A few days ago I peered through the fence at WL795 and was disappointed at the apparent lack of progress in dismantling the aircraft so it was very pleasing this week to see the video on facebook showing all four engines being removed. Well done one and all !

Suggestions that “the smaller museum” at Davidstow is closed are incorrect. The RAF Memorial Museum at Davidstow is open from 1030 daily, I rang them five minutes ago to confirm. Worth a visit and good value for money, I agree the Eden Project is a bit expensive but will be full of tourists today on a very wet morning here in Cornwall.

Oh my !! Views expressed here on the Eden Project are no doubt honestly held but it continues to attract big numbers of visitors and whenever I visit, folk seem to be happy to be there. When in Cornwall the RAF Memorial Museum at Davidstow, close to the A39 and north of Camelford, is well worth a visit. The Cornwall Aviation Heritage Museum at Newquay is not yet open but hopefully will be by the time you get down to Cornwall. Your missus might well like to visit the Lost Gardens of Heligan, hordes of people there when I visited last week

Virtually a month since twin Otter’s post on the subject of WL795. Little or no info here in Cornwall since on the way ahead at least as far as I can glean. If the old girl needs to be moved elsewhere to a new perhaps temporary home at St.Mawgan, summer is just around the corner and the clock is ticking. I saw a reference elsewhere the Shack was purchased for nearly £25000. Big bucks. Any news out there ? Possibly local enthusiasts are preoccupied with sorting out the situation which has arisen with various airframes left behind after Classic took themselves off back to Coventry .

I have little time or regard for Cornwall Council but Newquay Airfield is a major drain on their resources as last I heard the airport was making a loss exceeding three million pounds a year. 404 hangar is a prime asset and they need to pull in as much in rental income as they can, hopefully it will see useful aviation related activity again very soon

Sad day, especially for Cornish aviation enthusiasts and the many volunteers who have worked so hard to put together and tidy up the likes of the Varsity, Canberra, Hunter and Harrier. They perhaps sought to expand too quickly and the likes of the BAC 111 and VC10 surely ought not to have been flown in to Newquay if their future is so quickly likely to be in the balance. Classic often seemed somewhat chaotic to me, they had a constant turnover of staff and in the early days when publicity was vital, they seemed very slow off the mark.

A friend of mine visiting the Viewing Area cafe at Culdrose a few weeks after Classic opened at Newquay noted they had no leaflets on classic and he personally took a wad down there.

There was even talk at one stage of moving St.Mawgan’s Shackleton up to the Classic site, it’s future remains uncertain.

Taking over the big ex-Nimrod hangar was always a big commitment, I wish them well back at Coventry but it leaves a big hole here in Cornwall. any venture such as Classic needs to think Publicity Publicity Publicity !

Some interesting thoughts and comments here on the St. Mawgan Shack, and thanks especially to Rich for his insight in to the possible way forward.

Local TV this evening in Cornwall featured the aircraft and suggested there are moves afoot to raise fifty thousand pounds to purchase the aircraft but as far as I am aware, tenders have had to already be submitted for the aircraft plus the TV report seemed to suggest they have no specific home in mind for the aircraft. As a longterm member of the Cornish Aviation Society I recall the immense amount of effort and the equipment that was required to get the Shack down to its present home. Facilities at the slimmed down RAF St. Mawgan of today would surely not be available at the base to undertake the dismantling and moving of the aircraft plus the CAS members are mostly not in the first flush of youth these days.

I appreciate Classic Air force have considerable expertise but there are all manner of suggestions that they are moving from 404 hangar in to a much smaller area. If it comes to being relocated to somewhere on the Newquay airport site, don’t forget it is a large aircraft and would require a suitable sized area where it could be accessible to the public so it seems to be CAF or nothing. I am an annual member of CAF and find them well intentioned but frustrating at times but want them to remain here in Cornwall.

Sadly in the local area we have a highly efficient scrap merchant in the St.Austell area whilst at Newquay Airport Apple Aviation are also well placed for aircraft dismantling, let’s hope it does not come to this.