The Night Mail

[Dave Hunt]

I make my own burgers for a barby - minced steak, onion, salt & pepper, beaten egg (one egg per lb of steak) and that's all - lovely. Sausages we get from the local organic farm, our market fishmonger does some great king prawns and the chicken pieces from the market are excellent. I also accompany them with kebabs made from pieces of red pepper, courgette, onion, field mushroom and beef tomato.

 

Dave 

[Adam88]

Earlier this week I was visiting a firm near Banbury and so was in a good spot afterwards to make a little pilgrimage.  Why?  Well, after my father died my sister and I found a small water colour of a church and we guessed that he'd painted it while serving in the RAF during the war.  Knowing most of his postings I guessed Upper Heyford and so it proved.  The scene has hardly changed in nearly eighty years and I can imagine him cycling off base with a paintbox and settling down on a summer's evening to escape the noise and mayhem of a busy station.  He would have been perhaps twenty-three or four at the time.

 

As you can see, and would expect, little has changed after all those years.  The old leaning tombstones have gone and the door was locked so I couldn't peep inside.  The roof is now  all neat Welsh slate, Dad's picture implies warm, local stone tiles.  There is a little cemetery nearby with some forty or fifty RAF graves, almost all in their 20s and from the UK, Canada, NZ, SA, Southern Rhodesia, a couple of pre-war vintage and one commemorating two Americans who died in the 1990s when Upper Heyford was used by them.  There is also a cross commemorating the village's own sons killed in the two great wars.  The base is long closed and now suffering the depositing thereon of hundreds of soulless, cloned houses and other developments completely at odds with the character of the beautiful local villages.  

 

It was a very pleasant way to while away a summer's evening.

 

 

Edited September 3, 2022 by Adam88
reinsert lost photos

[Happy Hippo]

We left Reading at about 0945 and pulled off the M25 at J8 at 1125. Traffic was not too bad eastbound after we had passed the M3, but westbound it was solid all the way from the M23.  Not unusual for a Friday.

 

Entertainment at Headcorn apart from cake and alcohol was provided by the parachute club's LET jump aircraft, a  yellow Harvard and a Mk IX Spitfire. The latter pair giving air experience flights to the well heeled.

 

Since Nyda's friends live at the western end of the airfield, just under the point where arrivals turn from base to final, one gets a good view of various aircraft that are low and slow.  The Harvard and Spitfire turn in a lot later as they favour a curved 'fighter ' approach so the pilot can see around the nose.

[Florence Locomotive Works]

30 minutes ago, Happy Hippo said:

Harvard

Didn’t know Uni’s flew these days…

[J. S. Bach]

On 21/07/2021 at 17:38, Florence Locomotive Works said:

So far it’s the best fuel I’ve found for the engine, I personally haven’t tried it.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

If you ever do, just moisten your fingertip with a very, very tiny drop and then touch your tongue to it. That will swear you off of that tiger p!$$ forever!!!!

[J. S. Bach]

2 hours ago, Dave Hunt said:

Oh dear, do I detect an anti-barby movement? Personally I love 'em.

 

Dave

I was referring to the stuff they call barbecue (mainly the horrible-tasting "sauce") over here, not the equipment used. I do like most food cooked on the grill.

[PhilJ W]

No mention of the O word yet. How about making this thread an Olympic free zone.

[Oldddudders]

10 hours ago, Happy Hippo said:

We left Reading at about 0945 and pulled off the M25 at J8 at 1125. Traffic was not too bad eastbound after we had passed the M3, but westbound it was solid all the way from the M23.  Not unusual for a Friday.

 

Entertainment at Headcorn apart from cake and alcohol was provided by the parachute club's LET jump aircraft, a  yellow Harvard and a Mk IX Spitfire. The latter pair giving air experience flights to the well heeled.

 

Since Nyda's friends live at the western end of the airfield, just under the point where arrivals turn from base to final, one gets a good view of various aircraft that are low and slow.  The Harvard and Spitfire turn in a lot later as they favour a curved 'fighter ' approach so the pilot can see around the nose.

