Yep, thread went dormant as had nowt to report – I had been visiting the site about once a week and my contact had promised to ring me when someone connected turned up. This he did yesterday lunchtime. His opinion a while back was that when they start to demolish a start would be made at the other end of the site. I now understand from him that it has a temporary reprieve (perhaps due to the economic situation) – in fact he is to rent a smaller adjoining building for a while.

Only had a short time to look inside and didn’t see any sign of any manufacturer’s plates. Yes, the roof structure (trusses) looks very different to a Bessoneau or at least the only plan I have seen of one.

Have e-mailed Stow Marie curator who had wished to be kept informed. I’ve not been able to post photos (yet) on Airfield Info… Forum – although one member there reckoned “it” had been sold to a museum in New Zealand!!! Trying to find out more.

Roger Smith.

Well I went – the fact I could go in on the concessionary rate was the decider 😉

Thanks for all the suggestions but, to sum up in one word, it was disappointing.

Here’s my question (I had written down in advance)
“Mr. Benn, As a government Minister you were often credited with being an advocate of the Anglo-French Concorde – playing a part in seeing the project through to fruition.
However some years earlier – in 1965 – you were a member of Harold Wilson’s Government that many believe delivered a mortal blow to Britain’s aircraft industry with the cancellation of the TSR.2, the P.1154 and AW.681.
The latter is very relevant to Coventry as many local people lost their jobs in the resulting closures of Hawker Siddeley’s Baginton and Whitley factories.
My question is – what part did you play in that decision, did you agree with it and, if not, how hard did you fight against it?”

The sound system at the venue was awful – I, and I’m sure other people, had difficulty hearing him and he couldn’t hear the questions put to him 😡

A woman went and sat next to him on stage to tell him what the questions were (or her interpretation of them) and, even though I took my written question to her, it still didn’t work and I didn’t get an answer to what I had asked!

It wasn’t AWB being evasive just an unfortunate/regrettable combination of poor hearing and poor sound.

I might look for an e-mail address for him and send my question – if I do and get an answer I’ll post it.

Roger Smith.