|
|
Post by PB on Feb 6, 2015 7:46:07 GMT
You're up early Graham...Morning to you too Sir!!
|
|
|
|
Post by PB on Feb 7, 2015 7:50:12 GMT
"Photo of the Day"
07/02/157th February.. the forum celebrates it's 'one week old today' birthday, while some of us need commiseration as today also marks another year passing!! Yes, it's yesterday's age, plus one. The philosophical view point has to be that it's better to be able to mark the years' passing than the alternative? Moving swiftly along to the old aerodrome. First point is to ask that you take a look at our Global Moderator's recent work in the Blackbushe wartime section. Interviews with RAF crews from the time, and records of the various squadrons based at RAF Hartford Bridge during the days of war. Some photographs have also been included to help us picture those heroic times. For today's 'Photo of the Day' I've chosen just one angle. To me, the photo below is one of the most evocative in terms of remembering Blackbushe Airport and the lingering images that the real Blackbushe Airport brings back.. It portrays a scene typical of any day of the week as large transport aircraft went about their business, while those at rest often resided almost within touching distance of the main A30 trunk road. There was a ditch that awaited the unwary along side the road, complete with very prickly gorse bushes, but the two miles of A30 that ran through the Airport provided an amazing view point from one end to to the other - providing the ditch and its prickly partners didn't get you!  Sitting on the end of the disused cross-runway, a Dan-Air York rests between missions, her wing tips almost reaching the Airport's outer limits - the kerb stones of the A30.. Today the spot is occupied by the new green 'temporary' hangars made of polysomethingorother, and although we will never see the likes of Dan-Air's York back there, we must celebrate the fact that aeroplanes still occupy this hallowed ground, and the noble spirit of Blackbushe still abounds her precious acres. Long may that be so.... Don't forget to take a look at Stuart's wartime update..  ..it gives fuel for thought. PB
|
|
|
|
Post by poswolf on Feb 7, 2015 14:08:45 GMT
Peter, it is good to know all stuarts scholarship will not be wasted by the site owner having a hissy fit, throwing his handbag out of his pram and scrapping the lot.as happened disgracefully to you. I see the silly fellow has started up again though without you; I cant imagine what you did to earn his wrath but I hope it hurt.
Why some of the old hands have bothered to rejoin him seems odd. Grahams site, also Kens, will surely be better. It would serve him right if he gave a party so to speak and nobody came
|
|
|
|
Post by PB on Feb 7, 2015 15:10:03 GMT
Good afternoon Poswolf, and good to hear from you it is.
To be honest I have not the slightest idea why anything to do with Blackbushe was given such poor 'customer service' by the forum upon which we met. Something set fire to his candle, and my work became extinguished. It hurt me for a short while, if only because many hours of my life were taken away and dumped. But, I'm a big boy and it takes a lot more than that to rattle my cage for long. Our former 'colleague' made his decision without word or consideration, I wish him well in his continued endeavors and trust he looks forward to the day we meet face to face.
We have the excellent forum established by Graham devoted to the world, and this one devoted purely to Blackbushe. I know Graham's "Aviation For All" forum is going to be a roaring success, it already is, and I hope in the fulness of time my creation will build up the following we enjoyed "previously" with 'Blackbushe Picture from the Past' while hosted elsewhere...
Today marks the beginning of my 69th year (OMG...) on planet Earth with a celebration bash this evening. For a few hours Blackbushe will not be getting my full attention, but all being well I'll surface tomorrow so as to release a few more ancient memories. It's my party tonight, and referring to the inference aimed elsewhere in your concluding sentence I will not have the problem of nobody arriving!! (I hope...)
Cheers Poswolf!!
PB
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Feb 7, 2015 21:25:11 GMT
Fantastic first week of the new Blackbushe Forum Peter. Superb pictures and writings that I have thoroughly enjoyed.
Happy birthday.