For our last 20 years in UK, which we left in 2004, we lived between Cranbrook and Goudhurst. A chap we used to see in the pub was an occasional flyer from Headcorn - or, as a former boss's now former wife called it, Deadcorn - and we heard a bit about the Tiger Moth set that had camped there. Evidently they had been thrown out of Redhill for bad behaviour - presumably in the air rather than the bar - and were now causing similar ripples in rural Kent. 

[Florence Locomotive Works]

Morning all,

 

I come to you at the moment from Denver Colorado airport, in a almost completely empty B concourse. Today was an early start, up at 4:00 am central time. We have an hour on the ground in Denver and then it’s off to Spokane. Here are some photos I took, the first showing dawn over Oklahoma, and the second showing the sun peaking through the clouds over Colorado. 
 

 

 

Douglas

[jamie92208]

8 minutes ago, Florence Locomotive Works said:

Morning all,

 

I come to you at the moment from Denver Colorado airport, in a almost completely empty B concourse. Today was an early start, up at 4:00 am central time. We have an hour on the ground in Denver and then it’s off to Spokane. Here are some photos I took, the first showing dawn over Oklahoma, and the second showing the sun peaking through the clouds over Colorado. 
 

 

 

Douglas

Looks lovely Douglas. Hope you have a good time up in the north west and look forward to some photos of thevold Milwaukee Road particularly any remnants of the electrication such as the substations.

 

Jamie

[Tony_S]

I have never been to Spokane. I think the nearest I have been was Calgary. 

[jamie92208]

21 minutes ago, Tony_S said:

I have never been to Spokane. I think the nearest I have been was Calgary. 

We spent a night there during our honeymon in 1979.  The same date the following year we were in a b&b in the Lake district with a squalling brat for company.

 

Jamie

[Compound2632]

1 hour ago, jamie92208 said:

We spent a night there during our honeymon in 1979.  The same date the following year we were in a b&b in the Lake district with a squalling brat for company.

 

Jamie

 

Your particular experience of Spokane, whilst clearly satisfactory in the short term (whatever its long term consequences), can hardly be taken as providing an objective assessment of the place for other potential visitors. 

[pH]

1 hour ago, Tony_S said:

I have never been to Spokane. 

Spokane airport was the first airport in the US I was ever in. We were flying Vancouver-Spokane-Denver (change planes)-Houston and they let us off the plane into the terminal during the Spokane stop. 
 

The Denver stop was extended, first by maintenance required on the incoming aircraft, then by an extended downpour. When we got to Houston, our luggage didn’t come off the plane. Eventually, staff directed us to cases lined up at the side of the baggage hall - somehow the baggage from our Vancouver-Denver flight had made it on to an earlier Denver-Houston flight than the passengers.

[Happy Hippo]

9 hours ago, PhilJ W said:

No mention of the O word yet. How about making this thread an Olympic free zone.

Yes, although you are allowed to mention Limp Pigs. 

[Happy Hippo]

 

I found this little bee at Sissinghurst this afternoon. A bit quieter in flight ght than the Spitfire or the Harvard ( North American AT-6 for Douglas). 

[J. S. Bach]

11 hours ago, PhilJ W said:

No mention of the O word yet. How about making this thread an Olympic free zone.

But. You just mentioned it!                                 

[bbishop]

Evening all,

I'm at Lord's tomorrow for a brace of Hundred matches.   My first time since August 2019 during which time they have built new Compton and Edrich stands.  For Douglas's benefit, this is a game called CRICKET.  Bill

[jamie92208]

3 hours ago, Compound2632 said:

 

Your particular experience of Spokane, whilst clearly satisfactory in the short term (whatever its long term consequences), can hardly be taken as providing an objective assessment of the place for other potential visitors. 

Yes but I found a good model shop whilst Beth went to a Laundrette. I bought a UP GP 38  and a UP boxcar. I also saw a Milwaukee road train crossing a bridge in town. Obviously a good place.

 

Jamie

[J. S. Bach]

My only experience in Spokane was on Amtrak's eastbound Empire Builder while the Portland section that I was on was combined with the Seattle section. I really do not remember much about the place as I never left the station.

