The Travels of Tel's Tin Tent.

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Thanks chaps, and yes Shinpachi my friend, I'm trying to make the most of it while I still can !

After a restful night at the familiar camp site at Fowlmere, next stop was Royston rail station, to pick-up my youngest daughter from the London train, and show her around Duxford.
Although she'd been to 'Flying Legends' with me back in 2014, she hadn't had the chance to look around the museums, and we'd been trying ever since to meet-up again to do so.
We had a very pleasant and amusing day together, before heading for the camp site for some food, and then getting a taxi to take her to catch her train later that evening.
The following day, I set off again on another slow journey across country, driving the 70 miles to Flixton, near Bungay in Suffolk, to visit the Norfolk and Suffolk Aviation Museum, and in particular, the 446th Bomb Group, 8th USAAF museum on the same site.


PIC 1. Josie and Dad in the TFC hangar at Duxford.
PIC 2. Having just been informed that she'd qualified for the 2nd Dan to her Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do, she just had to demonstrate a kick.Certainly a 'chip off the old block', as I used to practice the art too, in my younger years.
PICS 3 to 7. Some of the aircraft on display outside, some looking rather sad, with the Vickers Valletta, T-28, Puccara and MiG-15.

I'll post another selection from th museum some time tomorrow.


 
Thanks again chaps.

Here's a few more of the Norfolk and Suffolk Aviation Museum, featuring part of the 446th Bomb Group Museum, and some of the exhibits in the main hangar.
The 446th, 'The Bungay Buckaroos', were based on the nearby airfield just outside Flixton, which was known variously as Bungay, or Flixton, flying the B-24, with yellow fins and a black horizontal bar. The airfield, directly opposite the Museum, has now been returned to agriculture, although parts of the runways, peri track and dispersals can still be seen.
The Nissen hut for this museum was crammed full with various exhibits, mementos, uniforms, aircraft parts and engines all related to the 446th, and although very difficult to photograph due to the confined space, it was a really fascinating collection.
Likewise, the main hangar was jam-packed with aircraft, parts of aircraft and other exhibits - a somewhat untidy mess in parts, but as there was a large, cleared area at the front of the hangar, I got the impression that there had been a recent function, or dance, which might explain the cramped displays.

I'll let the pics tell the story, rather than numbering them this time, with the first couple showing the 446th BG Museum, and the rest the main exhibits in the hangar. The replica of the Colditz glider can be seen, which actually did get airborne, along with some rare Boulton Paul exhibits and, one which really surprised me, the red Taylor Titch, registered G-BABY, as this particular aircraft used to belong to a friend of mine, back in the 1980's.

I'll be back soon with the final stages of this particular 'Tin Tent Travel'.


 
Thanks again chaps.
Coming to the end of this particular tour, with a few more from the Norfolk and Suffolk Aviation Museum, and the superb campsite I stayed at on the Suffolk / Norfolk border, before finishing, in the next post with some shots of the nearby village.

PIC 1. The Memorial garden at the Museum, dedicated to the 8th USAAF and Bomber Command.
PIC 2. A general shot inside the Bomber Command Museum, with a Halifax MkIII fuselage section on the right. Again, this hut, a genuine WW2 Nissen hut salvaged from Stanstead, was crammed with loads of fascinating exhibits but, being so close together, many were difficult to photograph, although I managed to get some detail shots of various items for my files.
PICS 3 and 4. This mock-up of a Lancaster Wireless Op's position was built at Elstree Studios for the 1954 movie, 'The Dam Busters', and donated to the Museum by the Science Museum, in London. The Navigator's position was a later addition. Apologies for the reflections in the 'Perspex'.
PICS 5 to 8. Some views of the 'Tin Tent' at the superb campsite just outside the village of Scole, about 2 miles outside Diss, in Norfolk.
Although beautiful, being surrounded by trees, signal strength for Internet and 'phone was marginal, at best !

Next post will show the village of Scole, and a final shot taken near the end of my return journey.


 
The final post for this tour shows the charming village of Scole, just 300 meters from the campsite, with its two, 17th Century inns and thatched cottages.
I fell in love with this place, and I'd love to move there - more so as there was another great attraction living in the village that I just happened to meet and ............... but that's another story !
I'll be travelling around other parts of the country before what passes for a British summer ends, and I'll post more pics as and when I can.
I hope you've enjoyed this peek at parts of rural England, and I'd like to thank my wallet for the means to enjoy some freedom, and the 'Tin Tent' for reliably getting me around and providing a place to live !


PICS 1 and 2. 'The Crossways Inn', dating from the very early 1600's, in Scole.
PIC 3. Looking down the main street in the village, simply named 'The Street', with the village store on the left, and the 'Scole Inn' beyond it.
PICS 4 and 5. Dating from 1655, this is the impressive 'Scole Inn'. The village is located on the old road from Norwich and points north, to Ipswich and beyond, to the south, and this was originally a coaching inn for the more prosperous travelers of the day. The 'Crossways' would have probably catered for the less wealthy, once the Scole Inn was built.
PIC 6. Having missed a junction on the A14 due to being 'cut up' by a berk in a Merc, my return journey (departing, via Duxford again, at 15.00 hrs) took much longer than it should have done - another five hours driving, excluding stops. But it allowed me to capture this scene at a small lake not far from home. An hour later, hot and slightly b*ll*xed, I was in my local pub, having a cooling pint, with the 'Tin Tent' parked up at home !

A tour that should have lasted five or six days, ended up lasting nine (for a very good reason !), driving through nine Counties, and clocking up just short of 600 miles and, although tiring at times, I loved every minute of it, and can't wait to set out again on another 'Tin Tent Tour'.
Thanks once again for your interest and kind comments, and I'll be back soon with more underwhelming adventures !
 
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