I can remember listening to a documentary on BBC about the M25. The gist of it was that when the original computer projections were done, the conclusion was that it should be built with four lanes all the way round. Then some comedian decided that with the huge increase in oil prices in the 1970s, they could get away with three lanes.
We all know what happened afterwards.
What did make me smile was the opening statement by the presenter of the programme.
"We are about to meet Mr Smith. Now not many of you out there will have heard of Mr Smith but he is the gentleman who is in charge of the M25. If you don't think that is important then consider this. He has the undivided attention of more people sitting and standing still than the Pope".
It made me smile.
As to the two DC-4s at North Weald; I haven't been up close to them for some years and one of them was leaking like a sieve even then. My very first co-pilot in the RAF in 1966 was a South African and we have been best friends ever since. He flew the SAA Historical Flight DC-4s (and DC-3s and Ju-52) until age defeated him. He came over to stay with me last year and we had a day at Duxford. On the way back I offered to take him into North Weald to look at the DC-4s. He declined; he reckoned that the sight would break his heart.