Busy Weekend On The Military Truck

Since my last posting about the CCKW 352 on 26 Aug, this last weekend has been quite a productive one on it. I picked up the overhauled Generator and Regulator and refitted them (and the battery is now charging), fitted a new front brake hose (not without some stress it has to be said), and started on a refresh of the paintwork. I'd counted six different shades of grey on the truck and parts of it looked a real mess, so I invested in 5 Litres of RAL 7040 Grey paint from Ketts Autopaints in Peterbrough (which cost a small fortune) and we set to work on Saturday with a small roller and paint brushes. I've still a few bits to do, but overall I'm very happy with the results thus far.
-

-

Wreck Diving the Mysterious Ghost Fleet of Truk Lagoon

Truk Lagoon, known as Chuuk – a group of tropical paradise islands in the Federal States of Micronesia – offers adrenaline-junky scuba divers a cool yet creepy underwater adventure in shark-infested Pacific waters while wreck diving the mysterious Ghost Fleet of Truk Lagoon. More than 50 major shipwrecks from WWII litter the seabed, making the undersea wonder of the world the best shipwreck diving destination on the globe. There are some awesome photos on this site - Link.
-

-

Tomb found at Stonehenge quarry site

The tomb for the original builders of Stonehenge could have been unearthed by an excavation at a site in Wales. Link to the BBC web site.
-

Hope yet for African Queen gunboat on Lake Tanganyika

Ships don't come with much more historical ballast than the MV Liemba. The steamer still shudders and belches its way across Lake Tanganyika every Wednesday and Friday, a century after it was built as a warship in Germany. Link to BBC web site for the full story.
-

Poll - Is a Games Workshop Finecast resin figure good value for money at £10 ?

Two days ago I blogged about the new Games Workshop (GW) resin (not plastic as I posted) Finecast figures. I'm not a GW hater, I've bought loads of their figures over the years, but I feel that at £10 per figure these are outrageously overpriced. Anyway, chatting to my old friend John Elwen last night, he mentioned that there was comment about the new resin figures in the GW 2011 Annual Report. So after walking my dog, I went in search on the net, and found the report in question and the commentary, elements of which I reproduce here from Page 4:

"Compared to their metal cousins resin models are far easier to assemble, are lighter and less prone to chipping and are much easier to convert with a hobby knife and superglue. Crucially, resin miniatures provide a much higher level of detail for the customer. The reaction of customers and staff to Citadel Finecast has been overwhelmingly positive."

Personally I'm not convinced by the PR guff in the report. My own experience of resin being that small pieces with fine detail are notoriously brittle and susceptible to damage. Anyway, I have started a Poll which I will leave open for a month.
The exam question is 'Do you think £10 for a GW single Finecast resin figure is good value for money ?'
Please vote, I'm interested to see whether I'm totally out of touch on this one.
-
Post Poll Note: Thanks to those who voted on the poll I ran. Out of 43 votes, 1 person thought £10 for a figure was good value, 2 were not sure, and 40 thought thought that it was a rip-off !

Frustration At The Vulture's Roost

Large amounts of frustration here at the Vulture's Roost. On Monday I took the truck's Generator and Voltage Regulator through to an auto-electricians in Peterborough called C J Parkinsons (due to the problem mentioned on the 20th) to get them sorted. See photo of the Regulator below.
-

-
I was hoping to have them back yesterday, but the forecast is now Tuesday :(
The weather has been rubbish here the last couple of days, so the opportunity to change the brake hose has been limited as well. So I'm stuck with 5.1 tons of soggy immobile WW2 truck compacting my tarmac. (sigh)

-

-
On the upside we've been playing Carcassonne, which is without doubt a top family board game. If you haven't got a copy, I highly recommend you get one.









