Something Different.

[Maywalk]

I expect most of you know now that if I go anywhere it has to be in a wheelchair because my hip never mended and the Tbar that was put in to hold it together has also snapped. I get around in the house aided by a trolley with wheels on it but I have to keep resting in between doing little jobs. Anyway some time ago my granddaughter put me in touch with a lady who charges £10 an hour to take anyone like myself out for a change. Personally I think this is VERY reasonable especially when she has the job of pushing the wheelchair no matter where I want to go. Its ruddy tiring trying to go round with my wheeled trolley but it must be much more tiring to push a person about. We got on like a house on fire and her partner likes to come along as well if he knows she is taking me out. Sounds bigheaded but not meant to be. I believe its because I can always have a laugh with them.

It was her and her partner who took me and my WW2 Land Army friend to Stratford-on Avon two years ago and they would NOT take anything for it. Anyway they asked me where I would like to go for the day and to take my lovely friend because they enjoyed the last trip out and wanted to treat me because I had recommended her to others who live in this area so we are going to the place below tomorrow and I just hope the rain keeps away. Mind you there is a big museum there from what I can make out so we can always make for that. The only problem is whether they let me out again once I am in.
Does anyone live near there or know anything about it? Quite a lot going off according to the reading and we are looking forward to going. Keep your fingers crossed for decent weather for us.

http://www.newarkairmuseum.org/1940s_Weekend

[dita]

Think Andere was planning a visit at either Newark or Lincoln this weekend Maisie. She mentioned it on our Morning Thread. xxx

[Maywalk]

Thanks Dita. I will have a looksee.

[Poohdog]

The museum wants to encourage as many visitors as possible to enter into the ‘1940s spirit’ and to attend in period costume. Such participants will be admitted for free if they register in advance and at a discounted admission rate if they just turn up on the day.

There ya go Maisie...get in for nowt!! A pair of sussies and a split skirt with a little notice on ya bum...'We accept chocolate soap and nylons' You'll be dressed for the part!

[dita]

Just had a look at what Andere wrote Maisie, could be something going on at Lincoln too which is not directly linked to Newark Airshow, hope I haven't confused you.

[Maywalk]

You silly sod Pooh.
I love the picture that comes to mind though if I did dress like that.

Hi Dita. I had a look at the thread and I believe that is something different to the WW2 show we are going to. I just wondered if any members here had ever visited the place.

[vannin]

I think there is a WW2 Show that tours venues in the UK. A few years ago for one of my birthdays, daughter and s-i-l and very young Charlie took me to one near Watford. There was so much to see, on a very Summery day for April. There were period house interiors with all the 1940s type furnishing. The kitchen cupboards full of the packet stuff we used to have and the old-fashioned appliances that lived a lot longer than ten years. Dance-hall music was playing.

Charlie had a great time trying-on hats, including the army tin helmets, in a dressing-up room.

[Andere Richtingen]

Wish I could offer sensible comments here, Maisie. Newark Air Museum is only about 10 miles from me but, sadly, I've never visited. OH and i keep saying to each other that we MUST go there but, you know how it is - so much to do, so many places to go, so little time...
Several friends who have visited tell me it's a really good day out so I can only say - enjoy (and report back here afterwards so I'll know whether to move it up my To Do list!).

(1940s weekends seem to be in vogue this year. There's one in Lincoln this weekend and I've stumbled over several others during the summer. I wasn't born until the 1950s and am having trouble trying to understand why anyone wants to commemorate a decade when just about everything was rationed and in short supply; when you were likely to be hauled off to the armed services, have your children sent to live with strangers and were at serious risk of getting bombed to smithereens at any moment. )

[Maywalk]

Its been going for some years now Andere because I was always invited to talk to the children who were re-enacting being evacuees on the Central Station at Loughborough.Not been since I have broken my hip that will never heal.
I am more than surprised at the amount of people coming to me now asking me for my stories of those years.
It is quite popular with all ages.

