JRT,

A sad ending to your altruistic endeavours. A splendid effort which was deserving of success.

I don't remember anything about Lime Street station except the exterior which was dark and gloomy, just like the rest of Britain in those days of city smog and clinging dampness. Most of the interior is still showing a lot of the Victorian cast ironwork and stone construction although a new roof and various lightweight platform structures contrast badly with the artistic planning of 150 years ago.

Folks,

Dux:

We did our best and it just wasn't good enough. The wabbits deserved better. Wabbits are prolific and I am sure that enough of their nest mates survived to provide us with even more widdle cottontails in due course. As you would know few bunnies survive, even those unassisted by us. Such is life. Nature can be a cruel nursemaid.

Now and then we can try to beat the odds knowing full well that if we did on a large scale it would be a total disaster. I wonder though would their demise have been any better clutched in the cruel claws of a cat or one of those Cooper's hawks I saw circling last week. I dunno. It is Nature's way. Cat, hawk and wabbit, they all have their equal place in nature.

The unabridged version of the 900,000 page HWH Handbook in 87 fine Corinthian leather bound volumes, laboriously hand stitched under water by virgins has this to say about Lime Street Station Liverpool.

"Lime Street was part of the first stage of electrification of the West Coast Main Line in 1959. In 1966, the station saw the launch of the first InterCity service.

Lime Street was voted the equal worst of the 20 busiest UK railway stations in a 2007 poll but was voted "Station of the Year 2010" at the National Rail Awards thanks in part to a recent refurbishment."

"Refurbishment" gives us very little information. Perhaps they just washed the windows upstairs, emptied the ash trays and swept the floor? Did you spy any rolling stock of interest?

Really cool pics Dux!

errr... you have heard that Lanc is supposed to be haunted I take it?

Folks,

Wishing to avoid Olga whom he had spotted loitering about the main entrance; JRT enters HWH Hall by way of an open west facing window. Straightening his uniform and brushing the cedar needles from his coat he wanders over to the cork notice board where he spies a note left pinned there from Boggler.

Taking it down he squints a bit and endeavors to decipher the Boggler's rather cryptic handwriting. Hmmmmm. He reads, "you have heard that Lanc is supposed to be ......ted I take it? Is that an "H"? He removed a glass from a nearby table and holding it over the scribbles peering deeply through it at the writing he used it as a rudimentary but effective magnifying glass. H-A-U-N-T-E-D.... haunted?

He read it all again "you have heard that Lanc is supposed to be haunted I take it?" YIPES!!!

JRT bounded over a chair, waste bin and 3 empty bottles of Bilgeflush & Drainwell then tore open the door of a nearby broom closet. Flinging himself inside the dark room amongst a clatter of buckets, mops and brooms he slammed the door and held his breath. Hmmmmm. He heard heavy breathing. JRT knew he wasn't breathing....then who was?

Just as he was about to fling open the door and run for his life a familiar voice spoke up. "Open that door an inch and we'll brain you with this bottle", said Dux. "Indeed we will", said the Boggler... "Me too", said C51 and MG in unison. JRT took a deep breath and let go the doorknob; then he settled down.

Whispering into the gloom JRT asked,"You fellows must be afraid of the haunted Lanc too, eh?" Then he took a great swig from the same bottle Dux had just threatened him with. "Hell no not a bit of it", came the answer, "Olga just came in the front door."

H-h-aunted? Never heard of it Boggler and it doesn't s-s-sc-scare me one b-b-bit.

Earlier this week I watched an episode of a mini-series called Fighting the Blue about the Battle of Britain, and according to the information in that episode, apparenly Dowding was very spiritual and believed that he was communicating with deceased airmen.

This persuasion also served Leigh-Mallory and Sholto Douglas in their campaing to replace Dowding and Park in 11 Group, alongside their convictions regarding the blessings and benefits of big wings. They go1 11 Group, just as the invasion was postponed until ´41/indefintely.

I never heard it told like that before, so this was a bit of a surprise to me. Of course, historians will point out that history has a nasty habit of not always being entirely objective, re the fact that the Romans' perception of the Barbarians to this day clouds our eyes as to who the barbarians really were.

Folks,

Boggler, MG:

All I can say is it must b b b be Ha Ha Ha Halloween in the UK and De De De Denmark. Lookee here for more info on one of those truly fascinating topics.

http://wn.com/Hugh_Dowding

Where is Dux? This stuff would be right up his very dark and twisty street. Perhaps he has trundled off on that holiday already? Between you and I fellows I suspect that holiday was put off to coincide with the traditional Ale, Meade, and Medicinal Tonic festival held in that particular area of the Earth during the green and sunny days of May. OK, it is just an educated guess....

