UK Airfields - Worth Fighting For?

The following was posted on the Flypast Forum...

Obviously our aviation heritage isn’t as important an issue as saving the planet or fighting poverty or indeed improving everyone’s heath, but how important is our aviation heritage? Furthermore, what do you think needs to be done to improve our lot and also [if needed] how do you improve awareness?

We go on about this aircraft being scrapped and that aerodrome being bulldozed and I certainly go on about RAF Driffield, but is it really important an issue to bang a drum or get worked up over?

That said, I really have a problem with Spitfire culturati – those who are appeased or won over (or indeed conned) by the sight and sounds of the icons of the Battle of Britain. Our aviation heritage extends beyond the contours of the Spitfire and indeed beyond the majesty of PA474.

I despise many who see our decaying aeronautical heritage as nothing more than a reason to adventure out in the country – more than willing to drink from the cup without ensuring the well doesn’t run dry.

Off course, there are our heroes – both minor and legendary – all of whom have added to (or rather have saved, rescued, maintained) the total (remaining) sum of our aeronautical heritage. But is it really worth it?

I wouldn’t for one moment suggest that I am on the verge of a nervous breakdown over Driffield or the enevitable demise of G-BEPS (?) but I do feel that (a) I could have done more and (b) those we rely on could have done more. I am tired and in need of a break from it all. I am tired not because it’s a hopeless cause. I am angst because (a) no one cares or listens and (b) those I rely on (English Heritage, et al) have sold our heritage down the river (that’s putting it very mildly).

I’m neither suggesting that we run riot or take up the exploits of Fathers for Justice, but we are starting the beginning of the end. Our aeronautical heritage is clearly defined. We know the start date (early 1900s) and as our aviation industry is a shadow of its former self, we know that there will be little to add beyond what still flies today. Yet, the few aerodromes that remain intact (less than a dozen) are on the verge of redevelopment, while the last of the few remaining transport aircraft await the chop. Whereas the arts (inclusive of theatre, ballet and galleries) rely less on begging and more on those holding the purse strings being closely associated with (or being part of) the arts establishment, we have to fight for every penny. Unless we act now that little that does remain will be lost.

We can all dream. I can easily spend £50m year in – year out – for ten years. I would like to see the RAF Transport Museum at Brize Norton or how about National Aviation Gallery (an extension of the Science Museum) – as mighty (100 plus airframes) and popular and iconic as the NASM in Washington DC. There are established museums in dire need of financing.

We could have all these and more – not because our aerodrome heritage is as important an issue as saving the planet or fighting poverty or indeed improving everyone’s heath, but because our aerodrome heritage IS IMPORTANT as the arts or sport or other sectors of our heritage (transport or industrial). We simply need to fight for a larger slice of the cake, without being apologetic or subservient. Sadly, no one is prepared to bang the drum. That said I honestly don’t blame them. From a personal perspective there is nothing more soul-destroying that being ignored or ridiculed for fighting for what is right.

Hi

In terms of are they worth preserving, I personally think some are (Coltishall being a good example) although we can't preserve them all. Some things you just have to let go of.

I think you have to look at the state of the country at the minute and the attitudes of its government and local councils, if they don't care about it what can we do. Phillip you've been trying now for years to preserve Driffield and as you say it's sole destroying when no-one listens, I fear this is how it will always be. We can only hope developers pull out which is the case with a few airfields as mentions somewhere on this forum.

Yes everyone on here and other forums could sign petitions, etc but to what end they are mostly ignored anyway. Theres a good example of this at a seaside town where a petition of almost all resident was submitted to stop the building of a new 350 housing estate on common land, it was ignored and building was going to commence, it had to be taken to the high court where it was stopped, however there was a statement from the local council that said the project is still going ahead with slightly different plans to get around the reason it was stopped which had something to do with wildlife. It just don't matter what the people want if money can be made, the people will be stepped over.

At the end of the day money talks in this country if an airfield can be sold and a developer can build & sell 500 - 1000 homes at for example £170,000 -£300,000 each thats a lot of money and worth a lot more 'IT SEEMS' in this day and age than an old overgrown useless airfield. We are only a minority of people who feel the way we do, to the average Joe they wouldn't care.

That's just the way it is, doesn't matter what the people think anymore, if the councils/government and developers want to destroy the aviation history of the country they will no matter what.

We could all fight until our last dieing days and get absolutely nowhere

Time and again i read about the destruction of either entire sites (Watton) or at the least buildings (Horshams Guard House) yet we on this forum seem to be the only people who get angry about it, speak to "Joe" and he doesn't seem to care as he gets a new house from it or a place to do business from.
These places were built in the 20's-40's and in my eyes deserve to be saved for future preservation, why should the only place you will be able to see these sites are in a book, if nothing else they should be kept as a memorial to those who fought from there to give us what freedom we have today.
As PNK wrote i feel the majority see these places entirely differently, Duxford to them is a place full of dusty old aeroplanes, some probably don't even know that they are visiting an old airfield let aloan its significance.

I think when an old airfield gets redeveloped it can sometimes be a positive even though it means the loss of the flying area and some of the smaller buildings.It is here that pressure needs to be directed.I would rather see Coltishall turned into a set of of industrial units than an eco town where the whole lot is destroyed.Some developers such as those at Watton couldn't care less about the history of the site and succeeded where the luftwaffe didn't.However there are postives.Look at Little Rissington,West Raynham,Swinderby,Hemswell and Binbrook.Fortunately the Army know a good thing when they see it and take over many sites and unwittingly do more to preserve disused aifields than English heritage ever have.