-

-
-

Games Workshop - Unimpressed

Yesterday my son and I visited our local Games Workshop in Peterborough and picked up a Tau Empire Battleforce box set.
It's quite a while since I've been in there, and I must confess I was slightly shocked at the prices they are now charging, and surprised that they have now done away with all the individual blistered metal figures. I thought the single plastic figured blisters that have replaced them were outrageously priced at £10. V unimpressed...
-

Ramsey 1940 Weekend

This weekend a village close to where I live called Ramsey is hosting a 1940's weekend. I had hoped to take my 1944 CCKW 352 truck along, but sadly they already have over 200 vintage/historic vehicles booked in, and have no space left. I shall still go along anyway, but just as a normal member of the public. The weather looks like it will be fine this weekend, so hopefully I'll get some get photos which I'll post later. Talking of the truck its been an expensive week at this end with over the purchase of £190 worth of parts (oil filter, 6 x flexible brake hoses and springs, generator repair kit, and spare brake and grease nipples). The two main issues I need to resolve at the moment are:
1. A brake hose on the drivers front which has a small bulge in it,

-

-
2. The generator which is not charging the battery.

-
I hope to get both sorted in the coming week.
-

Iron Age road link to Iceni tribe

A suspected Iron Age road, made of timber and preserved in peat for 2,000 years, has been uncovered by archaeologists in East Anglia.

The site, excavated in June, may have been part of a route across the River Waveney and surrounding wetland at Geldeston in Norfolk, say experts.

Causeways were first found in the area in 2006, during flood defence work at the nearby Suffolk village of Beccles.

It is thought the road is pre-Roman, built by the local Iceni tribe.

See the BBC web site for more info. Link
-

Ex Iraqi tank that caused chaos at Bovington

Whilst browsing the Historic Military Vehicle Forum (HMVF) I came across this old (but interesting) news about an ex Iraqi tank that caused some chaos at Bovington. Link
-

RAF airman blogging from Afghanistan's front line

There is an interesting article about an RAF man on tour in Afgan who has set up a Blog that has had over 80,000 hits thus far.
Link to the article.
Link to his Blog.
-

Military & Flying Machines Show - 7 Aug 2011

Yesterday I went to the Military & Flying Machines Show near Upminster organised by the Military Vehicle Trust (MVT). With flying displays, 200 military vehicles and 30 plus groups of Re-enactors, plus Militaria stalls, it felt like a scaled down version of the War And Peace Show. Personally that suited me fine, as War And Peace is such a big event, to do it justice you need to be there a couple of days. The Upminster event was large enough to show a bit of everything without wearing you out in the process. I thoroughly enjoyed the day, and will certainly consider going back next year, probably with my GMC 352. Here is a short video I took of the armour in attendance. The video does not do justice to the condition of the M18 Hellcat which was simply stunning.
-

-
Talking of the 352, when it rained here last week the cab roof leaked as did one of the doors. I plan to sort the door out in the short term, but in the interim I bought an old army tent for £15 at the show, and have draped it over the cab.
-

-

GMC Purchase Completed !!

Well guys, after a couple of weeks delay whilst the previous owner sorted a few things out I finally got my WW2 truck. GMC CCKW 352B1 Registration Number WSU147 all 5.1 tons of her is parked up occupying a large part of my drive.
The adventure started last Friday evening when I caught the train from Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire up to Knaresborough and stayed with my old school friend Chris Jenkins. Up early on the Saturday morning his long suffering wife Diane took the pair of us over to the little village of Hunmanby (near Filey) for 08:00 where we met with the owner David and his brother-in-law Stuart Kinroy (also a 352 owner). The truck had been moved from when I first saw it into a open barn. My first thought was 'Holly shit I am never going to fit this on my drive and be able to get into the garage. Julie is gonna kill me!' more on this later however... After a final look round the truck David and I shook hands on the deal, cash was exchanged, and we went an organised a Tax disc in the local post office. Due to it being classed as a historic vehicle it is tax and MOT exempt, but notwithstanding that, a Tax disc still has to be obtained and displayed. Stuart then took me out for a driving lesson during which I dropped a £ 100 worth of fuel into the trucks 40 gallon tank. On the narrow bumpy roads around Hunmanby driving the truck for the first time was quite an alien experience. To start with I'm on the wrong side of the cab (left hand drive), a lot higher than normal; the steering wheel is huge and due to the size of the tyre side wall there is lots of play in the steering; as there is no sound proofing there is lots of noise, the gearbox is crash one, so I'm having to double-de-clutch which I've never done before and furthermore the layout of the gears is not like a conventional car. Put all this together plus the sheer size of the vehicle and the large turning circle required to manoeuvre and I'm starting to think 'What the hell have I done here !' Anyway, at 10:15 we were ready to set off, and in the photo below shows Chris, David and I just before Chris and I left his house.
-