[Maywalk]

Well Folks we had a great time yesterday at the Newark Air Museum show although the WW2 venue was taking place outside. A good old singsong of all the 40s songs plus the dances of those years that I would loved to have got up and danced to. We all throughly enjoyed it and those that did dress in 1940s gear did their best although it wasn't always right.
I sat talking to a young lady who was supposed to be wearing a turban, as the women did during the war years if working near machinery or food. She seemed to be talking different to others and I asked her where she came from and she was an American who had married an English chap and had made her life over here with her hubby plus their two children. She said she loved the WW2 venues and asked if I did. When I told her I had been an evacuee and had gone all through the London Blitz she was firing questions at me and was really engrossed in what I was telling her.She gave me a lovely hug before I left.
It was great to see the fly over too of the Spitfire and the Lancaster especially when they went round the drome twice and swooped right down the second time to wave to us.
The only disappointment was with the vast amount of planes they had there no Halifax bomber was to be found. I was curious about this plane because 70 years ago my hubby made me the brooch below out of a crashed Halifax bomber that had been on many bombing raids during the war and managed to stay in one piece until it was sent to North Luffenham airfield where my hubby used to be a fitter on the engines. The Halifax Bomber was a replacement sent to teach Glider Pilots.
Before it was accepted it had to go on a test flight to make sure that it was safe to tow the gliders. On its first test flight it crashed through a fault in the control column. It turned right over on to its back and crashed in a ploughed field at the end of the drome.
One big cloud of dust that scared the living daylights out of the ground crew. My hubby said everyone was terrified of what they would find but the pilot, engineer and the radio operator all climbed out dusting themselves down and getting the dust out of their eyes.
Everyone was relieved and pleased to see all three climb out unhurt but to this day my hubby says he will never know how they did. I have to point out that my hubby was NOT one of those that had serviced this aircraft but there was a big enquiry as to what happened.
From what hubby could gather a bolt at the bottom of the control column had snapped.
Hubby said out of the Halifax and the Lancaster he preferred the Halifax because you could walk down the middle of it but with the Lancaster you had to crawl on your hands and knees to service them.
After his stint at North Luffenham my hubby was sent to Cottesmore to work on Mosquitoes. He also worked on the first Meteor. Hubby said he enjoyed his time in the National Service and only wished it was brought back again to straighten some of the yobs out of today.
The brooch to me is priceless and will be kept in the family and I very often wonder how many bombing raids has that little piece of perspex been on.
If only it could talk.

[Andere Richtingen]

Maisie, that brooch is lovely - and I'm someone who generally doesn't like brooches! No wonder you treasure it and wouldn't it be wonderful if it could tell the story of the places it's been .. If you can persuade your friends to take you to the Yorkshire Air Museum at Elvington, near York, there is definitely a Halifax on display there.

Sounds like your day out was superb. The fly past flew past us outside the cathedral, too, three times but I didn't actually see them as I was inside our bus at the time, talking to visitors! A surprising number of people had made the effort to come in costume, some of them surprisingly young. Nice to see such enthusiasm among the teens and 20s. We had plenty of period music but I wasn't aware of any dancing, possibly because that would be difficult on the setts of the minster yard.

Glad you enjoyed Newark, anyway.

[Maywalk]

Hi Andere.
Yes it really was a super day.
The dancing was outside in front of the outside stage. I only wish someone could have done the jitterbug for me.
Someone told me there was only one Halifax bomber left, could that be the one?
It would be a bit too far for me to travel to see it but its good to know there is at least one.
Thanks for letting me know and it sounds as though you too had a great day.

[Andere Richtingen]

If there really is only one left, then I guess the one at Elvington must be it.
Aaah, you piqued my interest and I sat here Googling. The Halifax at Elvington isn't quite what it seems but a sort of composite made of bits and pieces of crashed and scrapped ones together with some new build components. There's a whole lot of information at http://www.578squadron.org.uk about surviving ones and parts of them ...

[Maywalk]

Thanks for that Andere. I will look at it in a bit.
Had my hairdresser here to perm my hair because I was benning to feel like a ruddy witch. I hate having it done but I wasn't blessed with curly hair.
This in turn has made me late getting my lunch so I am off to see what is in the fridge.
Thanks again for the link.