 | Home > Off Topic > Old airfields |
 
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| Rashers Member Since: 21 Jun 2015 Location: Norfolk Posts: 3521   
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That is a staggering figure, blackwolf.
I will look that book up. Thank you. My Grandparents were married just before WW2. My Grandad was an Aglab (for those who haven’t done genealogy, that’s an agricultural labourer) so was in the Norfolk countryside around a lot of these Airfields as they were built. I wish I had taken more notice when I was a child (I was born about 25 years after the end of the war) so when I was little and carting around behind my Grandparents, these memories of what happened were still very vivid and they did talk a lot about what happened. My Grandad even knew where aggregate had been extracted for the construction of some of these airfields. Being a child, I didn’t listen. The bit I do remember is that it was a merry go round. Quarries near here supplied sites further afield and sites near here were supplied from a far! It only occurred to me a couple of years ago that the war and all its stories and horrors had been so fresh in their memories. As a kid it seemed like an eternity ago, but I think back to what I was doing 30 years ago and I realise how fresh it was to them. My Grandmother passed away when she was just over 90. She had an amazing life. She was born just before the First World War and always said her only regret was that two separate periods in her life she was held back and time was wasted due to Wars. I think we are very lucky to have lived in such reasonably peaceful times. |
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17th Jun 2020 9:50pm |
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| spudfan Member Since: 10 Sep 2007 Location: Co Donegal Posts: 4717 
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Here https://www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/SearchR...=200000169 1982 88" 2.25 diesel 1992 110 200tdi csw -Zikali 2008 110 2.4 tdci csw-Zulu 2011 110 2.4 tdci csw-Masai |
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17th Jun 2020 9:58pm |
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| Swine&Small Member Since: 20 Mar 2017 Location: Norfolk Posts: 1223
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Unfortunately I am old enough to remember some of these in East Anglia when they were still operational
A great site and of much interest. Thanks Spudfan 1983 Series 3 Pick up in Marine Blue 1967 Morris Traveller 1966 Morris Convertible 2012 VW T5 Camper Quod Abundat Non Obstat. |
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17th Jun 2020 10:12pm |
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| Pickles Member Since: 26 May 2013 Location: Melbourne Posts: 3786  
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Excellent comprehensive site, thanks for posting.
Pickles. |
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18th Jun 2020 12:01am |
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| Rashers Member Since: 21 Jun 2015 Location: Norfolk Posts: 3521
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Thanks spudfan  |
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18th Jun 2020 5:00am |
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| andydef90 Member Since: 09 Feb 2015 Location: yorkshire Posts: 617 
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snaith closest to me for ww2 just makes you think how close it was and what was happening
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18th Jun 2020 6:14am |
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| Huttopia Member Since: 23 Feb 2016 Location: West Midlands Posts: 1972
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Interesting site. No listings for Essex or Worcestershire. There were a lot of airfields in Essex, the closest to me was at Earls Colne and it is still in use for light aircraft today. As a youngster my grandfather took me up there to learn to drive. Not far from Earls Colne is Marks Hall, which was requisitioned as a base for the fighter and bomber crews (British and US) flying out of Earls Colne. Crew from here formed a part of Operation Varsity. At the end of the war the main house was left, the fitments were sold off and the house allowed to fall into disrepair. It was eventually demolished. The grounds are still crossed with concrete roads, and there are shelters and concrete structures in the woods. Before it was all tidied up we used to cycle up there and spend hours messing about. Now you have to pay, but it is worth a visit: https://www.markshall.org.uk/pages/category/history
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18th Jun 2020 8:33am |
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| rockster57 Member Since: 15 Nov 2014 Location: West Yorkshire Posts: 937 
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Very interesting post this
For anyone who uses facebook, there's a similar very active group worth looking at... "RAF Worldwide Airfield and Dispersed Sites". |
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18th Jun 2020 8:49am |
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| spudfan Member Since: 10 Sep 2007 Location: Co Donegal Posts: 4717
