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Battlefield
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Flying Legends taking to the sky yesterday, but today we viewed legends of the air at the Shuttleworth Collection at Biggleswade. 0845 from our hotel and it was not long before we were driving through this beautiful green tinged countryside on our way to the Shuttleworth Collection. Today was model planes day and we were early to miss the crowds, which we did.
Richard Ormonde Shuttleworth began the Collection with his passion for vintage aircraft and their restoration and also his love of motor vehicles. Today 6 hangars are home to vintage aircraft from 1909 - the 1950s, some of which are the last airworthy examples of their type, alongside vintage vehicles, classic motorcycles and agricultural exhibits. All the aircraft in the Collection fly, there are no static models.
A very interesting collection is that of the buses and one in particular, the 1927 Leyland SG7 White Rose, which we say being taken out of its garage as it was to be used offering rides on the estate for those viewing the Modellers flying their planes. The White Rose is the only surviving example of a maximum capacity single deck bus of the 1920s, now considered completely unique. Found by steam enthusiast Mick Jones, in use as a farm trailer with water tank in North Wales and the body had been removed and used as a static caravan. It had been damaged by fire and was rescued by Mike Sutcliffe MBE who found the correct missing mechanical parts and the restoration was completed in 2002. The bus was acquired by the Shuttleworth Collection in 2004 and has appeared in the London to Brighton Race, which it won in 2002 and has won much since. The White Rose is a great attraction for Brides on their Wedding Day.
Following our time at the Shuttleworth Collection we changed our plans for the day as the airfields that we were planning to visit for Bob, as his old friend had served there, were no longer accessible due to one being a quarry and the other an industrial centre and there was a fertilizer plant located in the centre. So, we went for a drive and search out a little Country Pub. Chequers at Wrestlingworth was found in a little village so we stopped there for lunch. Ploughman's lunches were consumed by most but Phillip had the Beef Roast, it was Sunday after all and every Pub would have had a Sunday Roast on the Menu. After lunch we said goodbye to the Pub owners, a very lovely couple and returned to our hotel for a rest as tomorrow we head back to London and Henden.
Graham Fleeton
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© Battlefield History Tours ABN 74107857705, PO Box 201, Northmead NSW 2152, AUSTRALIA, Phone: 1300 450 436 or +61 412 399 693
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