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Saturday September 21st 2013
Saturday September 21st 2013
Only three of us attended the 11th Triennial this year thereby boosting the ex-Apprentice numbers to 950! Two fine fellows are shown in the photo left approaching "That Hill" again for only the second time in 45 years. Of course you can see them, they're right in the middle under the rooks banner!
Look, here they are!!
We had a wander round the Groves Mess where work is under way for the new James McCudden Flight Heritage Centre, planned to open in 2014. We also had a look at the displays in the Burton indoor drill facility and found Rosie busy selling a Bleriot on the museum stand.
This year, the Station celebrated 100 years since the first aircraft landing. Halton was on loan to the army in 1913 and they were holding manoeuvers supported by No3 Squadron R.F.C.
It started when an F20 Henri Farman aircraft touched down on a September afternoon on a sheep pasture in Halton owned by Alfred Rothschild, the date, Thursday September 18th 1913, and it marked the start of 100 years of flying on the estate. The aircraft landed on a temporary airfield, which later became known as Maitland Parade Square.
A leisurely lunch was taken in the Henderson Mess and then we had to form up in threes, fours and disorderly gaggles for the march round the parade square and eventually down the hill. The parade was dismissed at St George's Church and from there we made our way home.
The video above was taken by Les Garden (103rd) one of the Museum's curators. Thanks go to him for giving us Rooks his permission to use it.
(John and Dave, you turn up at 5.50 for a few seconds.)
The overwhelming sound in it (after that of the pipe band and the DIs) is chat and laughter which adequately sums up the day.
I hope to see you at the next one in 2016.
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