RAF Leeming Pool

[beerdrinker]

Does the RAF Leeming CO's house still have a swimming pool or have Elf & safety filled it in.

Allegedly when the RCAF were there, there was a requirement for a number of Static Tanks on the Station. One was required to be near the Staish's Quarter so it was decided that instead of building a square tank with sloping sides to build a rectangular tank with straight sides in the back garden.

[newt]

Should think it was filled in years ago!! Shortly after you pulled me out:D

[David Thompson]

Can't see one using Google Earth but the rear garden appears to be in shadow . The CO's house is on the south side of The Square and is easily spotted !

[dctyke]

No, only grass. However it does have an amazing 40/50's giant ride on mower that is a marvel of engineering!

[BEagle]

Was this perhaps the location?:

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a341/nw969/Leeming.jpg

(South west corner of rear terrace)

[beerdrinker]

Beags,

Yes that looks like the place I tried to drown/rescue Newt.

Your photo seems to show the pool. Current Google (as mentioned by David Thompson) has that area in the shade.

Thanks,

BD

[BEagle]

BP, yes, the latest imagery does show shade.

Did you know that, if you put your cursor over the date box in the bottom left hand corner of Google Earth, then click on it, you can often find imagery from previous years:

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a341/nw969/imageoption.jpg

You will see a slider appear at the top left, which you can use to select whatever imagery is available for that location in earlier times. For example, this is Bradwell Grove as it was in 2004:

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a341/nw969/BG2004.jpg

And as it was some 60 years earlier:

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a341/nw969/BG1945.jpg

Some of the B&W mosaics are from later years than they indicate and often include some clever retouching to obscure sensitive items of the time!

[Chugalug2]

Beags, your 2004 and 1945 pictures are of RAF Broadwell, aren't they? I believe there was a military hospital in nearby Bradwell Grove. Or is the renaming a bit of a local Brize thing?
40th anniversary of RAF Broadwell (http://www.angelfire.com/ok4/broadwell/40thanv.htm)
AeroResource.co.uk • Home to the Aviation Enthusiast • (http://www.aeroresource.co.uk/articles/2009/broadwell/)

[NutherA2]

I've just spoken to the incumbent Station Commander of the mid-1980s & he confirms that it had indeed become an ex pool well before he got the job.

[beerdrinker]

Thanks NA2. It was in use in 1968 when Newt was there. Mind you when we arrived a lot of work and repainting was required as the previous incumbent preferred to keep ducks in it!!

Cheers,

BD

[BEagle]

Yes, my images were indeed of Broadwell disused aerodrome. Bradwell Grove is the wooded area immediately to the north....

...wherein lurketh the Beast of Burford, or so 'tis thought.....:eek:

Broadwell itself is a hamlet about 1.5nm south of the old aerodrome, just south of Kencot as can be seen on an old OS one inch map:

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a341/nw969/Broadwell.jpg


The habit of naming aerodromes using the name of a village quite close, but not immediately next to an aerodrome was quite a common policy, it seems. Hence Brize Norton aerodrome was not named 'Carterton', although some say that this was to avoid confusion with Cardington. The sort of confusion which led to a perplexed airman arriving at Brawdy instead of Bawtry, I gather.....

From the map, it seems that Carterton railway station wasn't particularly convenient for the village residents! Although they actually had the choice of 3 stations all within 2.1 miles of each other, before the line was Beechinged.

No doubt the swimming pool at Leeming was still in use when the late PCL was Stn Cdr there? When I did my pool drill at Leeming in 1974, we had to go to Northallerton baths - it would have been interesting to have witnessed any conversation between the CSRO and the PCL regarding the possible use of 'his' pool....