’t spoil the thread! I may find and replace others gone missing…:(

[ATTACH]192475[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH]192476[/ATTACH]

Next attempt:
Played a bit and discovered some letters on the fuselage -PYE- – a possibility or a wrong track? Any ideas?

F-APYE was a Gourdou-Leseurre GL-32 well illustrated here:

http://www.sbhac.net/Republica/Colabora/Gourdou/Gourdou.htm

Nice try though.

brgds
Alan

“Enemy Coast Ahead” by Guy Gibson.

A rather disappointing edition (published by Crecy) with loads of typographical errors and even half a page blank at one point, but otherwise it’s a fascinating insight into life in Bomber Commmand and also the general attitudes of the time (I was amused by how Gibson emphasised pilots strict abstinance from alcohol before missions but was so blase about driving under the influence). There can’t be many such contemporary accounts written (so tragically) without the benefit of hindsight. I wish I’d read this book years ago!

I’ve not had one book from Crecy that hasn’t had glaring typos, duplicated text etc, suppose it saves paying a proof-reader!

I’ve just started ‘John Derry’ again – fascinating insight into postwar high-speed flight in the UK. I see my bookmark is a photo I took of the Montana Trophy John was awarded for a Vampire flight to Cannes. The trophy is mounted in front of the terminal at Mandelieu, on the lawn.
I’ve just done a scan…