Tue Apr 27, 2021 7:51 pm
#1843275
dangerous pete wrote:Does anyone know if the coal fired chippy at Upton near Sturgate is open on Saturdays yet?.
Yes it is
dangerous pete wrote:Does anyone know if the coal fired chippy at Upton near Sturgate is open on Saturdays yet?.
Iceman wrote:@aman5692, Kemble is NOTAM’d as no visiting ‘recreational GA aircraft’ until May 18th if you were thinking of flying in.
Iceman
A le Ron wrote:Peter Gristwood wrote:Well, if anyone is up for a trip to the Far SW, Dunkeswell's Aviator is open again, and the cake is great
Probably too far for most of you....
We were there on Saturday. It was desperately quiet.
Iceman wrote:The new PathFinder café is now open.
Iceman
Now the cafe is open it is worth reminding ourselves who it is named after. AVM Donald 'pathfinder' Bennett was born in Australia in 1910 and came to the UK to join the RAF aged 20. After five years service he joined Imperial Airways in 1935 and became a long distance record holder and an expert navigator. Initally in 1940 he was involved in setting up the north Atlantic ferry route before transfer to Bomber Command. In 1941 he was given the task of forming several 'pathfinder' squadrons to improve bombing accuracy. These elite squadrons would go in shortly before the main force to mark the target. Bennett became the youngest ever AVM aged 33 and would become as household name as 'Pathfinder' Bennett..
Post war Bennett was a director at short lived British South American Airways . He then formed his own airline, Fairflight, based at Blackbushe and participated in the Berlin Airlift. He became a MP for a short period and formed a sucessful car company called Fairthorpe. In 1961 he saved Blackbushe from extinction by purchasing the airport and fighting tooth and nail to keep it open. The 60's saw an acrimonious battle with local authourities, mostly which Bennett won. He later tried to force hampshire County Councils hand by making them buy Blackbushe but this fizzled out and he sold out to Doug Arnold in 1973.
Bennet then retired passed away in 1986. We have much to thank him for and I think he would approve of the cafe being associated with hime.
Lefty wrote:A le Ron wrote:Peter Gristwood wrote:Well, if anyone is up for a trip to the Far SW, Dunkeswell's Aviator is open again, and the cake is great
Probably too far for most of you....
We were there on Saturday. It was desperately quiet.
So was I - arrived about 12.15 had lunch and departed about 13.45.