RAF Museum Hendon
Visited on Thursday for the first time in 30? years....
Now, call me a grumpy old git but.... I couldn't help but be struck by the fact that despite pushing this whole RAF 100 thing, they haven't finished their re-organisation or displays yet - shouldn't that have all been completed by the time the 'celebratory year' began?
And having been (re-)inspired by the excellent Spitfire film, aired in cinemas recently and equally saddened and yet inspired by the lives and deaths of Geoffrey Wellum, Tom Neill and Mary Ellis, i was expecting an amazing Battle of Britain display..... which isn't finished..
A real shame. The Claude Grahame-White building and WW1 display is excellent and really well put together. The 'old' main building is still full of all the fantastic machines I remember, plus others.... although not finished... But what has happened to the galleries full of paintings and aeronautical memorabilia, all so fascinating to spend time browsing through? Offices now.
The entrance area and 'old' Battle of Britain hall is now a fairly uninspiring display area apart from the Sunderland and the 'new' H6 hangar, 'the RAF in the 90s and a time of uncertainty...wtf?' is poor. The space is badly used and the displays are.... crap. With a pointless USAF replica C130 nose in there. More aircraft could be displayed and it seems to have lost the point of the RAF and is more of a blown up recruiting office for all trades..
..and don't get me started on the mickey mouse logo on the tat in the shop...
Anyway, rant over.