Home Of The Few For Sale
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Home Of The Few For Sale
Folks,
From November's Aviation News!
The first shots have been fired in the battle to save Bentley Priory following the revelation that the Ministry of Defence is considering selling the former HQ of RAF Fighter Command at the time of the Battle of Britain. No firm decision is expected until summer next year, but Defence Estates is looking at possible bids for the 18th Century mansion in Stanmore, Middlesex. Currently, the location of the Air Historical Branch, Bentley Priory is now deemed surplus to requirements. The news of the possible sale prompted a quick response from Air Cdre Peter Brothers, Chairman of the Battle of Britain Fighter Association who said, 'This is our home, as the Victory is for the Navy. It needs constant emphasis that, although Nelson saved the country, Dowding saved the World'. Another member of the Association summed up the situation - 'The Few saved it for the nation - let the nation save it for the Few'.
Now, I don't have a difficulty with selling off surplus and redundant equipment but this is, as it states clearly above, a definite doubling of standards. Nelson's flagship, IIRC, serves in the RN today as the flagship of 2SL, and quite right that it should! It would, however, be an absolute travesty if Bentley Priory were to be lost to the nation as a heritage site and, whilst it might be too expensive for MOD to maintain, it is surely within the power of the people to voice their concern here and elsewhere to ensure that the Home of The Few is preserved for future generations to remind them of the struggle against Nazism in 1940 that made this place a free country today!
Well, as free as it can be under these bloody control freeks that we have at present!
Voice it here and voice it loud! Hands off Bentley Priory!
Bloggs
From November's Aviation News!
The first shots have been fired in the battle to save Bentley Priory following the revelation that the Ministry of Defence is considering selling the former HQ of RAF Fighter Command at the time of the Battle of Britain. No firm decision is expected until summer next year, but Defence Estates is looking at possible bids for the 18th Century mansion in Stanmore, Middlesex. Currently, the location of the Air Historical Branch, Bentley Priory is now deemed surplus to requirements. The news of the possible sale prompted a quick response from Air Cdre Peter Brothers, Chairman of the Battle of Britain Fighter Association who said, 'This is our home, as the Victory is for the Navy. It needs constant emphasis that, although Nelson saved the country, Dowding saved the World'. Another member of the Association summed up the situation - 'The Few saved it for the nation - let the nation save it for the Few'.
Now, I don't have a difficulty with selling off surplus and redundant equipment but this is, as it states clearly above, a definite doubling of standards. Nelson's flagship, IIRC, serves in the RN today as the flagship of 2SL, and quite right that it should! It would, however, be an absolute travesty if Bentley Priory were to be lost to the nation as a heritage site and, whilst it might be too expensive for MOD to maintain, it is surely within the power of the people to voice their concern here and elsewhere to ensure that the Home of The Few is preserved for future generations to remind them of the struggle against Nazism in 1940 that made this place a free country today!
Well, as free as it can be under these bloody control freeks that we have at present!
Voice it here and voice it loud! Hands off Bentley Priory!
Bloggs
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Recently visited Bentley Priory for the first time, can't believe the MOD top brass could even consider selling off such a fantastic place. Admittedly, it must be a pricey place to maintain and it must be worth a fortune but it'll probably end up as another posh apartment development, full of Russian oil barons and Middle Eastern millionaires, inaccessible to most. What a disgraceful waste of a fundamental part of our heritage...
At a time when the RAF is attempting to promote Ethos and an understanding of what we've achieved in the past why are we considering selling off this gem of a station?
At a time when the RAF is attempting to promote Ethos and an understanding of what we've achieved in the past why are we considering selling off this gem of a station?
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Bloggs,
Of course 2SL's Victory is the equivalent of your BBMF (and is probably cheaper to run). Why not PFI the BBMF to fund retention of BP, or even the Reds? And while I think of it what does it cost to maintain the QCS?
Of course 2SL's Victory is the equivalent of your BBMF (and is probably cheaper to run). Why not PFI the BBMF to fund retention of BP, or even the Reds? And while I think of it what does it cost to maintain the QCS?
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BBMF = Battle of Britain Memorial Flight
PFI = Private Finance Initiative
BP = Bentley Priory
Reds = RAF Aerobatic Team
QCS = Queens Colour Squadron
Which one contributes to operational capability?
PFI = Private Finance Initiative
BP = Bentley Priory
Reds = RAF Aerobatic Team
QCS = Queens Colour Squadron
Which one contributes to operational capability?
So is it the MODs to sell 
I seem to recall this cropping up before and hearing that the Rothchilds (or similar) granted use of the land but retained first 'dibs' on it if the MOD no longer wanted it.
Plus there was also something about 'having to return it to its original state'.
IIRC this was not the only unit under that umbrella.