Bear in mind this government seems intent on destroying the current armed forces(have a look at www.uknda.org and you will be shocked at how bad things have got)so its not going to worrry about what they now call a brown field site .

Balders, I woudn't say the army preserve everything, look at Woodbridge, very little left there that was RAF / USAF. Even less left from the wartime days, it is all new build there from what I understand

REF wrote:

Balders, I woudn't say the army preserve everything, look at Woodbridge, very little left there that was RAF / USAF. Even less left from the wartime days, it is all new build there from what I understand

And conversely at Leconfield they knocked down a C type, as Phil knows!

NJR

Balders wrote:

[SNIP] However there are positives. Look at Little Rissington, West Raynham, Swinderby, Hemswell and Binbrook. [SNIP] .

Hold me back, hold me back...

Swinderby - as butchered by the same chaps who bought RAF Driffield. At Swinderby everything on the domestic side of the base was demolished - nothing remained and they built hundreds of houses and the slaughter continues. The airfield is to be used for gravel extraction, while the airfield buildings are likely to be demolished.

Binbrook. If there is one incident that effected our ability to "Preserve through Sympathetic Redevelopment” it was the sale of former RAF Binbrook. Getting it right is an art form. What happened at Binbrook? Well someone bought the site for peanuts (ready salted, I think), then sold the houses for Cashew Nuts. No attempt was made to upgrade the services and the whole thing became a mess. Even now there are buildings abandoned and vandalised. It made life hell for those who wanted to work with the existing buildings on other sites. Binbrook if not the way forward.

West Raynham. Good prospects. A few months ago I wrote to Roger Gawn the owner – enclosing a copy of Death of an Aerodrome. I was hoping that he and the previous owner would consider taking on Driffield, but I didn’t even get a “thank you for the book…” response.

I wrote a book and have printed around 20 copies (@ £4.50), which I give FREE to those with clout. NOT ONE PERSON EVER THANKED ME FOR SENDING THEM A COPY OF MY BOOK. I don’t mind if they turn round and say my book is rubbish or “I’ve filed it in the bin…”, but to hear nothing…

Oh, my book is available from my website: www.driffieldaerodrome.co.uk .

NOT A GOOD DAY: I wrote the following for the Flypast Forum:

I’ve just come back from Driffield and the former RAF camp located a few miles to the south-west of the market town. I try [not] to visit the site maybe once or twice a year. I use to charge my batteries, but now I feel mentally drained.

Most of the buildings survive on this expansion period aerodrome and are in fair condition (we've all seen worse being restored on Grand Designs). The site was sold for redevelopment last year and the future looks bleak for RAF Driffield.

You know how frustrating it is when you know you are right. Indeed imagine being told YOU ARE right, but are powerless to do anything other than watch greed dictate the outcome. Thinking, thinking all the time. How can I save RAF Driffield? Not for some egotistical reason but because it is the right thing to do.

And at the back of your mind is the realisation that you are on your own, because the unmentionable expletives don’t want to know, while those you rely on have walked away.

I met some interesting people today – maybe three or four, all of whom were disgusted at the fate that awaits RAF Driffield. And it gets worst. About a year ago I was told that the Army Cadet Force enclave, which consists of the guardroom, station headquarters, sick quarters and one accommodation block were safe, though the AFC (and ATC) would be relocated to another part of the site. I am now told that when the cadets move out, the aforementioned buildings, which are in good condition and well maintained, will be demolished. Furthermore to make way for the new cadet centre, the officer’s mess will be demolished. Not good news.

It’s about greed. Now I can restore most of the buildings and build new houses and make a profit, but property development is about making as much money as possible. The owners of RAF Driffield have already messed up Swinderby and await to trash RAF Upwood. AND THEY ARE SEEN AS MODEL DEVELOPERS BY THE MOD.

That’s what happens when fascist developers are given the green light to muck about with YOUR heritage, but who cares? It’s Saturday night and time for the nation to get pissed and urinate against the nearest war memorial. It happens quite regularly in Hull and it, like the apathy that will result in the demise of Royal Air Force Station Driffield, sickens me.

I feel like kicking off big style, because how else are you to make people aware? But what to do? Go over the top and your ostracised and labelled a nutter. Too late, some of you maybe saying...

I know a lot of you who…

…no, I better bite my tongue (for now).

Phil Rhodes

Oh, I’m currently working on a number of podcasts – COMING SOON.

Fair point everyone.Having not seen the places I mentioned just after they closed it makes it diffucult to see how much they have been ruined.Having said that I am going by what happened at Hawkinge,West Malling,Ford,Detling,Gravesend,Kenley and Tangmere.Compared to what has happed to these bases Binbrook,Swinderby etc etc have come off very lightly.The only base in corner of England that looks anthing like original is Biggin Hill.

I fully agree with your sentiments Philip, i was told on good authority that the plan with Upwood is this. They aren't allowed to do anything with the site until 2012, so they let the toerags run riot smashing up the place, suddenly someone notices what a state it's become and the dangers the place poses so said company say " my word you're right, we can't have little Jonny F@@@wit getting hurt so we'd better pull it all down to make the place safe. Oh my, now we have a large empty space, how about that permission to build those rabbit hutches we want to build. "
The local authority say yes and thats that. Apparently some company is sniffing around an area opposite the main site with a view to building loadsa hovels.
Also to let you know what contempt some people have for our heritage, the original WW2 Braithwaite Water Tower at Sculthorpe was due to have a preservation order put on it, just as this was to come to fruition it " fell down " this happened 6 weeks ago. The site now has pikeys on it. Nice !!!!