In the mid 1960s I cycled to Lasham on most weekends. Unlike Treaders, I would approach from the northern road (the one past the gliding centre).
I would introduce myself to whoever appeared to be in charge, and was always welcomed for a walk around the hangars, with a good look around any a/c in for servicing. The only exceptions to this were when a pressurisation test was being performed on an Ambassador, and on one occasion when a Heron (4X-ARK) was in the main hangar.
I witnessed several engine runs on Ace Freighters DC4s in for service (GASEN, G-APEZ if my memory serves me correctly after a few decades!) whereby I would be allowed to stand alongside "the chap with the fire extinguisher".
Ambassadors, DC3s, Bristol Freighters, Argonauts and DC4s...the Comets came later...
Happy days indeed!
In 1964, before my regular visits to the airfield, I undertook a Boy Scouts' "1st Class Hike" which involved producing a report of the Air Scout activities at Lasham. This just happened to be the weekend when York G-ANTK arrived to be readied for use as the Air Scout Centre bunkhouse.The York's last trip (so I was told) was to convey a load of monkeys...whatever, it stank to high heaven!
I was photographed in front of the York, the photo subsequently appearing on the front cover of "Scout" magazine in 1965 (...will endeavour to find original print...).
Nowadays, with security/ health and safety considerations paramount, it is simply not possible to access Lasham in the manner which I have described above.
I feel privileged to have enjoyed the company of those employees of Danair who, by various means, helped preserve part of our nation's aviation heritage.