Could be wrong of course as it is a long time since I leapt over the fence
I seem to recall this cropping up before and hearing that the Rothchilds (or similar) granted use of the land but retained first 'dibs' on it if the MOD no longer wanted it.
Plus there was also something about 'having to return it to its original state'.
IIRC this was not the only unit under that umbrella.
Could be wrong of course as it is a long time since I leapt over the fence
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Rothschilds?
S&S
I am pretty sure that was the case with regards to the Halton House Officers' Mess, but not sure about BP.
I visited BP a few months ago and, whilst I enjoyed the general ambiance of the place (drinks on the verranda on warm Summer evening, the whole history thing etc), behind the facade it was pretty run-down (much like Halton in fact).
I guess it's always difficult when you're in an organisation whose masters seem to be intent on making it bankrupt, to find money for things like BP, Halton, Bawdsey Manor, Medmenham and many other fine messes past and present. Even trying to develop them for your own use becomes prohibitively expensive once groups like English Heritage get involved and start dictating specifications (ask anyone at Scampton!).
Looking outside the value of the specific buildings (monetry or historical), the original requirement for the sites to be returned to their previous states may be less important than in the past. If we (or Defence Estates I suppose?) hand back a site returned to green field, I would think the chances of getting planning permission would be far reduced than if there was still evidence of previous occupation (making it a brown-field site).
It's a while since I went to Halton; I would think that the Old Hospital and NOM (dump!) are prime sites for development, especially with house prices the way they are in that part of the World.
Sad, but true.
STH
I am pretty sure that was the case with regards to the Halton House Officers' Mess, but not sure about BP.
I visited BP a few months ago and, whilst I enjoyed the general ambiance of the place (drinks on the verranda on warm Summer evening, the whole history thing etc), behind the facade it was pretty run-down (much like Halton in fact).
I guess it's always difficult when you're in an organisation whose masters seem to be intent on making it bankrupt, to find money for things like BP, Halton, Bawdsey Manor, Medmenham and many other fine messes past and present. Even trying to develop them for your own use becomes prohibitively expensive once groups like English Heritage get involved and start dictating specifications (ask anyone at Scampton!).
Looking outside the value of the specific buildings (monetry or historical), the original requirement for the sites to be returned to their previous states may be less important than in the past. If we (or Defence Estates I suppose?) hand back a site returned to green field, I would think the chances of getting planning permission would be far reduced than if there was still evidence of previous occupation (making it a brown-field site).
It's a while since I went to Halton; I would think that the Old Hospital and NOM (dump!) are prime sites for development, especially with house prices the way they are in that part of the World.
Sad, but true.
STH
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Always wondered how / why Halton has survived over the years and why large chunks of it have not been sold off ---it's a developers dream after all in that part of the world---so would I assume the clause re. "returning the site to the original" etc is applicable to the Station as a whole and not exclusive to Halton House?.
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The answer is clear.
Sell it along with everything else that gives us a sense of being part of the winning team.
Change all our blue uniform for greens and then we can blame the army when we lose the next war.
The few are become fewer and fewer.
We are being messed around by people who a fiddling with stupid management tools, issuing glossy magazines and floundering around and not taking the real steps required to keep the Royal Air Force an entity who can make a difference.
I'll get my coat.
Sell it along with everything else that gives us a sense of being part of the winning team.
Change all our blue uniform for greens and then we can blame the army when we lose the next war.
The few are become fewer and fewer.
We are being messed around by people who a fiddling with stupid management tools, issuing glossy magazines and floundering around and not taking the real steps required to keep the Royal Air Force an entity who can make a difference.
I'll get my coat.
Ecce Homo! Loquitur...
Plus there was also something about 'having to return it to its original state.
So we should turn it back into a brothel then?
(In 1882 the Priory was converted it into a hotel, but was was not a success and, in 1908, it became a girl's school. In 1922 the school closed and the property stood empty. Rumour has it that, until bought by the RAF for £25,000 in 1926, the Priory was discretely used as a high class brothel - or so rumour had it......)
So we should turn it back into a brothel then?
(In 1882 the Priory was converted it into a hotel, but was was not a success and, in 1908, it became a girl's school. In 1922 the school closed and the property stood empty. Rumour has it that, until bought by the RAF for £25,000 in 1926, the Priory was discretely used as a high class brothel - or so rumour had it......)
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Hands off BP!
I agree with you BLOGGS,
That the small minded bastards that run this country even think of selling OUR piece of history deserves them to be hung as traitors (oh! we don't hang thieves any more - pity).
So BP is expensive to run - so what!
They can screw up things like the Dome/FMD 2001/Health Education/Immigration and endless more New Labour cock-ups but cannot supress the idea of selling a national treasure.
