Guess the Place

[pete.mason]

Nettlestead Place?

[John Walker]

This church is outside the village that it belongs to.  A small village with about 800 residents.  The church is actually nearer geographically to a neighbouring village.
I would class it as mid Kent and rural but not that far from a town.

[John Walker]

Thanks Stuart


The blue plaque was my lead.  I looked at the overall shape of the wording and after a couple of hours trawling the net I found one that matched.  I then had to find where in West Malling it was.


Far more enjoyable than crosswords    and I learned from it as well.


(The oil terminal at Bridge has been demolished.  Interceptors had to be emptied on a regular basis due to the pipework/valves being at the end of life expectancy - always leaking and keeping the interceptor well fed)


Next one ....

[stuartwaters]

Darn it JW, I thought it would go for longer than that. You are correct.


Yes, we do on occasions do Interceptor Cleans, although I've not done any in Bridge. I've cleaned out the interceptors at Canterbury City Council's old depot a number of times, but not in that truck. That one is a specialised sewer cleaning and unblocking truck, something it is very good at.


Over to you (scowling in the corner 

[John Walker]

Wow!  That is some vehicle Stuart.  Do you uplift from interceptors at oil terminal?  I used to have a vehicle empty the interceptors at my oil terminal in Bridge on a regular basis.  I can't remember the company name but I'm sure it was in the Medway area.


First guess at your GTP - West Malling.  The building on the left is the Bull Inn and on the right is the home of the late William Perfect MD.

[castle261]

I remember Ray Hanna in one of the air show at Rochester.  I was standing alone at the Chatham
end of the airfield, when he did a run, south to north - towards me - I put out my arms ( like you do )
& waved them - then Ray waved the wings of the Spitfire - as he came over low.
 It made my day.

[stuartwaters]

Okay, these are my work wheels, a J Hvitved Larsen Super Recycler 312 on a Scania G450 chassis. The question is, which buildings are behind it? There are two possible answers, either will do.

[stuartwaters]

Hmmm, wasn't expecting that! Thanks John, I'll put one up tomorrow. I'm out and about in the County, so I'll take a piccy and post it.

[johnfilmer]

It was indeed Rochester, good guess Stuart. Over to you.

The plane had been rebuilt by MAPS (Medway Aeronautical Preservation Society?), with I believe a crated Packard Merlin.
We used to shoot on the old RAF range behind the main hangar and found the plane ready for its engine tests when we went to leave.
It was strapped down and Ray Hanna went through a large range of static tests with the plane bucking about, basically wanting to fly!
The noise from 50yds was incredible as we sheltered in the front of the hangar.

If you have never seen this, it is well worth a watch.

https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-d&q=low+spitfire+pass

[stuartwaters]

Frak it, I'll have a go, Rochester Airfield?

[stuartwaters]

That is a Photo-Reconnaisance variant of the Spitfire, operated by the US Army Air Forces during the Second World War. These unarmed variants of the Spitfire could fly higher and faster than the armed Spitfires and were among a small number of British types operated by the Americans. As to where, not a scooby.

[shoot999]

A229 it is Shoot999
Should be easy now ...

Can't remember what I was doing this morning, but can remember this from the once yearly journey down to Sussex to visit my grandparents in the 50s.   

[johnfilmer]

Afraid not JW.
Look carefully at the plane, it's a bit different.

[John Walker]

Quick guess - Biggin Hill ?

[johnfilmer]

I knew that I recognised the buildings. The next to the left is Radford's Estate Office, a very good customer for many years, I could not count the times that I've been there. It was just that I would always see them from the other end.
Where was I to take this photo? Early/mid 1990s I think, if that helps.