The clip thing looks like the clip used to hold a No4 rifle in a military vehicle. If it is then aluminium would suggest a Land Rover or similar

Wonderful place, did you ever go in there? Bill Parker who owned it was seen by some as difficult to get on with but I never had any problems, thought he was really nice. Maybe it depended on how he was approached

Three sheds in Benfleet and some in the north stuffed to the rafters with what is called “unobtanium” by some.

Mainly instrument and electrical related items as I recall although the northern sheds may have had airframe parts. Some dated back to around 1914. I do remember a six foot high pile of Mosquito instrument panels and a tea chest full of Spitfire Undercarriage indicators. Also a shelf full of wing mounted generators. Prices were based on airworthy spares, not collector’s values so some items were incredibly cheap and some were incredibly dear. Bill did supply the BBMF, and most other organisations that flew older aircraft. One unexpected customer was the RAF. When the Falklands war kicked off they came to him for all the “mickey mouse” (WW2 IFF) timers he had for fitting in the Vulcans, never told him why.

Eventuilly Bill passed away and his widow put the whole operation up for sale. The value she placed on it was far in excess of the real value and there were no takers so she called in a firm to grind it all down and the resulting grit was to be used in motorway construction. The process was well under way when Guy Black came to an arrangement with the widow. No idea what was left, less than half, but he bought the remainder and advertised at least some of under the Aircraft spares and material banner from the Benfleet site.

I can’t find the current status of the comapny, it’s still listed in directories but this is no guide. Airsam may be the origin of Aerovintage Spares but that’s speculation not an assertion.

I work high up in the big pointy tower at Canary Wharf. I was hoping to see lots of air traffic over the Olympic fortnight but there’s been less than usual, just the odd Lynx.

On the river it’s a different story with the Hereford Gun club and their maritime colleagues tanking up and down the river in RIBS and the odd landing craft thing

I’m paying extra coucil tax, my favourite 2000 year old park has been dug up, my travel to work has been disrupted and is crowded, I can’t take my bike on a train at weekends to get out into the country.

The only thing I have to like about the Olympics is Murray winning the tennis. I’m not a sports fan, I’m built for comfort not speed and agility, but so many people said a Briton could never beat Jokowotsit and Federer.

Done it Told you it was wet

He was right not to go on Sunday, it widdled down.

Only the Lancaster displayed too.

If I can find out how to reduce my photos to less than 300kb I’ll put some on.

Sort of correct in this thread.

Many(!) years ago when I was working in Post Office Telecommunications, we had an engineer working with us who lived in Scotland at the time in question. He mentioned that as ATC cadets they used to scrounge air experience flights on Catalinas, don’t know where from. Turns out a couple were killed on flights that were diverted to do something with SOE in Norway. If it’s true it certainly won’t be in ORBs or anywhere else public. I’ve no reason to doubt him, lots of other stuff he, and my then boss of a similar vintage, said have since been shown to be true.

Not yet, still in the planning and feasibility stage. If it comes off success will be measured by the column inches on the forum rather than trophies.