I worked up in the Shetland Isles in the ealry 1980's and used to drive through Auchterarder (where the Strathallan Collection was based) on my way to the ferry at Aberdeen. On one journey I was early enough to stop off at the collection which was unfortunately all locked up as it was only about 08:00.
Luckily from me a gentleman of certain years approached the gate from inside the Collection and advised me to come back later. I explained that I couldn't and we got chatting and it turned out that he had worked on Hurricanes during WW2. When I told him that my dad had started out as an airframe fitter on Hurris before going onto Halifaxes as flying crew he told me to jump over the gate and he'd show me around.
He was as good as his word and the highlight of the visit was climbing up through the fuselage of the Lanc and sitting in the pilot's seat. Looking out over the broad wings with their pairs of Merlins was amazing. Absolute magic memories which will stay with me to the grave.
What a crying shame that she was so badly damaged in Woodford and that Charles Church never lived to realise his dream of having 3 Lancasters flying.