Tag Archives: uk

Royal Exchange

We were walking through the city checking out areas that we didn’t normally go to when we worked in Town during our visit last year.  Our route brought us up to the Royal Exchange.  It is a really cool looking old structure but one that has been adapted to modern uses.  The inside is some pretty high end retail and we weren’t buying whatever they were selling.  However, I did love the look of the place.  It was also quite funny because I bumped into an old work colleague that I knew from Seattle (who has moved back to the UK).  Not what you expect in a city the size of London!

Kemble Gate Guards

The trip to the UK early this year included a quick trip to Kemble or Cotswolds Airport as it is also known.  Near the tower, they have a couple of preserved airframes that harken back to the time that this was a Royal Air Force base (including it being home of the Red Arrows).  One of the gate guards (okay, they aren’t near the gate, but you get the idea) is a Folland Gnat.  I don’t know whether it is a genuine ex-Red Arrow or just painted to look like one, but it is cool either way.  It is the tiniest of jets.  I wonder what it was like ferrying one across the Atlantic as they did for a tour.

The other airframe is a Hawker Hunter.  This is a classic aircraft and one that continues in use to this day.  It is a trainer version with the side-by-side cockpit arrangement and in a grey paint job that I am not familiar with them having used in service.  Either way, another great looking jet and something cool for any visitors to check out.

What is This Boat About?

Nancy and I were having lunch at a great pub on Spice Island called The Still and West.  I would certainly recommend it if you are in the area.  We were watching the many different boats as they came in and out of the Harbour entrance.  One boat was heading out which seemed curious.  It was a low profile vessel, looked like it was designed to look suspicious and, when you look closer, it has a FLIR installation on the bridge.  Since this is Portsmouth, it could well be a military vessel but that doesn’t preclude it being one for an overseas customer or just a company or individual with rather specialized interests.  I wonder which it is.

St Pancras Sculptures

While walking through the station at St Pancras, I realized that there are more sculptures than I had thought.  The one of Sir John Betjeman I knew of from previous visits, but the others were new to me.  I rather like the stark nature of their textures and imagery.  They have a rather aggressive feel to me which got my attention.  It’s nice that public spaces make the effort to add art to the functional areas.

Memorial to the Wrens

Walking through the old parts of the city of Portsmouth took us by the cathedral.  In the grounds there was a memorial to the Women’s Royal Naval Service.  Known more commonly as the Wrens, this was the branch of the Navy for the women before everything became more integrated.  The top of the memorial is the various types of hats that Wrens wore in service.  My gran was a Wren in the war and made friends in the service that stayed with her for the rest of her life.  She would go to many reunions.

HMS Warrior

I think HMS Warrior has shown up in the blog before.  During our trip to Portsmouth last year, I got a different perspective on it from previous visits because I went up the Spinnaker Tower.  I did also take a look from ground level too, though.  There were some people up in the rigging working on the ship.  I don’t have a great time with heights so that would not be a good thing for me I suspect.  An open door of a plane is fine but that is different.

The view from above is a great way to see the ship (or anything for that matter).  It also gives you the background of the historic royal dockyard.  Having a 60,000 ton aircraft carrier as a backdrop just goes to show how things have changed over the years.  At one point, this would have been the pinnacle of warship design but now it is considered archaic.  How things move on.

Retro Saudia Jet Compared to the Original

While the 787-10 was never built at Everett, there have been a few that have come here for completion before delivery to their airlines.  One such jet was for Saudia or Saudi Arabians Airlines.  It was painted in a scheme that was a close resemblance to their livery from the 80s and 90s.  I had thought that it was a retro effort on their part, but I have since heard that this might actually be the livery for the fleet going forwards.

Whether that is the case or not, I did take me back to a shot I got in 1988.  I was working for the CAA in the UK on noise measuring duties and got to spend a week inside the fence at Heathrow taking readings of departing aircraft.  One of these was a 747-300 of Saudia.  I had my camera with me that week and was able to get photos between taking readings.  I thought it might be interesting to compare the old Saudia livery with the newer version.

Dock Railway in Bristol

The Bristol Harbour Railway is a heritage railway in Bristol (what a shock!) that runs along the south side of the docks.  I understand it operates short tourist runs at various times up towards the SS Great Britain.  It wasn’t operating while we were there although one of the locomotives had been fired up for some purpose.  It was nice and warm to stand next to it on what was a bit of a cool and damp day.

There was a selection of locomotives and wagons both near the museum building and parked along the docks.  I don’t know whether they were all usable or some were exhibits.  There was one locomotive that was clearly undergoing a major refurbishment.  I imagine it is a popular attraction on weekends and busy summer days.

Bristol Britannia

There are many aircraft that the British aircraft industry produced in the middle to late 20th century that did not end up being terribly successful.  There was the occasional commercial product in there but a lot that did not have large production numbers, even by the standards of the day.  It was not unusual for the Royal Air Force to end up operating a few of these as the government of the day found a way to prop up an ailing manufacturer.  One type like this was the Bristol Britannia.

A turboprop airliner, it was too large given that jets had taken over the market by the time it was coming into service.  The Royal Air Force was the “willing” recipient of some of these airframes and, for transporting troops that didn’t have a choice in the matter, they were probably just fine.  One of these airframes, Regulus, is not preserved at Cotswold Airport at Kemble in Gloucestershire.  I didn’t know it was there until I was driving around the airport killing some time.  It looks to be in great condition.  I don’t know how well it is handling the corrosion risk that damp UK airfields offer but I hope it lasts a long time.  There are a few of these around but not many.

End of the Line for These Jets

I have posted a few shots of preserved aircraft at Kemble, but Cotswold Airport is the end of the line for a lot of planes in a far less graceful way.  It is the base for disassembly of airframes that have reached the end of their operational lives.  A jet doesn’t have to be that old to have greater value in its parts than as an operational aircraft.  If a major check is coming up and it isn’t worth that much post check, it might be worth it to the owner to have it broken down for spares.  As airframes get older, this decision is more obvious.

Kemble is the location where a lot of this happens.  From the airfield or from the road that passes by, you can see a line up of aircraft that are unlikely to ever fly again.  They will be progressively stripped of their most valuable parts.  They may hang around like this for a long time with bits being gradually taken off as they are demanded by other operators.  Eventually, there will be little left of value and the scrap metal will become the most valuable thing that they have to offer.  Then they will be cut up.  It is a safe process for an aviation enthusiast but a normal part of the life cycle of an aircraft.  If you are in the area, head by to see what is there.