Dux:

If you're lurking about out there in the swirling mists conjured up by Boggler and MG, there is an e-mail bouncing in your rusty, possibly haunted mailbox. It contains a scan of a small work by my favorite artist. I know that I can rely upon you to be suitably under whelmed.

Gents,

I have indeed received that fine double portrait JRT and intend to print off several dozen copies on high class art paper, insert them into tastefully designed frames from the Discount Centre up the road and flog them off to the tourists who are hanging about Trearddur Bay, hoping to catch a glimpse of the happy couple who have taken up residence in those parts.

Never one to pass up a fast bu...er...opportunity to engage in private enterprise, I am hoping I can buttonhole the royal duo and obtain their autographs on said pictures to encourage sales.


What was that you say? You mention commission? Well I was just about to come around to that old pal. Shall we say 50/50 - payable in Druid ritual tokens which entitle you to a moonlight flogging on an evening of your choice? They can also be redeemed for any number of Welsh perve....er....ceremonies including the May Day Nymph Queen selection and judging of her entourage. Dress is optional but most don't bother. I'm sure Boggler will confirm this and also enlighten us as to many other Cymric gallivantings and goings on...

The Lanc is haunted eh? That would explain why the engine mechanic was only too glad of company as we toured the ghostly hangar. He told us that on certain nights when museum servicing is delayed due to a shortage of volunteers, he has heard the ghastly sound of the 'Elsan' chemical toilet flushing handle being cranked but no-one can be seen in the shadowy fuselage. It's enough to make you go and use it.

Dowding was a spiritualist and claimed to make regular contact with his deceased 'fighter-boys'.

Folks,

Dux:

Your entrepreneurial spirit is exemplary. If you have found a way to make a buck or two off that muddy mess my hat's off to you. I have always had great trouble just giving the smudgey stuff away.

OK I once sold a painting or two cheaper than the canvas cost back in 1970 and that cheered me greatly until I discovered they were just scraping the paint off or painting right over my art. I'd take care if I were you. I'm not sure about copyright laws in the UK however because that pose was clearly taken from an official work and without, shall we say, benefit of prior permission, the prospects for renumeration in the UK might prove a bit dodgy and the legal consequences a trifle sticky.

Not that such mere technicalities have ever stopped you before of course.

After the Monarch's visit to review the squadron was it not you who, having been put on report and forced to police the area, went about picking up the odd discarded cigarette butt as usual but afterward put each in a small five pence gold frame and sold 350 of them as having been recently smoked by the King and at a quid a piece? Yes, when the truth inevitably came out those of us who resisted the urge to buy one or more were much impressed by your ingenuity... regrettably those who did buy one or more, not so much.

LOL ... bonkers

yeah.. if you look up the 'haunted' thread on the flypast forums... err.. it'll be somewhere between page 1 and 37

as for Bill 'n' Kate.. hehehe.. we did a collection from Anglesey county council the friday before the wedding... some broken old manky picture they were sending to Clarence house.. it only needed to be there by Tuesday... I'm sure they could have driven it 5 miles to the cottage.. but you know councils... why spend £2 in petrol when you can pay £40 for a courier to do it

Folks,

Boggler,

Alas governments, large or small, seem to be the same everywhere. Is it true that a council somewhere in the UK once spent a quarter million pounds on a study to find out if the voting constituency really would have any confidence in a comprehensive study done to determine the likely reliability of any future council studies?

Dux:

You should have had a few sunny days now to stand out by the breezy M1 holding your hair on and flogging those dodgy portraits. If so, then I should reasonably expect my first ... er... let's call it a 'royalty check' sometime real soon, eh?

Gents,

JRT,

Sorry, old pal. My entire stock of framed portraits was confiscated by armed thugs posing as the Royals' security men.

However, I escaped a firing squad after proving beyond doubt that I, too, had once served in the RAF. I quickly scarpered before they undertook to examine my Studley Grange service records.

Herewith a pic of a nice diorama of Bomber Command airfield activity at East Kirkby.

Folks,

Dux:

Too bad about the loss however the good news is that the fellows from the FBI who visited me were awfully nice chaps and obviously art lovers. They told me I was in no trouble at all as it is not illegal to produce even a poor likeness of royalty without permission in this country. They complimented my work so much I could not resist telling them you had quite a large collection of those portraits if they wanted to get their own copy. Their eyes veritably lit up at this revelation. Just to help you out; I suggested they might wish to hurry as the portraits were going fast.

yes indeed, this information seemed to please them greatly and they assured me they would be contacting you through their associates there in the UK within 24 hours. Wait.... you don't think what happened to you had anything to do with that do you?

