MACE - Media Archive for Central England

[Al R]

MACE is a programme to digitise the old ATV commercial TV archive for the Muddlelands. When they get round to the rest of them, there looks like some interesting stuff - did the Americans really visit Cottesmore in 1982 with a view to buying it? There seems to be some gems tucked away - frustrating that so many pieces have yet to be digitised and that so many are silent. This piece from 1979 looks appropriate right now; shame you can't see it just yet.

Lancaster Bomber - Larry Harris report from RAF Coningsby where an extensive refit has been carried out on the last remaining flying Lancaster Bomber, The City of Lincoln, after it was discovered that metal rivets had corroded, making the aircraft..

Anyway..

Media clip (http://www.macearchive.org/Archive/Title/617-the-last-days-of-a-vulcan-squadron/MediaEntry/329.html)

The last days of a Vulcan sqn (617) 1982

Media clip (http://www.macearchive.org/Archive/Title/midland-montage-15091960-black-arrows/MediaEntry/582.html)

Apposite in light of the restored Hunter this week, from 1960 and ".. not half as frightening as driving in Birmingham rush hour traffic" Bob Gillman interviews Squadron Leader Peter Latham of 111 Squadron, the 'Black Arrows', aerobatic display team.

Media clip (http://www.macearchive.org/Archive/Title/midlands-news-02081963-chelsea-pensioners-at-raf-tern-hill/MediaEntry/6294.html)

Chelsea pensioners have a flight in a helicopter 1963

Media clip (http://www.macearchive.org/Archive/Title/midlands-news-27011967-vip-treatment-for-dustman-at-raf-ternhill/MediaEntry/10074.html)

VIP treatment for a dustman at Ternhill 1967. What was that all about??

Media clip (http://www.macearchive.org/Archive/Title/midlands-news-30111962-jet-planes-being-broken-up/MediaEntry/5659.html)

Jets being broken up 1962 (Javelins?)

Media clip (http://www.macearchive.org/Archive/Title/midlands-news-27111962-naafi-new-shop-opened/MediaEntry/5649.html)

NAAFI opens at Shawbury 1962 - there's some life left in those loaves yet.

Media clip (http://www.macearchive.org/Archive/Title/midlands-news-14101966-the-red-arrows-off-to-the-middle-east/MediaEntry/9749.html)

Red Arrows set off for the Middle East 1966.

[Krystal n chips]

" This piece from 1979 looks appropriate right now; shame you can't see it just yet.

Quote:

Lancaster Bomber - Larry Harris report from RAF Coningsby where an extensive refit has been carried out on the last remaining flying Lancaster Bomber, The City of Lincoln, after it was discovered that metal rivets had corroded, making the aircraft..

It will be interesting to see that piece.

The work started in Jan / Feb 1978 and was, as far as I am aware, the first major to be carried out on the aircraft. A lot of the structural repair was carried out by 71 M.U. and I can safely say my own contribution, with others, was to rebuild the port flap....a labour of love to be more exact.

The upper surface of the mainplanes were "interesting" in that a lot of the rivets were mag.alloy, a fetching shade of green, but which had been there for some considerable time.....as in nobody really had a clue at the time.

To say they were corroded woud be an understatement as the heads of many were removed by simply pushing and picking with the Mk1 finger and thumb.

I just wonder therefore, at one point in the repair, the piece was filmed.

[airsound]

Thanks for posting, Al. What a great archive

I loved the piece with Pete Latham. I had the great pleasure of serving under him at 38 Gp (no jokes please) - he the Gp Capt SASO, I a Flt Lt, both of us under the great Micky Martin as AOC.

Despite it being my first ground tour, and also the fact that my immediate boss was a CU Next Thursday of the highest order, Pete L and Mickey M made it a never-to-be-forgotten great tour. For some reason best known to Their Airships, they even promoted me out of it.....

airsound

[Al R]

It makes a nice change from the BBC/Pathe archives doesn't it? This one is a lot more rewarding in terms of quality/sound/quantity, etc.

East Anglian Film Archive (http://www.eafa.org.uk/search.aspx#&&page=1&navid=&psize=10&text=RAF)

This particular clip from the above celebrates Cranwell in 1964.

East Anglian Film Archive: RAF Cranwell, 1964 (http://www.eafa.org.uk/catalogue/214104)

East Anglian Film Archive: Anglia News: Prince Charles Receives his Wings at Cranwell, 1971 (http://www.eafa.org.uk/catalogue/139885)

[Al R]

Brilliant.

East Anglian Film Archive: About Anglia: Battle of Britain Anniversary Preparations at RAF Coltishall, 1961 (http://www.eafa.org.uk/catalogue/110556)

Youngest sqn Lightning pilot, Flying Officer Vaughan Radford and some nice footage of Spitfire PM631. Fire retardation foam; 16 shillings a gallon, and an interesting chat about how the cost is justified; did he really say that 'only' 60 RAF units would be taking part in 1961?

Vaughan Radford (http://74squadron.org.uk/Vaughan%20Radford.htm)

[Wander00]

Air Cdre Lyne in 64 ((my second year) was very interesting. His son, Sir Roderick, is of course a former Ambassador (ISTR to Moscow), and a Member of the Iraq Inquiry