Edited July 24, 2021 by J. S. Bach
To add some information.

[Dave Hunt]

32 minutes ago, bbishop said:

For Douglas's benefit, this is a game called CRICKET.  Bill

 

Cricket - a game Bill?? One of my flying instructors was an archetypal Yorkshire cricket afficionado and devotee of Freddie Truman and I once unwittingly referred to a contest between  Yorkshire and Lancashire cricket teams as a game. I was assured in no uncertain terms that it was far, far more important than that and should I be stupid enough ever to forget the fact, my chances of successfully completing the course were minimal. 

 

Dave

[jamie92208]

18 minutes ago, Dave Hunt said:

 

Cricket - a game Bill?? One of my flying instructors was an archetypal Yorkshire cricket afficionado and devotee of Freddie Truman and I once unwittingly referred to a contest between  Yorkshire and Lancashire cricket teams as a game. I was assured in no uncertain terms that it was far, far more important than that and should I be stupid enough ever to forget the fact, my chances of successfully completing the course were minimal. 

 

Dave

It's not known as The Roses Match for nothing. When the miscreants who dug up the pitch at Headingly got to Crown Court, the trial had to be moved to Birkenhead as they pleaded that a Yorkshire jury would be biased.  As an aside the PC on duty that night was forever known as Digger Booth.

 

Jamie

Edited July 24, 2021 by jamie92208

[polybear]

8 hours ago, jamie92208 said:

Yes but I found a good model shop whilst Beth went to a Laundrette. I bought a UP GP 38  and a UP boxcar. I also saw a Milwaukee road train crossing a bridge in town. Obviously a good place.

 

Jamie

 

8 hours ago, Dave Hunt said:

 

Cricket - a game Bill?? One of my flying instructors was an archetypal Yorkshire cricket afficionado and devotee of Freddie Truman and I once unwittingly referred to a contest between  Yorkshire and Lancashire cricket teams as a game. I was assured in no uncertain terms that it was far, far more important than that and should I be stupid enough ever to forget the fact, my chances of successfully completing the course were minimal. 

 

Dave

 

It's not a game - it's a war where one guy tries to take the head off another by bungin' a concrete-hard ball at him from close range.....

 

8 hours ago, jamie92208 said:

It's not known as The Roses Match for nothing. When the miscreants who dug up the pitch at Headingly got to Crown Court, the trial had to be moved to Birkenhead as they pleaded that a Yorkshire jury would be biased.  As an aside the PC on duty that night was forever known as Digger Booth.

 

Jamie

 

Found it:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/august/19/newsid_2534000/2534763.stm

It does seem that "G.Davies" was a wrong 'un after all, though I guess that there is the possibility that his spell in nick made him so.  However I doubt it somehow.....

[jamie92208]

2 hours ago, polybear said:

 

 

It's not a game - it's a war where one guy tries to take the head off another by bungin' a concrete-hard ball at him from close range.....

 

 

Found it:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/august/19/newsid_2534000/2534763.stm

It does seem that "G.Davies" was a wrong 'un after all, though I guess that there is the possibility that his spell in nick made him so.  However I doubt it somehow.....

Yes, George Davis is innocent........   the pre trial hearings all took place in Leeds and we had to provide security at the courtroom entrance. I remember one of the wives, who complained loudly that she wanted to be searched by the good looking young policeMAN and not by the policewoman.  

 

Anyway though Mr Davis was freed he next appeared on the front page of IIRC, the Daily Mail, holding a shotgun in his hands as he finished making a withdrawal at a building society.

 

Jamie

Edited July 25, 2021 by jamie92208

[Dave Hunt]

A chap I knew when we lived in Lincolnshire worked at Lincoln prison and he said that there wasn't a single inmate there who wasn't innocent of the crime for which they had been put  away. They'd admit to strings of other crimes, just not the one that led to their current incarceration. Apparently most of them were victims of being 'fitted up' by the police. For some strange reason he doubted the veracity of what they claimed.

 

Dave