Blimey. Haven't been on here in a while, and just noted how the photographic standards seem to have got higher than ever. Which is a bit of a hamfisted segue into introducing this report, that comes about because I have just had the good fortune to get a new camera, leading to a fond farewell to my trusty old EOS 350D. This camera was a real workhorse, and shot the bulk of the pictures in the 800 odd posts I have put up on DP in the last 5 years. It had survived being sat on by my not unsubstantial backside, being dragged through the mud in various mines and tunnels and of course the endless piss-taking of my fellow explorers (particularly Fluffy and Newage, who had hours of endless fun laughing at my inability to operate it properly).
Anyway, while I was sorting out the camera bag, ready to put my new gear in, I came across a memory card with a load of photos from Hawkinge on it. These were taken on a summer jaunt a couple of years ago, and I didn't upload them at the time because I thought people would rather see the shots that Newage took for his rather excellent BHQ website (http://www.battlehq.info/). As that site is now up and running, I thought I'd stick these up as an elegy to the 350D which took them, and as an advert for Newage's site, which you haven't visited yet, you should do.
Hawkinge was one of the main Battle of Britain airfields, home to several squadrons of Spitfires, but what remains of it is fast disappearing under housing development. When I was a kid, Hawkinge was a village that consisted of two houses and a bloke with a dog, but these days it seems to be about the same size as Wigan...
So these first ones are of the inside of one of the three BHQs , which is quite interesting, in that its a two storey one. I seem to remember that its become a receptacle for a lot of dog doo, but its still got its ladder and quite few other original features
Arse-clenchingly tight entrance opening which has largely been filled in:
First storey inside and then , looking down into lower storey
Down in the lower storey
Can't believe all three of this came down this without it turning to dust....
Not far away from the BHQs are these beauts. Firstly a Pillbox with a Bofors mounting still on the top. Crackin'!
And secondly, the base for a direction finder (DF). A while back someone ( I think it was The Archivist) did a post about the ones like this at Halnaker in Sussex. They were brick built at the bottom and the DF apparatus sat on top
Happy times. Goodbye trusty photographic friend. Thanks for looking
Godzy
Anyway, while I was sorting out the camera bag, ready to put my new gear in, I came across a memory card with a load of photos from Hawkinge on it. These were taken on a summer jaunt a couple of years ago, and I didn't upload them at the time because I thought people would rather see the shots that Newage took for his rather excellent BHQ website (http://www.battlehq.info/). As that site is now up and running, I thought I'd stick these up as an elegy to the 350D which took them, and as an advert for Newage's site, which you haven't visited yet, you should do.
Hawkinge was one of the main Battle of Britain airfields, home to several squadrons of Spitfires, but what remains of it is fast disappearing under housing development. When I was a kid, Hawkinge was a village that consisted of two houses and a bloke with a dog, but these days it seems to be about the same size as Wigan...
So these first ones are of the inside of one of the three BHQs , which is quite interesting, in that its a two storey one. I seem to remember that its become a receptacle for a lot of dog doo, but its still got its ladder and quite few other original features
Arse-clenchingly tight entrance opening which has largely been filled in:
First storey inside and then , looking down into lower storey
Down in the lower storey
Can't believe all three of this came down this without it turning to dust....
Not far away from the BHQs are these beauts. Firstly a Pillbox with a Bofors mounting still on the top. Crackin'!
And secondly, the base for a direction finder (DF). A while back someone ( I think it was The Archivist) did a post about the ones like this at Halnaker in Sussex. They were brick built at the bottom and the DF apparatus sat on top
Happy times. Goodbye trusty photographic friend. Thanks for looking
Godzy
