The 'Introduce yourself' Thread

A big welcome to the forum for you Ozzie:)

Welcome Malcolm, your reputation precedes you! I remember when FOTE newsletters were like gold and eagerly sought after. Attempts to join came to nothing when it was gently explained to me that FOTE was not really that organised!

Welcome Malcolm. Any update on what is happening at The Woodman? I heard it was for sale. Hope none of the memorabilia there is lost.

Hi WJT - The Woodman is still up for sale, but it's memorabilia will always be safe. The large round wooden Group Headquarters board belongs to me and is there on loan, as are some of the framed photographs. Sandy & Ian are good friends of the 55th and 398th and have assured me that nothing will be lost in any future sale.

However, it is a worry and we all hope that something is resolved eventually.

Next 398th reunion will be June 19th 2010 - Service of Remembrance at The Woodman Memorials 11.30am.

Ozzie - thanks for the update. After hearing that the Woodman was up for sale I was a little worried about the memorabelia, which I found fascinating. Some work colleagues and I have had meals there on a number of occasions and have always enjoyed ourselves.

Welcome Malcolm.

Look forward to reading your posts in the future.

Had a lovely walk/drive round station 131 the other weekend with Denis, Richard, Russ & Dom.
So much to take in plus the distractions of what cement water and sand can make!!!

We are looking forward to another trip early next year providing our good guide Russ can be let loose again.

Enjoy reading all the posts Malcolm.

Brian.

Dropping by to introduce myself. Live close to North Weald, Matching and Chipping Ongar, and have had loose links to both the latter. I have always been fascinated by these places, and their atmosphere of decay and of something significant having once happened, their secrecy and the huge skies.

As a boy I cycled with a schoolfriend to Matching, which was then pretty complete but abandoned, and spent an afternoon peering into old buildings and searching amongst the piles of aircraft and military vehicle relics. All gone now, but was bitten, and I never cease to be drawn by the almost magnetic attraction of the ghosts that seem to haunt many of the old airfields.

As an amateur photographer I spend much (too much) time trying to capture this elusive atmosphere, so I hope members will forgive me the occasional very undocumentary, but sometimes hopefully quite moody, photographic submission.



Toby

Welcome indeed Toby:), as Martin said what an atmospheric shot.

Thankyou both. Sadly it is not local, to us anyway - it is that extraordinary gem, virtually untouched since it closed in 1948, Upottery.

Welcome Toby

With photos like that you make make a few of us other 'amateurs' a little jealous!!! Great photo and I look forward to seeing a few more.

Welcome to the forum as well!!