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Comet and Trident at Wroughton

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Comet and Trident at Wroughton

Old 7th Aug 2019, 17:39
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I made a Freedom of Information request as to what was happening to the large aircraft at Wroughton. They HAD to reply as it is their legal responsibility to do so.

Well surprise, surprise, they had only ONE offer and that was not practical so those aircraft are not moving. I think most of us could have told Blatchford that was a likely outcome., and, it only confirms that, so far as aviation is concerned, they haven’t got a clue and are totally unsuited to have charge of this element if our aviation heritage .

So Blatchford, wishes to increase public access to these aircraft, simple, old chap, reopen the neglected museum at Wroughton, not exactly rocket science.

As a comparison, two Brits are flying a Spitfire around the world, but is beyond the competence of the SM management to enable a glider recovery from an airfield, well messrs Melham and Moore, consider such an operation “ dangerous”. What utterly pathetic, snowflakes.

....and we taxpayer pay these guys !!!!!!
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Old 7th Aug 2019, 17:58
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Well I guess this kind of forces their hand if they wish to increase public access?
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Old 22nd Nov 2019, 09:37
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More extraordinary behaviour from M Moore at Wroughton.

On behalf of the Honourable Company of Air Pilots, I requested in a letter to the director, a visit to Wroughton to view our aviation artefacts.
Five weeks later I received a reply stating we have to wait 4 years before they can allow it. They claim to be too busy with their internal moves.

Compare:

We were recently invited to RAF Marham, which is going under considerable transformation and receiving the lead elements of the F35 force , a squadron and the OCU. The station commander there, STILL gave of his time and made the Company most welcome.

Under Moores “leadership “ he asks us to wait 4 years. What asinine stupidity.

Last edited by RetiredBA/BY; 22nd Nov 2019 at 10:34.
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Old 22nd Nov 2019, 14:38
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Methinks that Mr Moore has forgotten who pays his probably not inconsiderable salary
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Old 23rd Nov 2019, 14:20
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If Grant Shapps gets back into office in Transport, would alerting him to this shameful management of the nation's heritage be likely to assist in allowing public access.
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Old 29th Nov 2019, 19:58
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Originally Posted by happybiker
If Grant Shapps gets back into office in Transport, would alerting him to this shameful management of the nation's heritage be likely to assist in allowing public access.
Great idea, If, when Shapps gets back , I WILL be in contact with him,
The clueless muppets who have charge of the NMSI need to be called to account for their incompetence,

So far as aviation is concerned they are all utterly clueless.

Not sure Moore gets much of a salary. Peanuts, monkeys etc.
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Old 30th Nov 2019, 09:55
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Sorry to stretch the thread, a bit, but is this place the same as the old, location of Princess Alexandria's RAF Hospital , Wroughton. Near Swindon in Wiltshire ? Had the good fortune of being treated there in '68 but on a memory whizz about in the nineties , discovered that the Hospital location was now an Exec Estate. Wouldn't want to occupy the 4-bed. two bath, built on the site of what was the Hospital morgue !
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Old 4th Dec 2019, 09:35
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Originally Posted by Gordomac
Sorry to stretch the thread, a bit, but is this place the same as the old, location of Princess Alexandria's RAF Hospital , Wroughton. Near Swindon in Wiltshire ? Had the good fortune of being treated there in '68 but on a memory whizz about in the nineties , discovered that the Hospital location was now an Exec Estate. Wouldn't want to occupy the 4-bed. two bath, built on the site of what was the Hospital morgue !
Yes. On the site of the original hospital is the exec housing you observed as well as a large hotel named The Alexandria - which I have stayed in a couple of times and, it has to be said is very good.

Reading this thread is sickening - what the hell is going on at Wroughton? - sounds like gross incompetence.
Well done those in a position to put pressure on those who need it.

Is is possible to do some sort of petition / no confidence movement of some sort?
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Old 4th Dec 2019, 15:08
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I made a comment about this debacle in a letter to Flypast. Robert Pleming responded that the Air Heritage Working Group are on the case
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Old 4th Dec 2019, 18:33
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Originally Posted by Auxtank
Yes. On the site of the original hospital is the exec housing you observed as well as a large hotel named The Alexandria - which I have stayed in a couple of times and, it has to be said is very good.
Not wishing to be picky, but the hospital, hotel and princess (cousin of the Queen) are all Alexandra.