That's it in a nutshell.
Tally-Ho
TG
Voice it here and voice it loud! Hands off Bentley Priory!
So BP is expensive to run - so what!
They can screw up things like the Dome/FMD 2001/Health Education/Immigration and endless more New Labour cock-ups but cannot supress the idea of selling a national treasure.
'The Few saved it for the nation - let the nation save it for the Few'.
Tally-Ho
TG
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Bentley Priory is indeed owned by MOD and was purchased by the then Air Ministry in 1926. Formerly the home of Lady Emma Hamilton ("special friend" of Lord Nelson) and Queen (?) Adelaide, it has equal historical value to both the RAF and the RN. Most of the interior of the old building is in fact a (fake) reconstruction as the Mess burnt down during refurbishment in the late 70s/early 80s. It should be kept for it's historical value alone; however, if the RN can return Greenwich to it's owners, then the RAF can sell Bentley Priory (at a vast profit !). I hope I am wrong, but big money talks.........
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But Bats
There may be a vast profit to be had, but I doubt very much whether the RAF will ever see any of it.
What Defence Estates do with it I don't know, but I would guess it just goes back into Brown's Coffers.
STH
There may be a vast profit to be had, but I doubt very much whether the RAF will ever see any of it.
What Defence Estates do with it I don't know, but I would guess it just goes back into Brown's Coffers.
STH
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Closing Bentley Priory
Of course in an ideal world we would be able to hang on to Bentley Priory, but what real purpose would it serve? How many serving RAF personnel have ever visited the station just to see Sir Hugh Dowding’s old office? That’s all there really is and even then there’s really not much to see, because the Bunker was renovated many years ago and is now closed. As far as I am aware, members of the public have never had access to either the old office or the bunker.
The decision on how to rationalise the MOD London estate was driven mainly by the Army’s determination to hang on to as much of Woolwich as possible. The MOD was determined to leave just one RAF station within the M25 open, and Phoney Tony would never allow his private airfield at Northolt to close, so from an RAF perspective the decision on which station would remain open was a foregone conclusion.
Whatever the historical connections and however pleasant the Officers’ Mess at Bentley Priory is, unfortunately in the current climate that carries little weight. Given the choice, most people would rather not have to work within the M25, so moving organisations and departments out of the south-east and closing stations in this area does make sense.
Northolt aside, if we could keep another base within the M25, then in my opinion Uxbridge would be a far better choice than Bentley Priory. Uxbridge has far better transport links, it’s close to the A40 and M25 and only a short bus ride from Heathrow. The station infrastructure was extensively re-built in the 1990’s, including a new SHQ, new Officers’ Mess accommodation, a new Sgt’s Mess, new transit accommodation, outstanding sporting facilities and excellent new Officers’ Family Accommodation. In addition, the 11 Gp Bunker, from where the main element of the Battle of Britain was actually directed, has been saved and is now an outstanding museum that is visited by large numbers of service personnel and many members of the public.
Of course, wherever possible, we should retain all our links to the Battle of Britain. However, if we have to choose between the two, I think on balance retaining the 11 Gp Bunker at Uxbridge is far more important and significant than Sir Hugh Dowding’s old office in the Officers’ Mess at Bentley Priory.
Proletarian
The decision on how to rationalise the MOD London estate was driven mainly by the Army’s determination to hang on to as much of Woolwich as possible. The MOD was determined to leave just one RAF station within the M25 open, and Phoney Tony would never allow his private airfield at Northolt to close, so from an RAF perspective the decision on which station would remain open was a foregone conclusion.
Whatever the historical connections and however pleasant the Officers’ Mess at Bentley Priory is, unfortunately in the current climate that carries little weight. Given the choice, most people would rather not have to work within the M25, so moving organisations and departments out of the south-east and closing stations in this area does make sense.
Northolt aside, if we could keep another base within the M25, then in my opinion Uxbridge would be a far better choice than Bentley Priory. Uxbridge has far better transport links, it’s close to the A40 and M25 and only a short bus ride from Heathrow. The station infrastructure was extensively re-built in the 1990’s, including a new SHQ, new Officers’ Mess accommodation, a new Sgt’s Mess, new transit accommodation, outstanding sporting facilities and excellent new Officers’ Family Accommodation. In addition, the 11 Gp Bunker, from where the main element of the Battle of Britain was actually directed, has been saved and is now an outstanding museum that is visited by large numbers of service personnel and many members of the public.
Of course, wherever possible, we should retain all our links to the Battle of Britain. However, if we have to choose between the two, I think on balance retaining the 11 Gp Bunker at Uxbridge is far more important and significant than Sir Hugh Dowding’s old office in the Officers’ Mess at Bentley Priory.
Proletarian