tomlinson

Anyone have memories of the 'Dancing Slipper' and the 'Trent Bridge Inn' (TBI)? They had some good bands at these places during the Trad' Jazz' boom of the sixties.

I used to go out with a girl on Harwill Crescent and knew another two on Maltby Close. I lived on Tunstall Crescent.

I was in Nottingham recently for the first time for ages. There are a couple of Chinese restaurants where the Parliament St. Co-op used to be, and very good too, but I do remember the old store used to have an excellent record department. My missus used to do a spot of modelling there (the store, not the record department). I remember the early day 'Beatles' appearing at the co-op the same night as I went to see Chris Barber at the Albert Hall.

You're right. The aircraft I described as a Lightning was a P1B. Those were the days before it was christened Lightning. You can see a P1A at RAF Cosford. It stands next to a Bristol 188. What a pair!

Yes, I remember the Vulcan B1 you refer to; myself and friends used to cycle to Hucknall to watch it. I read somewhere, 'Flight' magazine I think, that the crew who suffered the accident was one of two 'on loan' RAF crews. The investigation of the accident revealed that the aircraft had 'exceeded the safe speed 'g' flight envelope' and this caused the wing to disintegrate; there was no design fault. I arrived at the Syerston display shortly after the accident. The wreckage was (mercifully) almost totally confined to the airfield at the opposite end to the visitors. There were many interesting

No pictures of anything very much I'm afraid. Just got on with what came next.

Can't remember the exact year but you might be interested to know that amongst the demonstration aircraft at Newton was a Vulcan! We were told, quite seriously, that it had been flown in. Also of interest was a Bloodhound gate guard under which some wag lit the grass to confuse the police.

Hesitate to refer to my days in the RAF as 'Glory Days' but they were mostly good ones. I joined in 1965; basic training at Swinderby; held precourse at Syerston-Jet Provosts; Elec. Mech training at Newton; (Notice how I kept getting closer to Nottingham?); posted to West Raynham to join 1 Sqdn, worked on Hunters Mk 9; Tripartite Kestrel Sqn was there (Managed to get a trip in a T7 out in El Adem); Fitters Course at Newton-Elec and Instrument trades; Maintenance Unit Sealand (Dump); Malta TASF; Honington Buccaneers; Swanton Morley; Cottesmore Tornado; Swanton Morley --- left RAF to work at KLM

Happy days! I seem to remember one year when Supermarine Attackers featured in the show, taking off from the grass runway.

Went to the last Farnborough and apart from the Airbus 380 and the Bruntingthorpe Vulcan, it wasn't worth the effort. For some rare jet research aircraft and wartime aircraft, try RAF Cosford.

I served 23 years in the RAF and now live in Norfolk, just over an hour from Duxford, and less from Mildenhall and Lakenheath. There is also an airfield at Old Buckenham, about twenty minutes down the road where the occasional Boeing Steerman is flown. Good to see aircraft designed with a sharp pencil and not by a computer.

Talking of aircraft, anyone remember the great air displays at RAF Newton in the fifties?

That would be about the time my elder brother Alan left. Mr Gunn was headmaster for a brief time after I arrived and Mr North was his deputy. I left around 1959/60. My sister Betty attended the Senior Girls school during the early fifties.

I've seen one or two of the following Willam Crane Sec Boys teachers mentioned but some of these go a bit further back than those previously mentioned. Headmasters: Mr(Ben)Gunn. Mr Pedley (The best) Mr (Ferd)Henton (Teachers) Mr Arthur Salmon (The best teacher I ever had); Mr (Biffo) Everley; Mr Messenger; Mr Hunt; Mr Mitchell; Mr Austin Scott (American; Mr North; Mr Dryden; Mr Hardcastle; Mr Mitchum; Mr Benson; Mr Healey; Mr Jackson; Mr Johnson; Mr (Hoppylad) Hopkins; Mr Gammons; Mr Connell. Coupled with these, I well remember the Aspley Boys' Club under the charge of Gordon Cley (Skip)

I went to William Crane but I remember the dental clinic at Players. I heard a rumour that the dentists there went on trial at Nuremberg but this may not be true even though justified.