Alexandria is an Egyptian port, named after the town in Scotland.
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Old 4th Dec 2019, 20:05
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Originally Posted by DaveReidUK
Not wishing to be picky, but the hospital, hotel and princess (cousin of the Queen) are all Alexandra.
You are the king of picky and we'd be lost without you; it is indeed Alexandra Place Hotel - and Alexandra Hospital. Written earlier in haste.

Back to the subject in hand; Wander00, good to know.
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Old 5th Dec 2019, 09:03
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Thanks Auxtank & David. When I started out, I couldn't even spell Pilot. Now, I are one.
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Old 6th Dec 2019, 07:13
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Not wishing to be picky but my younger daughter was born in what was known as "PMH" for those who lived nearby.

Sadly a change in circumstances meant a move away from the Swindon area in the early 1990's (before the Designer Outlet shopping mall existed) but I do go back from time-to-time. It is very sad to see what has become of the Wroughton site, not sure what state it was in when I lived nearby but I never had the time or money to enquire about visiting back then. It was also a shock to find a massive new hospital had been built on the other side of town and the old Princess Margaret Hospital had been demolished - I don't recall a Princess Alexandra hospital nearby !

Apparently the new hospital had only the same number of beds as the old one and was soon full to capacity, little wonder in view of the way that Swindon has grown over the past 25 years
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Old 6th Dec 2019, 08:15
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Originally Posted by Paul Lupp
It was also a shock to find a massive new hospital had been built on the other side of town and the old Princess Margaret Hospital had been demolished - I don't recall a Princess Alexandra hospital nearby !
The two Princesses were about three miles apart as the crow flies, somewhat further by road.

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Old 6th Dec 2019, 15:38
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I did once fly a Canberra into Wroughton, 66/67 time. WD935,, still in black and grey and the 6th B2 buit. ISTR it was a couple of thousand pounds heavier than a standard B2, having been beefed up as the LABS trials aircraft. I believe it went to the St Athan museum, now closed and I think only the cockpit section survived
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Old 8th Dec 2019, 09:40
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WanderOO you ole boaster, albeit thoroughly enviable. For the "nostalgia " bit of the thread, I happen to know that Gordo went in to Wroughton in '68 in his Vauxhall Viva XL and fell, madly, for his nurse on Ward 10 !
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Old 8th Dec 2019, 12:00
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Originally Posted by Auxtank
Yes.

Reading this thread is sickening - what the hell is going on at Wroughton? - sounds like gross incompetence.
Well done those in a position to put pressure on those who need it.

Is is possible to do some sort of petition / no confidence movement of some sort?
It is indeed the gross incompetence, combined with proven dishonesty( I have the documentation to prove that) by the manager Matt Moore who has absolutely no idea about the value of the aviation heritage hidden away at Wroughton for so long. No idea at all and even less interest.

What is worse, is that the Director, Ian Blatchford appears to condone this incompetence as does the DCMS “Head of Museums” Nicky Guy both of whom ignore my correspondence about these issues.

The previous director was dismissed for her failures, so incompetence at the NMSI is nothing new.

I guess they know they have no answers to the issues I have uncovered.
Add to that, the director of masterplan is an expert on 18 th century arts and crafts, just the thing needed for a SCIENCE museum. Great stuff for the V and A maybe but not, surely, for science.
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Old 27th Dec 2019, 23:27
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Originally Posted by DaveReidUK
Not wishing to be picky, but the hospital, hotel and princess (cousin of the Queen) are all Alexandra.

Alexandria is an Egyptian port, named after the town in Scotland.
Correct - the hotel on the site of the former Princess Alexandra Hospital at Wroughton is called " Alexandra House".
Re the Science Museum Collection at Wroughton, I am also very angry at the lack of access to the collection there and have been in touch with Matt Moore and also his superior at the Science Museum in London. The reason he said ' wait for four years' is because they are currently constructing new buildings there to house the collection as the current hangars are deteriorating and cannot accept visitors under Health & Safety regulations. The first new hangar is nearly complete and the entire project is scheduled for completion in 2023 with all the aircraft moved it. Only then will the collection be opened to the public. Hope this helps.
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Old 27th Sep 2020, 19:16
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A visit today to Wroughton showed the new buildings well under construction. Apparently the collection will be available to the public when it opens. A look at Google Maps shows that the new building is three or four times the size of each existing hangar, so many of the exhibits should be on display.

Looking forward to visiting when it opens.
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Old 28th Sep 2020, 22:32
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I sincerely hope that there is sufficient space to put the Trident and Comet on proper display. It would be a definite reason to visit.
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