I was the son of an RAF Aircrew Officer with 43 years service and lived in Married Quarters between 1946 and 1970 at RAF Driffield, Hemswell, Waddington, Marham, Waterbeach, Watton, Tangmere, Khormaksar Aden, Wildenrath Germany and Northolt. After I left school and college after training as a surveyor in London l made a conscious decision to specialise in the purchase, preservation of not only married quarters but technical domestic and airfield sites. In 1979 Mrs Thatcher's government announced there were a surplus of MQ sites and disused airfields which were to be sold. After returning to the UK from our two housing schemes opposite the Pentagon Washington DC in 1980 I purchased the first site which comprised 127 former NCO quarters at RAF Faldingworth, north of Lincoln. As this was the first of our purchases I applied an American concept to these houses by the installation of a swimming pool and club house which were donated to all the buyers. The state was renamed The Virginia Estate as our offices were in Arlington Virginia and the roads renamed after areas around Washington such as Washington Drive, Prince William Road, Fairfax Road and so on. This proved very successful so I went on to acquire a further 35 sites over the following 30 years and include the following:
66 RAF & Army MQs RAF Ballykelly/Shackleton Barracks, Northern Ireland (Walworth Estate)
570 USAF MQs RAF Lakenheath, Suffolk. (Lords Walk Estate) Joint venture with Hodge Group
266 Hirings Tricomm Portfolio let to MOD located in Bristol & Bath
172 Married Quarters RAF West Raynham 185 acre airfield site including tech site & 4 hangars.
127 Married Quarters RAF Faldingworth, Lincs (renamed Virginia Estate)
133 Married Quarters RAF Middleton St George Durham (renamed Virginia Estate)
70 Married Quarters RAF Driffield, Yorks
80 Married Quarters RAF Colerne, Chippenham, Wilts (Thickwood Estate)
30 Married Quarters RNAS Yeovilton, Somerset (Hermes Place)
20 Married Quarters RNAS Yeovilton, Somerset (Lyster Close)
110 Married Quarters RN Chatham, Kent (Walderslade MQ’s)
20 Married Quarters Army Quarters, Barlow, Yorks
55 Married Quarters RAF Halton, Bucks
80 Married Quarters RNAS Eglinton, Londonderry (City Airport) Northern Ireland
60 Married Quarters RAF Brize Norton, Oxon
30 Married Quarters RNAS Portland, Dorset (Southwell)
30 Married Quarters RNAS Portland, Dorset (Easton)
Airfield & Tech. Site RAF Hemswell, Lincs
70 Married Quarters RAF Manby, Lincs (Siskin Crescent MQs)
42 Married Quarters RAF Brawdy, Dyfed (St Davids Estate Haverfordwest)
Bomber Command HQ RAF Bawtry, S.Yorks
22 Married Quarters RAF Hemswell, Lincs
70 Married Quarters RAF North Coates, Lincs. Airfield & 260,000 sq ft Tech.Site.
42 Married Quarters RAF Shotley Gate (HMS Ganges)
210 USAF MQs RAF Sculthorpe, Norfolk and 235 Acre Tech. Site
90 Army MQs Tidworth Garrison Wilts. (Perham Down MQs)
110 Married Quarters RAF Scampton, Lincs
101 Married Quarters RAF Harwell, Oxon (UKAEA housing)
93 Married Quarters RAF Finningley, Doncaster
300 USAF & RAF MQs RAF Bicester, Oxon
150 Married Quarters RAF Upwood, Cambs
50 Married Quarters RAF Linton on Ouse, Yorks
30 Married Quarters RAF Cranwell, Lincs
92 Married Quarters RN Rosyth, Edinburgh, Scotland
321 Officers NCO MQ RAF Kinloss, Forres. Scotland
144 USAF & RAF MQs RAF Edzell, Brechin, Scotland
If any other member would like further information on these sites I would be happy to try and help.
66 RAF & Army MQs RAF Ballykelly/Shackleton Barracks, Northern Ireland (Walworth Estate)
570 USAF MQs RAF Lakenheath, Suffolk. (Lords Walk Estate) Joint venture with Hodge Group
266 Hirings Tricomm Portfolio let to MOD located in Bristol & Bath
172 Married Quarters RAF West Raynham 185 acre airfield site including tech site & 4 hangars.
127 Married Quarters RAF Faldingworth, Lincs (renamed Virginia Estate)
133 Married Quarters RAF Middleton St George Durham (renamed Virginia Estate)
70 Married Quarters RAF Driffield, Yorks
80 Married Quarters RAF Colerne, Chippenham, Wilts (Thickwood Estate)
30 Married Quarters RNAS Yeovilton, Somerset (Hermes Place)
20 Married Quarters RNAS Yeovilton, Somerset (Lyster Close)
110 Married Quarters RN Chatham, Kent (Walderslade MQ’s)
20 Married Quarters Army Quarters, Barlow, Yorks
55 Married Quarters RAF Halton, Bucks
80 Married Quarters RNAS Eglinton, Londonderry (City Airport) Northern Ireland
60 Married Quarters RAF Brize Norton, Oxon
30 Married Quarters RNAS Portland, Dorset (Southwell)
30 Married Quarters RNAS Portland, Dorset (Easton)
Airfield & Tech. Site RAF Hemswell, Lincs
70 Married Quarters RAF Manby, Lincs (Siskin Crescent MQs)
42 Married Quarters RAF Brawdy, Dyfed (St Davids Estate Haverfordwest)
Bomber Command HQ RAF Bawtry, S.Yorks
22 Married Quarters RAF Hemswell, Lincs
70 Married Quarters RAF North Coates, Lincs. Airfield & 260,000 sq ft Tech.Site.
42 Married Quarters RAF Shotley Gate (HMS Ganges)
210 USAF MQs RAF Sculthorpe, Norfolk and 235 Acre Tech. Site
90 Army MQs Tidworth Garrison Wilts. (Perham Down MQs)
110 Married Quarters RAF Scampton, Lincs
101 Married Quarters RAF Harwell, Oxon (UKAEA housing)
93 Married Quarters RAF Finningley, Doncaster
300 USAF & RAF MQs RAF Bicester, Oxon
150 Married Quarters RAF Upwood, Cambs
50 Married Quarters RAF Linton on Ouse, Yorks
30 Married Quarters RAF Cranwell, Lincs
92 Married Quarters RN Rosyth, Edinburgh, Scotland
321 Officers NCO MQ RAF Kinloss, Forres. Scotland
144 USAF & RAF MQs RAF Edzell, Brechin, Scotland
If any other member would like further information on these sites I would be happy to try and help.