"Main Point" (Archive 25).Main Point Newsletter Archived 1st February 2010.
Make a New Year's Resolution
...to contribute to the 74th Entry Website.
[Ed: A bit of light reading from Slim Hodson.]
Slim's: Triumphant Life Story.
My first bike and I expect we all remember that one, was a BSA 350cc B31 model. The year was 1955 and I was still under training in the RAF. As an enthusiast for all things mechanical, especially engines, I, like many of my peers, wanted a motorbike. Although not allowed by regulations, it was kept some three miles away from the camp on a farm. As soon as I was qualified as a Junior Technician (one stripe) and posted to RAF Lynham, I bought my first Triumph. This was a 1951 Speed twin (5T) in April 1956.
After a year, I and some friends (Corky as well) were enthused by the Vincent mark and so I bought a 998 Rapide and then a Black Knight. Then the publicity, I believe in the green or blue magazine, led me to Triumph again. How many times have I been asked "why did I sell"?
1958 was memorable as I was courting and the T100C, a new model, first available in 1957, was to become mine in June 1958. This was a rapid bike for its day and a very high revving machine. I still consider this one the best looking models along with the T110 of that time.
I still have the road test in the green one today. I particularly liked the manual ignition to retard the spark at slow running!
Not with any prior reason I swapped it for a T21 at the dealer's after four months and 7,500 miles. This 350 had come from the factory and was registered as YWD 21 a Coventry registration. The clutch cable broke as I left the 1958 motorcycle show at Earls Court. Suffice to say it was underpowered and by March 1959 I picked up a new T100 registration TAM 170. This was in the optional black and cream colour scheme. This was to be my last Triumph before marriage and was sold in September 1959.
With the news about the demise of Triumphs, I bought a new TSS on 16th April 1983. Here began my born again biking and membership of TOMCC. Following this and overlapping a T160, Thunderbird 6T, in 1991 a new 750 Daytona from Hinckley, T140 Bonnie, 1958 T110 ( four years to find this), Hinckley Trident 900, Hinckley T595, Hinckley Trophy 900 with Headingham chair, a 2001 Hinckley 900 legend TT and a 1958 T120 Tangerine dream. I make those 15 trumpets in all and over 100,000 triumphant miles.
Slim Hodson (74th).
RAF Halton Ex-brat Stories.
The latest Member's Autobiography is from 588543 Stan Norris (74th Entry - Airframe). He has only recently found us and has now joined the 74th Entry Association I believe. Please consider submiting your own stories. Who was it who said "Your stories must live on?" Perhaps it was me - or somebody else. But seriously let's have some more stories.
Stan Norris of The 74th Entry.
"The euphoria of the 28th of March 1956 graduation parade still hung in the air when eleven of us returned to Halton after leave to await our drafts to FEAF (Far East Air Force) and MEAF (Middle East Air Force). Not much was required from us by Admin Wing. We drifted around not doing very much, I remember late breakfasts at the White Heather Cafe on some days and the odd guard duty at the airfield and then it was off to Innsworth for kitting out etc. and for me the next step in an RAF career which lasted until the 28th of April 1992."
To read more go to The STAN NORRIS AUTOBIOGRAPHY.
Or to read more autobiographies go to the MEMBERS AUTOBIOGRAPHY SECTION.
Welcome to Concorde: Tony Merry Reports.
[Photograph by Tony Merry.]
Present were: Messers Abbott, Allsepp, Chappelle, Gale, Grundy, Hodson, Merry, Noel, Raby, Roach, Telfer, Wright, Young, and all Mesdames except Merry, Noel and Young.
Informal Gathering 11/12/13 September 2009.
We gathered at the Walton Park Hotel in Clevedon late on the Friday afternoon and repaired to a local pub for the evening meal as the hotel was hosting a formal function that evening.
Rolls Royce Heritage Centre at Patchway.
On Saturday morning, nine of us, and six ladies, had a tour of the site near Bristol. This tour was very interesting to us all particularly because seven of us are sooties! We had lunch at a local pub, The Moon and Sixpence. It opened at noon after our loud knocking and insistence that we were bona fide travellers desirous of sustenance and produced ale and fodder in good measure. We then proceeded to the British Aerospace site at Filton.
British Aerospace site at Filton.
At Filton we were given a minibus tour of the site ending by Concorde Visitor Centre where we experienced "Mach 2 flight at 57000 feet"! It was explained that when flying across the Atlantic to New York the only in-flight entertainment aboard G-BOAF or any of her sisters, apart from eating and drinking, was to watch the displays on the forward bulkhead that indicated the Mach number, the altitude and the external air temperature.
The two by two visit to the cockpit, due to space restrictions, highlighted the fact that Concorde grew six inches in overall length due to the heating of the airframe caused by the friction of the extremely cold air passing over her at such high speed. Wedged between the Engineer's panel and the adjacent bulkhead is the Engineer's hat that was worn on Alfa Foxtrot's last flight from London Heathrow to Filton with a Mach 2 circuit of the Bay of Biscay en route.
It was autographed by the Captain, the First Officer, the Engineer and sundry VIP passengers and positioned as described. As the aircraft cooled so the hat became irrevocably trapped for posterity.
Contact Info.
To arrange the visits described contact:
Concorde at Filton, PO Box 77, Bristol, BS99 7AR.
Rolls Royce Heritage Trust, pete.pavey@rolls-royce.com
Website:
Breakfast and Home.
We had an excellent Table d'Hote dinner at the hotel on the Saturday evening, and after a full English breakfast we departed for home on the Sunday morning.
Tony Merry (74th).
Another Google Hit.
The following email is another example of people finding our website through a google search. I have replied asking for pictures and comment for the website:
"Hi Joe,
I found your link on Google search.
http://74th.co.uk/aircraft/airpics/tigermoth.jpg
"My Father owned a Tigermoth in the late '40's and early '50'. We have 16mm movies of it from in the aircraft during flight and some great pics too.
"Regards,
Gerry DeFrancisco"
Useful Link from Christopher Miles.
B.F.G Website.
http://www.bfgnet.de/
Interested? I was at Laarbruch = January 58 - March 1959
Christopher Miles. 588564
Andy Anderton Reports.
RAF Bomb Disposal Association Annual Reunion
I recently went on the RAF Bomb Disposal Association Annual Reunion and we had a very good day out at The National Memorial Arboretum.
It happened to coincide with the 50th Anniversary celebrations of the Berlin Airlift Association who had laid on several events including two bands and fly overs by various aircraft, including the first ever fly over of the memorial by the Red Arrows.
RAF Halton Grove visit.
While I was there I visited the RAF Halton Grove and my wife took the attached picture of me alongside the new plaque.
Andy Anderton. (74th).
News Items and Stories Needed.
[Editor] Please send me any news items or stories that may be of interest to members of the 74th Entry Association or any other visitors to the 74th Entry Website.
Joe Bosher (74th).