Bently priory

[Fuzeman]

Bentley priory in Stanmore North london was home to Bomber command during the last war , in 2008 the RAF moved out and a tender was put out to sell this historic site, it was proposed to build a Bomber command museum , plus housing on the site, which was opposed by Stanmore residents.
Today we have heard that with the collapse of the housing market, Bentley Priory is again up for sale.There is renewed hope that a museum will now be built.

 

[navyman]

Hello fuzeman,
Let's hope the museum project goes ahead, too many of our wartime heritage sites are being destroyed. I think they should at the very least, have important pieces saved for future generations and an on site museum is a good way of achieving it. In my mind this applies to all , (within reason), establishments whether they be Army, Navy, or RAF. We shouldn't be unable to educate the next generation about what, and why, our forbears, (service and civilians), fought for?
I'm biased as I would like to see the mast at the former HMS Ganges site at Shotley, Suffolk, preserved having trained there myself. They have a museum on the site which is run by a few dedicated ex Ganges men, I have nothing but praise for them.
I'm sad to see so many of our historic sites over the whole country being destroyed, only to be replaced with 'legoland' type developments which all look similar whichever part of the land we live in.
Well, I think I've had my tuppence worth, hope I've not upset any developers who I'm sure will tell me that they are 'doing their bit' by saving the odd frontage or two with offices and apartments built behind them?
All best,
Grumpy old navyman.

 

[Fuzeman]

Hi Grumpy old Navyman
I totally agree the problem is this government is destroying our heritage sites , being sold off to land developers with no regards to the feelings of people like ourselfs , in the past 10 years we have lost the GEC site at Wembley , that produced the prototype Radar , that helped win the war, thats now a housing estate, RAF Uxbridge closes on march 30th that could end up a building site too, although the ops room is being preserved, the Americans lost a site in Eastcote now a housing estate, RAF Stanmore is a housing estate too , just too many are being destroyed .
And even the Germans are loosing out A G mine was found in Weymouth bay yesterday , thats being dispached to Dayy jones locker , sometime today!

 

[navyman]

Hello Steve,
It's worrying that so many historic places are being lost with no thought for the future.
It would be good to hear views from servicemen and women, in active service or retired, and from the people who think the selling off of these places is a good idea?
Hope we get a few replies!
All best,
Guy.

 

[AMMOTECHXT]

I agree with you both. Gordon Brown stole our country's savings and has borrowed a generation's worth of debt that our children will still be repaying in 20 years from now. At the same time, as Chancellor of the Exchequer and more recently as PM, he has starved our MOD of the funding and kit needed to successfully fight the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The men and women on whom it falls to carry out our government's foreign policy are all volunteers and Gordo owes it to them to give them enough of the best kit to get the job done with minimal losses. He has purposely failed to do that. I imagine that Argentina watches Gordo with keen interest.
Anyway, back to the thread - Northeast of Cambridge is a National Trust place known as Anglesey Abbey. Nice old house and grounds AND a small WW2 museum, not much but still of interest. In the Gosberton Clough/Gosberton Risegate area of South Lincolnshire is `Brian's Trading Post' incorporating the `South Lincs Military Museum'. The owner is well meaning but the accommodation for the museum is mediocre. He has tried to get funding but has not been very successful. The museum includes a repro WW1 trench dugout, some uniforms and some pieces of ammo, including WW2 3 inch mortars fitted with No 221B fuzes. Outwardly the place is beside a narrow country road and looks more like a junkyard. He originally was selling ex MOD kit (ammo boxes and household items) and there is still some there, including wooden RAF boxes.

 

[AMMOTECHXT]

Sorry about the rant, Folks, but `efficiency savings' always means cuts, as do `restructuring', `centralising', `rationalisation' and `modernising'. I am not a political animal and hold no political party in any higher esteem than any other - they're all as self serving and mendacious as the next politician and unfortunately we have no choice at election time. Extremist parties from either side would be worse. The Defence budget in 1979 stood at about 23 billion. I was amazed to see, about 30 years later, that for 2008(?) it was still about 23 billion. Yes we've had low inflation rates for maybe the last ten years (as Gordo tried to engineer us into joining the EU) but as a general average, prices double about every ten years. OK so we no longer have a Cold War to fund but we still need plenty of up to date kit and well motivated people to respond to the next `unforeseen' event.

 

[navyman]

Hello,
Talking of inadequate kit, I was speaking with my chiropodist recently and she, knowing that I'm an ex serviceman, told me about her sons experience. He is on active service in the desert, and being a well built chap, was issued with size 11 boots of poor quality, he takes size 12, even worse, issued with body armour which was far too small for him! She has been to our local military dealer and bought her son correct size boots of decent quality and body armour to fit among other pieces of kit and this stuff is not cheap. She told me that she thought it a disgrace that her son, a volunteer of course, should be treated like this and that other mothers of servicemen had similar stories.
I don't see any of our crooked, overpaid, polititians wearing poorly fitting clothing?
Regards,
navyman, (disgusted)!