-
To get home we had decided upon a route which took us south across country towards Driffield, where we could get on the main roads, and cross the Humber Bridge. What a total nightmare we had for those 15 miles across country! Dodging traffic, and trying to get to grips with the gearbox made for an exciting time to say the least. Getting into top gear was a real problem until we worked out the ideal speed at which to change. All I can say is, its a good thing they made those gearboxes tough, for it got some real abuse.
Eventually we made it to the main road, and things became easier, and we could maintain a higher top speed, although it quickly became apparent that the most comfortable cruising speed was between 35 and 37mph. In theory you can go up to 45mph with an engine governor limiting you at that point, but in practice there is so much suspension shake 41mph was the most we touched.
Now the truck was thoroughly warmed up we could start to appreciate the heating system in the cab, however this system is different to modern ones, in that you can't turn it off ! LOL Heat radiated through the floor, and was blown up though various openings for levers, an especially by your right leg, which over a period of time gets slowly cooked ! LOL
Anyway, after collecting several big queues of traffic behind us and stopping a couple of times to left people pass we made it to the Humber bridge where we stopped for a quick change over.
-

-

-
And then we crossed it...

-
Heading towards Lincoln we stopped for a quick break and to grab an sandwich. A further check round the truck revealed that the we had a slight leak of brake fluid from the front n/s wheel. We tracked this down to the flexible brake hose that needed tightening. Without a manual at this stage I couldn't find the brake reservoir to check the level, no sign of anything remotely resembling such a thing in the engine compartment. A quick call to Stuart remedied this puzzle. You access it from a small cover plate in the cab floor, obvious really eh ? (not).
We then pushed on opting to take the long route round Lincoln rather than fight our way through it, and joined the A1 near Newark. A stop for some extra fuel was required (another £ 50), then we cruised home arriving in Warboys at 17:15.
-

-


-

-
Safety parked up on the drive, it was a relief to find that I hadn't miscalculated and I can get to my garage! :)
-

-
Here's a couple of photos of the family by it for the first time.
-

-

-
In the evening we all went down to see my parents and my brother Bruce and his family who were over visiting. My little nephew Toby was quite impressed.
-

-
My mother and father were pretty non-plussed it had to be said ! LOL Bruce who has recently fully restored his Triumph Stag took great delight in a supportative brotherly kind of way, by crawling over it and pointing out lots of stuff that needs attention ! LOL
-

-

-
My thanks to Chris for his support and encouragement during what was to say the least, quite a memorable day.
-
Now to have some fun with it... :)
-

War and Peace Show 2011

The 2011 'War and Peace Show' (sometimes simply referred to as 'Beltring')is being held in southern England. I've been before but couldn't make it this year. Looking at their photo gallery I wish I had able to, for there is some astonishing hardware on display. Their gallery is well worth a look. Link
-

The time when the British army was really stretched

There is an interesting article by Chris Summers on the BBC News web site. The British army is due to be reduced to 82,000 by 2020, prompting claims it will be the smallest it has been since the 19th Century. But if Britain had a small army then, how did it control an empire? Link
-

