Lazy local bimble...

[Bixxer Bob]

After checking the weather forecast last night for the next few days I was determined to get out for a couple of hours today.  So as I kitted up this morning, the temperature was a balmy (for October) 16.5 deg.



I set off with no particular plan in mind, but maybe ride a couple of my favourite roads.  Often on rides like this I set a rough destination on my satnav and select shortest route and just see where it takes me.  

Soon, I was riding along a quiet country lane (well, quiet apart from the Blueflame anyway  :oops: ) wishing I had some inspiration like Hemibee's Texas Courthouse trip when that inspiration came to me in the form of a road sign:



It dawned on me that East Anglia has the largest concentration of World War 2 airfields in the world.  I pulled in where indicated and found this:





The memorial stands on the only remaining piece of tarmac left of the original runway.









In the background you can see one of the few remaining hangars:



Next I rode on through Polebrook village which is made up typically of small cute cottages:



Then working from memory, next on the list was  Deenethorpe:



 

It was then time for a coffee stop so I popped into Corby McD's before heading south to Little Staughton:





I have a tenuous link with Little Staughton.  A good friend of our family is Padre Les Hood.  Padre Hood was a navigator on a prestigious Pathfinder Squadron during the war.  For those that don't know, only the top two from each course of navigators was eligble for selection by the Pathfinder Squadrons as their bombing had to be extremely accurate to mark the target for the following waves of attacking aircraft.  He used to fly from Little Staughton in Lancasters until he was shot down over France and recovered to the UK by the Resistance.  Sadly, three of the crew didn't survive; so Les still visits the French village to meet his Resistance friends every summer and to visit the graves of his fallen friends. That fateful sortie is recorded here; scroll down to 28/29 June 1944:

http://www.roll-of-honour.com/Bedfordsh ... rance.html

Or you can just read it here:



Nearby is RAF Wyton, home of the of the Pathfinder Force where I served three tours.  Wyton has a very good Pathfinder Museum and it was my honour to host Padre Hood on a visit before I retired.  Although in his 80's he still conducts the Memorial Service at the Cenotaph in his home town of Seaham Harbour every November.  

Next I headed north and passed by an American base still in use:



I didn't take any pics of the actual base because they are funny about that in a non-humourous sort of way. :?

I was feeling hungry now and thought about turning for home but made a slight detour to take in one other memorial near Glatton:









Finally,  on the way home, I passed this wildlife park which is only four miles away:



  It has TIGERS!!



Bacon butties await..... :lol:

[rf9rider]

Good shots Bob,i know all the sites as i`m a local.
I`ll be in the Admiral Wells next Saturday, as i know you know they have a lot of photos up showing Glatton/Conington airfield.

http://news.webshots.com/album/569521698oBBOxE

http://www.wartimememories.co.uk/airfields/glatton.html

[Bixxer Bob]

What's on at the Admiral?  I've got previous at the Admiral  :oops:

I forgot to post these pics in the above, the town sign for the ancient village of Thrapston:



And the river Nene as seen form the bridge:



And yes, in the year 1205 it was necessary to get permission from the King to hold a market!! :D

[WVdyhrd]

good pics bob, thanks!

Wish I had a bike while I was there, was stationed at mildenhall for nearly 4yrs, USAF.  Miss the villages, and such. Got to England thinking, oh no what did i get myself into, left england wishing I had more time.

quite a bit north of e. Anglia   :D  but was one of my favorite impromptu drives while I was there. Oh to go back with my tiger!!!!


thanks for sharing bob

[KuzzinKenny]

Hey BB !! Looks like ya had a grrreat day out !! looks like there's a lot of nostalgic stuff around yer area and it's all being well looked after  

grrreat pics !!

KK

ps 16.5 deg outside temp :shock: it was 15.5c in the flat this mornin   :shock:

[rf9rider]

What's on at the Admiral? I've got previous at the Admiral

Just a family get together.
My parents are coming down for the usual "xmas pressie swap", as well as my little sister and older brother and a niece and nephew or two.

You told me before about meeting the current Mrs BB there!  :D

[Timbox2]

Nice one Bob, got to ask, whats the electronic box of trickery mounted on top of the clocks?

[NeilD]

snap!  :D


035 Northants. by GUZZINEIL, on Flickr

same day I carried on to the memorial at Chevelston, which has a very nice pub next to it..  :)


P1000626 by GUZZINEIL, on Flickr

[Bixxer Bob]

@ Tim, it's a battery digital voltage indicator, an inside temp (ie air coming up from the rad) and outside temp (ie the sensor mounted close to the front wheel in the cold air) gauge.  About a tenner off Ebay. Not waterproof, but has been ok there so far....

@ WVHyrd, I was hoping it would wake up one or two USAF associates.  Where was your pic taken?  I'm familiar with Mildenhall for reasons I won't go into  

@NeilD, my mate from IBM lives just round the corner from the Chelveston memorial.  Chelveston also used to have a large military aerial farm which was looked after by my Squadron in days gone by as well.

[Timbox2]

Bob, I heard you the first time :lol:

[WVdyhrd]

@ WVHyrd, I was hoping it would wake up one or two USAF associates.  Where was your pic taken?  I'm familiar with Mildenhall for reasons I won't go into  

.

Hey there, thats actually WAYYYY north of mildenhall  :lol:  that's at loch Ness. Most my pics from over there aren't on this computer, I'll try to find some though.

You won't go into eh? Do I smell espionage? :lol: i kid i kid

[Hemibee]

BB... Thanks for sharing the ride with us.  I enjoyed the photos.

One question, what are "Bacon butties"?

[Timbox2]

Bob... Thanks for sharing the ride with us.  I enjoyed the photos.

One question, what are "Bacon butties"?

Buttie, Sanger, Sarny, all colloquialisms for the great Sandwich in this case stuffed with pig :lol:

[KuzzinKenny]

Bob... Thanks for sharing the ride with us.  I enjoyed the photos.

One question, what are "Bacon butties"?

http://aweebitofcooking.co.uk/2007/10/2 ... ding-to-d/

now where's that fryin pan ????

Ssssssiiiiiiiiizzzzzzzllllll.....

KK

[Bixxer Bob]

Had nice run out in the chilly morning sun this morning.  Stumbled across these radio astronomy telescopes about 30 miles away, didn't even know we had any locally!!!





Big white one is 32metres in dia, known as Merlin and operated remotely from Jodrell Bank.  It is one part of a seven-array telescope scattered across the country.  Two smaller ones are part of an array known as the Long Mile telescope.  Info here:

http://www.subbrit.org.uk/sb-sites/site ... ndex.shtml
 
And also I snapped our famous white elephant:



This is a "guided busway"  About 10 yrs ago the powers decided that they must do something about the congestion (and fatal accidents) on the A14 so some muppet came up with the bright idea of 25 miles of concrete track that buses can run on (seems bus drivers can't be trusted to stick to the road anymore..) which cost over £50 million to build, starts where no-one lives and you can't park, finishes where nobody works, and was finished over a year ago but due to disputes with the contruction company still isn't in use.  In the meantime, cylists have found it quite convenent so in short, it's probably THE most expensive cycle path in the world!!