Pete
|
|
|
|
Post by PB on Feb 8, 2015 7:13:14 GMT
Pete from Pete
Thanks Pete, your appreciation goes a long way toward the second week's operations, the birthday greeting goes a long way toward the ******th year's continued activity!
Thank you Pete, stay tuned!!
Pete B
|
|
|
|
Post by PB on Feb 8, 2015 7:45:15 GMT
"Photo of the Day" 08/02/15 Here we are, bright and reasonably early as the celebrations sink into the history book. A great evening spent at the "Tally Ho" in Eversley. Introduced to this excellent venue by Stuart, Flyboy, before Christmas I can thoroughly recommend it for great food and great service.. Talking of history books and Stuart, hopefully you will have seen his superb additions to our forum in terms of squadrons based at RAF Hartford Bridge during WW2, plus the extraordinary, and moving, first hand accounts of life - and death - as it was seen by aircrews who operated from 'our' airfield during the last global conflict. Stuart's work may be found in the forum section devoted to the wartime days. Talking of history, the Tally Ho, and Stuart.... During our pre Christmas lunch Stuart handed me some colour negatives of a Mosquito he photographed while taxiing at Blackbushe. These have now been processed and are laid out below. The Mosquito in question is that of Doug Arnold taken during the days of his tenure of Blackbushe and when restored warbirds were a regular sight on the airfield. How symbolic must they be of days long past when such a sight was nothing out of the ordinary at RAF Hartford Bridge - Blackbushe Airport. Except, there would have been an awful lot more than one lonesome Mossie!!        What can you add to the passing of such perfection? Not a lot, except the sound track would have been nice as two Merlins grumble past you, leaving you reeling in admiration for DH in producing such beautiful aggression, RR for producing something that could sound so good and kick so hard, and the many who performed some of the last war's most daring feats in the 'Wooden Wonder'. Looking at Stuart's photographs, you cannot help but think back to the 'forties' when so many were based here, their sound and shape being the sound and shape that was a large part of Hartford Bridge's daily diet. You know, right from the early days of the sixties when I first wandered the newly deserted runways of Blackbushe/Hartford Bridge I could not help but wonder at the sights and sounds that occupied these empty acres during the war. That so many crews made their last contact with England from where I was standing. How would I have felt? How did they feel? Stuart's columns elsewhere in the forum help with some understanding. But, what I would have given to just once stand and watch and listen as the many home based Mosquitoes/Bostons/Mitchells etc etc echoed their song through the surrounding pine forests whilst going about their deadly business. I still stand and stare, and think, and try to imagine...but it's difficult. We've had a taste of WW2 flying thanks to Warbirds of Great Britain, they too are now history, but we still have the runways, memories, and our imagination.  Take a look at what lies behind this link, the day of the Mosquito may not yet be done in our British skies.. www.peoplesmosquito.org.uk/Have a peaceful Sunday.. PB |
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Feb 8, 2015 7:50:33 GMT
I see that a group is planning to renovate and fly a Mossie so, one day, it may grace the skies over Blackbushe..
|
|
|
|
Post by PB on Feb 8, 2015 7:54:03 GMT
|
|
|
|
Post by grahamdevizes on Feb 8, 2015 9:05:28 GMT
Morning Peter, I can only assume that the as was continued "roaring success" of the Blackbushe thread on the old place was just too much for the forum owner to bear. It was HIS forum, run in HIS totalitarian way and I'm sure any half decent psychologist would pinpoint the reason for the vandalism performed two and a half weeks ago was because he ( the owner) was not the "top dog" on his own site and that was a situation he simply couldn't take on board or accept. People came to the forum to read your and Stuart's daily Blackbushe stories and to view the photographs, it was the highlight of the forum and any forum "owner" or whatever we might call them who was unhappy with your success must be plain daft. I can't imagine that anyone wouldn't be less than delighted to have your daily Blackbushe stories as centre-piece on their forums.
|
|