Treadmill shows medieval armour influenced battles

Medieval suits of armour were so exhausting to wear that they could have affected the outcomes of famous battles, a study suggests. This is quite an interesting article on the BBC web site. Link
-

Save HMS Caroline: the last survivor of the Battle of Jutland

This is worth a read. Dr Dominic Tweedle, Director-General of the National Museum of the Royal Navy explains why our (UK) nautical heritage (in shape of HMS Caroline) must be preserved. Link
-

Conqueror Tank

One of my favourite tanks from the cold war era is the Conqueror tank. Here's an excellent little (propaganda) movie on U-Tube. Link
-

Berlin's abandoned WWII bunkers

Beneath the city of Berlin lies a network of bunkers that haven't been seen since World War II. Now tourists can access this underground world of bomb shelters and railway lines. Al Moloney went below the city to explore its hidden history. See BBC web site Link.
-

GMC 352 Purchase - Progress Report - No 2

Yesterday I drove up to Yorkshire and met up with my pal Steve to have a look at the vehicle. Its' history seems a little unclear, however what I do know is (looking at the chassis number) that it was built around Dec43/Jan44, and the log book shows that it was first registered in the UK 1989.

Overall the vehicle is really really sound with just a small amount of corrosion on the cab floor (about 6" sq) and along the bottom of the doors. The paintwork is pretty tatty, as is the canvas (the main piece on the back is totally knackered actually), but that can be sorted. The exhaust down-pipe needs a new casket, and two of the brake cylinders are leaking, but the current owner will fix those as part of the condition of sale, so........ I left the owner with a deposit, and will pick the vehicle up when the work is complete, sometime in the next 10 to 14 days :)

Going back to the subject of paint, it is currently painted in a light grey as if it were used by the United States Navy for moving ammo around in Port Chicago at the time of the disastrous explosion there. In fact this vehicle was only ever used in Europe, and used to be painted green, so as soon as I can, I plan to restore to its original colour, with a huge allied star on the bonnet :)
-

-

-

-

-

Display pilot's incredible escape from World War Two fighter as he bails out after mid-air collision at airshow.

These pilots had a lucky escapes... Link
-

-

GMC 352 Purchase - Progress Report - No 1

Since I last posted arrangements have been firmed up, and I view the vehicle this Friday. If its okay (and confidence is high that it will be), I have set plans in place to pick it up the following Saturday. I've arranged insurance through a company called Adrian Flux Insurance Services. £120 for a years cover + £ 30 for roadside assistance, recovery and homestart. Must confess I was surprised at how reasonable the latter element is, for should it need recovering a 6.5 tonne vehicle is going to need more than your normal small car transporter to more it.
-

Photos From Waddington Airshow

Last Saturday the family and I went to the Waddington International Airshow. Overall it was a great day out, the highlight being a stunning display by the United Stated Air Force (USAF) display team 'The Thunderbirds'. It is the first time in over ten years that they have been to the UK, and Waddington was the only display they were doing. Six F16s tearing the sky up was a sight (and sound) to behold.
-


2011-07-02 Wattisham Airshow

Ambition To Buy A WW2 GMC CCKW Truck

To cut a long story short, it looks like I could be about to satisfy a long-term ambition of mine to own a historic military vehicle. I've been put in contact with a chap who is selling a GMC 352. This is the short wheel-based version of the 353 that was designed as an Artillery tractor for towing 75mm and 105 guns. No road tax, no MOT, insurance is only £120, so apart from the fact it only does about 8 the gallon, it should be cheap to operate, right ? Well if everything goes according to plan I should find out in a few weeks ! :)
-

In pictures: Dunkirk command tunnels

The BBC web site has some pictures showing the renovated tunnels underneath Dover Castle where Operation Dynamo was planned. Link
-

WWII In Photos - A Retrospective In 20 Parts

An old friend of mine Steve Hammond sent me a link to a fascinating series of photo essays being done by a guy called Alan Taylor. Highly recommended. Link
-

How Many Left ?