It is yet another lovely photo so evocative of that time 60 plus years ago. You might quietly suggest to someone that they remove the wrinkles from the backdrop. It is a minor thing to be sure. Even if they ignore you it is of little moment for I'm sure that if you look closely there are many places in the UK where the sky has folds and wrinkles in it.

Those brave souls are no dummies I tell you!

They have their Mae Wests just in case they have to ditch in the Ems-Jade canal

Folks,

Boggler,

LOL, no dummies indeed. I have it on fairly good authority that the weather in the UK was so foul about then that the poor sods on standby had to put those yellow things on just to keep from drowning where they stood.

According to the latest 900,000 page, unabridged version, of the HWH Handbook in 87 faux alligator leather bound volumes including separate index and eye pleasing deluxe gold leaf letters hand crafted under snow in the Yukon by blind Inuits:

"The Ems-Jade canal was attacked numerous times during World War II due to its strategic importance. An attack in September 1943 by 617 Squadron RAF (the "Dambusters") was unsuccessful and costly. The squadron attacked it again in September 1944 using Tallboy "earthquake" bombs breaching it and causing considerable damage. It was repaired after the conflict."

Gents,

The East Kirkby Hampden is a long-term project, as you can imagine. So many parts have to be made from the drawings. This is how it looked last month.

Busy lads over at East Kirkby aren't they?. I say, annyone for holding the annual renunion of the HWH Squadron at East Kirkby? We could hide parts and change some drawings, that oughta be fun!

Seriously, I think that the Lanc is "Just Jane", on her way to being restoreed to complete airworthiness, and seeing the Hampden has renewed my itch to install FSX. I think I have both aeroplanes for it. I shall then be able to perform my own fly-pasts, single ship formation of course.

McG,

East Kirkby it is then? Are we all in favour? The bar will have to be built and licenced in time, of course. The local breweries urged to increase production and a suitable band engaged for the evening grand ball. I suggest 'Edna's Floppy Tops Quintet' from the East Kent Naturist Club who are now taking bookings in that area.

Folks,

I'm in favor of any venue in close proximity to both a good supply of booze and a place offering reliable medical care.

Are you quite sure the buxom Edna and her lovely girls are once again playing dates for fun and profit Dux? May I remind you of that most unfortunate night three months ago when they were somehow swept up in that vice raid on the local church social. In what can only be described as a misguided attempt by the Studly Grange council to wipe out "V" girls and prostitution this was attempted in what Woody Allen would probably call "one swell foop".

After what I would describe as a remarkable travesty of justice Edna and the girls were railroaded and sent to the county pokey for 90 days. It is rumored that the over-zealous constabulary had been tipped off there was immoral monkey business going on that evening by a jealous Olga. Apparently Olga had some reason (as yet unverified) to believe that you and the amply endowed Edna had been making rather loud 'music' together behind farmer Drubbin's barn late on last St. Swithin's Day.

C51 says he continues to help out on the Canadian Lanc project on weekends. Mostly he is doing a lot of paint stripping on engine nacelles etc. When finished at the present rate of work. apparently sometime in the 23 century, the beautifully restored aircraft will be put on static display. Sadly she will never fly again.

Gents,

JRT.

I heard that Edna and her well endowed minstrels got early parole after performing in a benefit concert for the families of the prison staff. They were also involved in certain other acts of gratitude which contributed to their early release... The Governor is in re-hab.

Good for C51! What better way to spend a few hours than helping to restore such a worthy aircraft? Is this the same airworthy Lanc or are they working on an entirely new project?

I had a reply email from Phil this week after I thanked him for autographing the book which C51 so kindly sent me a while back.
Phil knows all about East Kirkby and just about everything else that goes on concerning Bomber Command restoration and preservation groups, I would think.

Folks,
Dux:


Well, there was that one girl who was actually guilty, the one-armed tuba player named Sonja. Sonja was filling in for the regular tuba player who was ill. That's right, you got it in one; Sonja was the very girl who could suck a golf ball through a 50 foot garden hose using one breath.

The talented lady was from Prague and, on questioning, she admitted she had written several rubber checks before her capture. The Parole board was completely blown away by her ...um.. her honesty...and her er...talents. So in an uncharacteristic unanimous decision the lass was released with Edna and the other girls on her own recognizance by the parole board as they considered her to be completely rehabilitated. She has since found permanent employment with Edna.

Hmmmmmmm. Yes, that is correct...

The parole board was able to right a bad Czech.

Forgive me for that.

C51 is working on the same project as before. He sees Phil every weekend. Did you fellows enjoy reading his book? Were there any revelations or new information you can share? Did he elaborate on the relative threat comparison between flack and enemy fighters in RAF night missions?