England Museum Tour 2016

Davy F

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Heading over the shuck from Dublin to Holyhead on Saturday (9th) and attending the Duxford Flying Legends air show on Sunday. Looking forward to seeing the warbirds doing their stuff.

Monday sees me visiting the Biggin Hill Heritage museum hanger to sit in a Spitfire....a boyhood dream. From there, down to Portsmouth and hopefully get in a tour round HMS Victory.

Tuesday and call in with Jonathan at Rugged Roads, Sammy Miller museum and Bovington Tank museum. If I don't have enough time for the tanks, I'll see them the following day instead.

Then it gets a bit fuzzy. I'd like to go to the Imperial War museum in London plus RAF Hendon, but accommodation is expensive and getting somewhere with parking a tad difficult.

Anyway, any other recommendations of military interest to visit ?
 
Brooklands is well worth a visit and one of my favourite museums. Can take a while to get round if you chat to the well informed guys looking after the exhibits. http://www.brooklandsmuseum.com/

Personally found Sammy Miller's disappointing. Too much of a good thing and hardly any space between some of the bikes. Much prefered London Motorcycle Museum which is only open Saturday, Sunday and Monday. http://www.london-motorcycle-museum.org/
 
.Battle of Britain Memorial. at Capel le Ferne not too far along the coast from Dover Castle where there are the operations rooms in he tunnels cut in to the white cliffs and underground hospital and other connections to other major conflicts throughout British history.
 
Have a look for travelodge / premier inn type accommodation just up the A1 into Hertfordshire. Borehamwood, South Mimm's, Hatfield all have that type of accom.

It will only take you 15-20mins to head down the A1 to RAF Hendon and DeHaviland is only 5 mins ride from South Mimm's services M25/ A1
 
Heading over the shuck from Dublin to Holyhead on Saturday (9th) and attending the Duxford Flying Legends air show on Sunday. Looking forward to seeing the warbirds doing their stuff.

Monday sees me visiting the Biggin Hill Heritage museum hanger to sit in a Spitfire....a boyhood dream. From there, down to Portsmouth and hopefully get in a tour round HMS Victory.

Tuesday and call in with Jonathan at Rugged Roads, Sammy Miller museum and Bovington Tank museum. If I don't have enough time for the tanks, I'll see them the following day instead.

Then it gets a bit fuzzy. I'd like to go to the Imperial War museum in London plus RAF Hendon, but accommodation is expensive and getting somewhere with parking a tad difficult.

Anyway, any other recommendations of military interest to visit ?

You picked this museum tour just to ensure the Missus didn't come. Tell the truth ;)
 
As you're coming to Portsmouth anyway and visiting the Victory then you should do the whole of the dockyard, loads of it is free anyway, along the coast a bit is the D day museum in Southsea, a bit further along is the Royal Marines museum and to the north of the city is Fort Nelson again free and a great place to visit.
 
Great....tho' it rained every day bar the one when I decided to head home. Duxford Flying Legends show was fantastic, even took a flight in their Harvard advanced trainer. Sat in a Spitfire at Biggin Hill, visited the National Motor museum at Beaulieu and then Bovington Tanks. Headed up to London for RAF Hendon, then on to the Battle of Britian Memorial Flight for a hanger tour.
1500 + miles in six days, came home a bit earlier than expected due to the shitty weather.
 

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The truth is.....SWMBO doesn't do bikes never mind military/bike museums. :rob

I guess I'm quite lucky as not only does Trudi love the Duxford airshows (we're going to the September show this year), but she also likes bikes, cars and trains :beerjug: This years holiday included the Evergreen Aviation Museum in McMinnville Oregon to see the Spruce Goose and the US Railway Museum in Sacramento :D

Hendon and Duxford take some beating though :cool:
 
Was at Duxford the week after you, Davy, off the ferry from Spain and had a few days before getting the Holyhead boat.

Had a look at Sammy Miller's Museum shortly after getting off at Portsmouth, then went to Bletchley Park next day and the following day to Duxford.

Mightily impressed with all three venues but Duxford probably shaded it. Lots of activity as it was the Friday before Farnborough and plenty of warbirds taking off for there, including the Catalina :thumb2

Saw this lucky bugger strapping in for his 30 min flight in a two-seat Spit. If Id had a spare three grand, I would have been next in the queue :aidan

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I know you have been and done it now, but I much prefer Haynes Museum to Beaulieu, the added benefit of Haynes is its 5 minutes from Yeovilton and some great roads in the tri state area of Dorset, Somerset and Wiltshire. I would be tempted to include the Museum of Army flying at Middle Wallop between Salisbury and Andover but it's over 20 years since I went so don't know what it's like now.

Glad you enjoyed what you saw.
 
Hi Everyone. A friend and I did a trip out a couple of weeks ago to Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre. See here: http://www.lincsaviation.co.uk/.
Excellent visit. The whole airfield has been returned to the way it was during WWII operations and they have a Lancaster bomber they bring out most days in the summer and people can pay to have a tour of the plane or have a trip around the airfield on her. A bit pricey. The plane doesn't fly any more.
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RobA.
 


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