If you live in the UK this is a fascinating site which tells you how many cars of any make and model are still on the road in the UK. Link
-

Air Commodore Peter Cribb -Obituary

Air Commodore Peter Cribb, who has died aged 92, was one of the most successful and gallant master bombers of the Pathfinder Force; he flew more than 100 wartime operations, including one when he made an unauthorised raid on Hitler’s retreat at Berchtesgaden. Link
-

Hadrian's Wall: A horde of ancient treasures make for a compelling new Cumbrian exhibition

The Roman Emperor Hadrian, who came to the throne AD117, claimed that the gods had instructed him to "keep intact the Empire", so he planned a massive wall to defend its northern boundary against the unruly tribes beyond. There is an interesting article on the Independent On Sunday site about new discoveries. Link
-

SS Richard Montgomery

Stumbled across this story yesterday. SS Richard Montgomery was an American Liberty ship built during World War II, one of the 2,710 used to carry cargo during the war. The ship was wrecked off the Nore in the Thames Estuary in 1944 with around 1,500 tons of explosives on board, which continue to be a hazard to the area. Link
-

Lock N Load Publishing - Old PC Games

Found this interesting site that deals exclusively in old 'classic' PC games. They are all available for download for very reasonable prices. Link
-

AFV Combat Speed

There is a very interesting recent thread on The Miniatures Page (TMP) web site about AFV Combat Speed. Well worth a read, many of the postings are very entertaining and informative. Link
-

Low Fast Pass

These are some of the lowest fastest passes you will ever see, fabulous !
-

Recent Purchases - For My 15mm Sci-Fi

You know what it's like....you see something (a model or piece of scenery) and immediately think, that would just go brilliantly with X !! Well in my case this happened twice in the last month. I stumbled across some AT-43 mechs on E-Bay, and also a piece of Kryomech scenery. In both cases the manufactures are now out of business, only the gods know if we will ever see them again in production. Although both pieces are designed for 28 and 25mm, I think they look fine with my 15mm Sci-Fi collection. For scale comparison I've included a few 15mm figures and vehicles.
-

-

-

Above is the AT-43 Cobra M-8
-

-

Above is the Kryomech Anti-Aircraft Tower. Figures in the foreground by Blue Moon, vehicle by GZG.
-

Invincible, pride of the Falklands, is broken up in knacker's yard

There is nothing good at all about this, my favourite ship getting broken up :( Link
-

Operation Crossbow: How 3D glasses helped defeat Hitler

Newly released photographs show how a team of World War II experts disrupted Nazi plans to bombard Britain - with the help of 3D glasses like those in modern cinemas. See the BBC web site for more info. Link
-

WWI underground: Unearthing the hidden tunnel war

Archaeologists are beginning the most detailed ever study of a Western Front battlefield, an untouched site where 28 British tunnellers lie entombed after dying during brutal underground warfare. For WWI historians, it's the "holy grail".
See the BBC web site for for info on this interesting story. Link
-

Friday Humour

After having dug to a depth of 10 feet last year, Lancashire scientists found traces of copper wire dating back 100 years and came to the conclusion that their ancestors already had a telephone network more than 100 years ago.

Not to be outdone, in the weeks that followed, a Cumbrian archaeologist dug to a depth of 20 feet, and shortly after, a story published in the Windermere Times : "Cumbrian archaeologists, finding traces of 130-year-old copper wire, have concluded that their ancestors already had an advanced high-tech communications network 30 years earlier than Lancashire".

