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NEWSBCH ROADSHOW 2006: KEMBLE "AIR DAY"See also SAVE RAF BICESTER CAMPAIGN
The BCH Roadshow made it to the superb Kemble "Air Day" 2006 and had a fantastic response from the Public to the BCH SAVE RAF Bicester Campaign. FOLLOWING on from BCH's decision to do "something" about RAF Bicester, it was decided to launch the BCH SAVE RAF Biceter Technical Site Campaign to the general Public at this year's Kemble Air Day. Alongside Dave Hall's amazing Kemble Mossie Project, the combined presence really was a hit with the crowds. Apart from the hundreds of people (young and old) getting to go on-board the Mossie, The BCH Roadshow managed to net 360 signatures to the SAVE RAF Bicester Camapign's Petition. A truly great result which, together with the supportive comments made about the Campaign, has really spurred BCH on towards the next stage.
As only a small voluntary organization with very limited resources, BCH has always struggled to take part in Roadshow events, even though they are essential to BCH's work. This time, and for the SAVE RAF Bicester Campaign in particular, it was decided to try and do something to minimise the usual nightmare logistics of transporting and setting up a Stand. The solution is a custom-made lightweight, but robust, "InfoBar." The idea being that this can be easily transported and set-up by BCH Volunteers. Also this can be added to so that eventually a much larger display-type Stand can be undertaken to make even more of an impact. Needless to say it was quite a bit of hard work for BCH Volunteers to quickly come up with and build the InfoBar in time for the Show. In the end it was put up on-site in the dark - albeit in slightly unfinished condition. However, on the day it more that did the job, and should help minimise hassle for future BCH Roadshow events.
In the end this year's KAD'06 Stand was really quite impressive. The Kemble Mossie Project was a great crowd-puller. Dave Hall has managed to come through his health problems this year, and has temporarily found hangarage for this fantastic re-creation of a de Havilland Mosiquito B.IV, on-site at Delta Jets. As usual at a Kemble Air Day, the flying display was thrilling. The static parks also proved to be most interesting. There certainly seemed to be loads of enthusiastic people about, many of whom found their way over to the BCH Stand and the Campaign to SAVE RAF Bicester Technical Site. The idea was to use the show to tentatively launch the Campaign to the general Public to help initially gauge the response to what BCH are proposing for Bicester. i.e. to save the Technical Site from further decay and to have initially some small space for use by BCH as a basic storage/workshop/ museum area. This could then be followed, over time, by the use of the full potential of the Site to turning it into a major UK Visitor attraction themed around RAF Bomber Command of WWII and the formative years, and from the perspective of the British and Commonwealth effort. English Heritage has called the whole Site "the best surviving example of a pre-war expansion period/1030s-40s aerodrome in the UK... and an exemplar Site" So she really is too good to loose. The reaction at the Show by both the general public
and other organizations was absolutely fantastic. So much
information and support was given, including a brief mention in the
SEP '06 Issue of Flypast
Magazine as a result. Also 360 signatures were gained for the
Petition so all-in-all a most worthwhile Show, which has spurred
BCH on to take the
Campaign further. Kemble AIrfield: www.kemble.com flypast magazine: www.flypast.co.uk andrew critchell: www.aviationphoto.co.uk If this story has fired your imagination
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