my experience is this, i managed to support my family of three and a mortguage of £750pm on 24K pa (on top, and after overtime). tightening your belt may work but you dont say how much you will be left with after the drop. being in your position i would think seriously about getting the ratings and trying for a flying job, down under if need be. or as mentioned above, down grading in the property market. at 33 you are not too old to make a change. i went back to college at 33 and gained my city and guilds level 1 2 and 3 in motor vehicle repair and re-finishing. i also know how fikkle the printing industry can be. having been laid off from two printing industry companies. fine are graphics (just after christmas,) and selective printing (who restore and repair Hiedelberg printing machenery). don’t look on this as a problem, just as an opertunity for a change for the better.

all the best in whatever you decide.

Greg

sorry i can’t help you with the real/fake issue but Doncaster was indeed the site of Britains first ‘airshow’ held near what is now the racecourse. i’ll see what else i can trawl up on this. pity i didn’t notice this thread earlier. i have just got back from Aeroventure at Doncaster. i have a book by a Geoffrey Howse titled Britain in old photographs, Doncaster (one of a series of books. in it is a picture of Samuel Cody flying in what could be a very early Curtiss pusher (though i stand to be corrected on that. pre WW1 aircraft isn’t a strong point of mine)
hope this helps (btw, are there any autographs on this relic?. if so they may give it provenence. anyway, this is a great find and if genuine it is a fairly historic and probably unique relic.

the only aviation finds at car boot sales i have found (and bought) are an old corgi Avro york with no props and damaged paint (50p) and an Airfix Jet Provost T3 (12p)

all the best.

Greg

mine?. well, one summer i got a temp job in a tannery, there was six of us sorting the cow hides fresh from the slaughterhouse just down the road. the hides, sometimes still warm from the backs of the ows were covered in fleas, flies, shiz and god knows what else. of the six that started on the monday there was only me left on thursday, i stuck it for the whole two month contract. i was well paid but well smelly. ugh!!!

all the best