One week later, the Yorkshire Post reported the following: "After digging as deep as 30 feet in his backyard in Bawtry , South Yorkshire , Amos Thwaite, a self-taught archaeologist, reported that he found absolutely f--k all. Amos has therefore concluded that 150 years ago, Yorkshire had already gone wireless."
-

German Tank Destroyer hoisted out from Baltic Sea

Check out this video I found on U-Tube of a WWII German Hetzer SPG being dragged out of the Baltic sea !
-

-

Rorke's Drift hero Edward Savage memorial unveiled

A memorial is to be unveiled in a Cardiff cemetery to a survivor of the Battle of Rorke's Drift.

Newport-born Edward Savage was 20 when he fought in the battle, immortalised in the film Zulu, in South Africa in 1879. See the full article on the BBC web site. Link
-

Apache helicopter: A tour around the attack aircraft

The British army's fleet of Apache attack helicopters have clocked up a landmark 100,000 flying hours, a third of which have been flown on operations in Afghanistan.

The Apaches are flown on operations by 3 and 4 Regiments Army Air Corps, based at Wattisham airfield in Suffolk, where the BBC's Caroline Wyatt was given a tour of the aircraft by Captain Murray Nicol. Link
-

Friday Humour

In the 1400's a law was set forth in England that a man was allowed to beat his wife with a stick no thicker than his thumb.
Hence we have 'the rule of thumb'.


Many years ago in Scotland , a new game was invented. It was ruled 'Gentlemen Only...Ladies Forbidden'.. .and thus, the word GOLF entered into the English language.


Men can read smaller print than women can; women can hear better.


Coca-Cola was originally green.


It is impossible to lick your elbow.


111,111,111 x 111,111,111 = 12,345,678,987, 654,321


If a statue in the park of a person on a horse has both front legs in the air, the person died in battle. If the horse has one front leg in the air, the person died because of wounds received in battle. If the horse has all four legs on the ground, the person died of natural causes.


Q. What do bulletproof vests, fire escapes, windshield wipers and laser printers have in common ?

A. All were invented by women.


Q. What is the only food that doesn't spoil?

A. Honey


In Shakespeare's time, mattresses were secured on bed frames by ropes. When you pulled on the ropes, the mattress tightened, making the bed firmer to sleep on. Hence the phrase...'Goodnight , sleep tight'


It was the accepted practice in Babylon 4,000 years ago that for a month after the wedding, the bride's father would supply his son-in-law with all the mead he could drink. Mead is a honey beer and because their calendar was lunar based, this period was called the honey month, which we know today as the honeymoon.


In English pubs, ale is ordered by pints and quarts... So in old England , when customers got unruly, the bartender would yell at them 'Mind your pints and quarts, and settle down.'
It's where we get the phrase 'mind your P's and Q's'


Many years ago in England , pub frequenters had a whistle baked into the rim, or handle, of their ceramic cups When they needed a refill, they used the whistle to get some service. 'Wet your whistle' is the phrase inspired by this practice.


At least 75% of people who read this will try to lick their elbow!


Don't delete this just because it looks weird. Believe it or not, you can read it.

I cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the first and last ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can still raed it wouthit a porbelm. This is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by itself, but the wrod as a wlohe. Amzanig huh?
-

Dropship Horizon Blog - The End

Slightly gutted today to find that one of my favour Blogs that I follow, Dropship Horizon is coming to an end. It has been a fabulous resource for the 15mm Sic-fi gaming community over the last couple of years and will be sorely missed.
-

Joke Stuff - Great catches out there

There are some great catches out there. Exerts from Irish personal adds.

1. Grossly overweight Louth turf-cutter, 42 years old and 23 stone, Gemini, seeks nimble sexpot, preferably South American, for tango sessions, candlelit dinners and humid nights of screaming passion. Must have own car and be willing to travel. Box 09/08

2. Galway man, 50, in desperate need of a ride. Anything considered. Box06/03

3. Heavy drinker, 35, Cork area, seeks gorgeous sex addict interested in pints, fags, Glasgow Celtic football club and starting scraps on Patrick Street at three in the morning. Box 73/82.