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Unfortunately nothing listed for Australia. Glad people found the site of interest. 1982 88" 2.25 diesel 1992 110 200tdi csw -Zikali 2008 110 2.4 tdci csw-Zulu 2011 110 2.4 tdci csw-Masai |
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18th Jun 2020 9:18am |
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| X4SKP Member Since: 29 Nov 2013 Location: Berkshire Posts: 2295 
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Thanks spudfan ... there goes the morning 
I grew up near Sandhurst and Blackbushe Airport a few miles away was our playground as kids... I learnt to drive there whilst still at school managing to negotiate the go cart track and then the taxi-ing lanes of the Airfield... It was a fantastic place to explore. Things progressively started to change... Bob Dylan played there in 1978 Blackbushe Sunday Market grew to become one of the largest in the south of England British Car Auctions made Blackbushe their base in 1984 Ron Howard used Blackbushe for the pit lane scenes in the film Rush 2013 (Lauda Vs Hunt 1976 F1 Season) The Bin Laden family crashed their aircraft at Blackbushe in 2015 the same year as the market closed. These airfields need to adapt to stay viable but I do remember those 'ghost years' with a smile. SKIP https://www.defender2.net/forum/topic83242.html |
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18th Jun 2020 9:27am |
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| Rashers Member Since: 21 Jun 2015 Location: Norfolk Posts: 3521
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Never thought of it like that, X4SKP.
Thinking about the ones I know well in my area, one is now Snetterton Racing Circuit (I don't think that is very unique - see Silverstone for details!). A couple of them have been turned into industrial areas, but the majority have been incorporated back into farms. When I was a kid, many people got their first taste of driving on a disused airfield. I can't think of any round my way where there is any public access (legal or illegal) to teach some one to drive on one. There was someone putting metal plane signs up round my way showing sites of WW1 airfields. There is one up the road from me between the villages of East Tuddenham and Mattishall. These were just grass strips (there was another at North Tuddenham not far from Swine and Small!). It's quite difficult to imagine these days as the areas have long been returned to agriculture. It was a nice idea, but I think UK Power Networks and OpenReach weren't very impressed, as these brackets and signs were bolted to their poles and they seem to have taken them down. |
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18th Jun 2020 11:29am |
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| X4SKP Member Since: 29 Nov 2013 Location: Berkshire Posts: 2295
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Hello Rashers
At 15-16 I spent a disproportionate amount of time in a shed on the far corner of Blackbushe Airfield with a Panel Beater and Sprayer who had his business there and taught me how to 'fix up' my first car. These were the days before H&S reshaped that trade and many of the 'black art skills' of restoration began to disappear... a fantastic 'apprenticeship' looking back, which I doubt would be possible now. SKIP https://www.defender2.net/forum/topic83242.html |
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18th Jun 2020 11:47am |
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| Rashers Member Since: 21 Jun 2015 Location: Norfolk Posts: 3521
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It’s off subject, but I know exactly what you are saying, Skip
I had an amazing apprenticeship in the 80s. The kind of training and skills which just doesn’t happen any more.. |
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18th Jun 2020 11:53am |
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| X4SKP Member Since: 29 Nov 2013 Location: Berkshire Posts: 2295
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OK half back on topic...
I did a full apprenticeship at The Royal Aircraft Establishment at Farnborough before heading to London and University then Art School (didn't get a proper job until my late 20's  )
The RAE which then (late 70s) saw itself only competing with Rolls Royce for offering world class engineering training. It has always seamed mad to me that this level of hands on vocational training / apprenticeships that deliver this fell away to a large degree and only recently appear to have become in-vogue again in the UK Skills Set. Working at the MOD and training on the edge of Farnboroughs Airfield for 5 years was in itself a fantastic window on the aviation sector, we sat as apprentices on the grass at each Air Show opposite the crowds, where the planes would likely crash if it all went wrong, so close to the jet fighters as they bottomed out after a dive that the grass would catch fire ... also come to think of it all pre H&S too SKIP
https://www.defender2.net/forum/topic83242.html |
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18th Jun 2020 1:10pm |
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