Exactly - what could have changed in the intervening 40 years?! Definitely no pool here, as otherwise we wouldn’t do pool drills in King’s Lynn...

Definitions, folks...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asphalt_concrete

Decent runway concrete ought to withstand a short landing. The exhaust impinges at an oblique angle and the peak impact point is moving at whatever the landing speed is. RVLs will be tougher - maybe on good concrete but fuggetaboutit on your typical 3000 foot strip or road in Filthistan. VLs? AM-2 and lots of it, or pizza-oven concrete.

:} Search for posts with Asphalt concrete or even pizza-oven but why?

We had to patch a few bits of runway due to the efforts of the Yak 141 a Farnborough in '92 during practice/validations; this was after he had specifically been asked NOT to use the ashpalt but operate from the concrete at the end.
A few years earlier, even a Mig 29 had melted a patch of taxiway surface after it was held there due to its efflux pointing slightly downwards.

Indeed this from the Station newsletter ...


Overall an amazing achievement for a base without its own swimming pool and very limited access to swimming facilities in the local area. RAF Marham has never finished so high, with the Ladies retaining the swimming trophy yet again. The standard of competition across all three disciplines was extremely high from all stations (most with RAF Swimmers), and it is a true testament to everyone’s hard work over the last few months, determination to succeed, and willingness to drive a 40 minute return journey to train throughout the week.

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Even my kids school had a decent swimming pool. I do not know what the Royal Air Force has come to if it can no longer provide such basic recreational facilities.

Well always happy to give you a laugh :)

But there is a more serious point. Building and housing a swimming pool is an expensive undertaking, so the shortsighted decision to close and demolish it (whenever that happened in the intervening years) is sad and disappointing, particularly when you read that item from the newsletter quoted by roving.

I'm glad my service coincided with a time when the RAF wasn't on the bones of its arse, and when personnel and their families from a major operational station didn't have to travel 15 miles to do liferaft drills, or just have a swim. Pathetic!

Given the fact that the F35 Sqns will spend a lot/ some time afloat, and the alleged inability of the rest of the RN to be able to properly protect the QE, not to mention torpedoing Devonport Dockyard and hitting large underwater landmasses ,learning to swim or keeping in practice may be a good idea. 😀