4. Bitter, disillusioned Kerryman lately rejected by long-time fiancée seeks decent, honest, reliable woman, if such a thing still exists in this cruel world of hatchet-faced bitches. Box 53/41

5. Ginger-haired Meath trouble-maker, gets slit-eyed and shirty after a few scoops, seeks attractive, wealthy lady for bail purposes, maybe more. Box 84/87

6. Artistic Clare woman, 53, petite, loves rainy walks on the beach, writing poetry, unusual sea-shells and interesting brown rice dishes, seeks mystic dreamer for companionship, back rubs and more as we bounce along like little tumbling clouds on life's beautiful crazy journey. Strong stomach essential. Box 12/32

7. Chartered accountant, 42, seeks female for marriage. Duties will include cooking, light cleaning and accompanying me to office social functions. References required. No timewasters. Box 23/45

8. Bad-tempered, foul-mouthed old bastard living in a damp cottage in the arse end of Donegal seeks attractive 21-year old blonde lady with big chest. Box 40/27

9. Devil-worshiper, Offaly area, seeks like minded lady for wining and dining, good conversation, dancing, romantic walks and slaughtering dogs in cemeteries at midnight under the flinty light of a pale moon. Box52/07

10. Attractive brunette, Macroom area, winner of Miss Wrangler competition at Jolene's Nightclub, Macroom, in September 1978, seeks nostalgic man who's not afraid to cry, for long nights spent comfort-drinking and listening to old Abba records. Please, Please! Box 30/41

11. Limerick man, 27, medium build, brown hair, blue eyes, seeks alibi for the night of February 27 between 8pm and 11.30pm

Life at war captured through the eyes of soldiers

Soldiers have been filming themselves on duty in Afghanistan for years. The UK Ministry of Defence has now released this powerful and uncensored footage to the BBC for a documentary series coming out on 7 Jun. See the BBC web site for more. Link
-

B-17 Flying Fortress conservation work begins

A conservation team has begun a 16-month project to transform a World War II American bomber.

The B-17 Flying Fortress, Mary Alice, had been on display at the American Air Museum, part of Imperial War Museum (IWM) Duxford, in Cambridgeshire.

See the BBC web site for more info. Link
-

Friday Humour

A distinguished young woman on a flight from Ireland asked the
Priest beside her, 'Father, may I ask a favor?'

'Of course, child. What may I do for you?'

'Well, I bought an expensive women's electronic hair dryer for my
mother's birthday that is unopened and well over the Custom's limit,
and I'm afraid they'll confiscate it. Is there any way you could
carry it through customs for me? Under your robes perhaps?'

'I would love to help you, dear, but I must warn you: I will not
lie.'

'With your honest face, Father, no one will question you.'

When they got to Customs, she let the priest go ahead of her.
The official asked, 'Father, do you have anything to declare?'

'From the top of my head down to my waist, I have nothing to declare.'

The official thought this answer strange, so asked, 'And what do you
have to declare from your waist to the floor?'

'I have a marvelous instrument designed to be used on a woman, but
which is, to date, unused.'

Roaring with laughter, the official said,

'Go ahead, Father. -- Next!'

Navy drops bombs off Scottish coast

The far north-west tip of Britain is so remote that for the past 100 years it has been used by the military as a bombing range.

Garvie Island, off the Scottish coast is the only place in Europe where British and Nato forces can drop live 1000lb bombs. See the BBC web site for more. Link
-

Capturing the Enigma: 70 years on

70 years ago today, the Royal Navy captured U-Boat 110, an event which helped Britain crack the German's secret Enigma code during World War II.

With the help of the former naval officer who boarded the U-boat, our correspondent Mike Thomson reports on a remarkable event which may have shortened the war by as much as two years.

This is well worth listening to. Link
-

Aerial surveys of Viking shipyard on Skye

This is quite an interesting article about a 12th Century Viking shipbuilding site on Skye. Link
-