Stryker James and I went to the RAF Museum over easter. For some reason they chose to use a school holiday to have bits of it closed for maintenance or whatever. However, the aircraft were all on hand and this was enough for the lad. He was very impressed with the bombers and especially the old stringbags of WW1 which are displayed in the Graham-White factory hangar. I always look forward to seeing the bombers - especially the Lanc and the recovered Halifax. I haven't been to Hendon since 1990-91 and there was a lot of new stuff to see. The Milestones hall is very impressive.
The Battle of Britain hall was most disappointing. The place seemed to be in emergency lighting and the upper floor was closed. Worse still, when they held a film show the rest of us had to leave because all the lights were turned off. All a bit ruritanian for my liking.
As ever, with me, you get a story. In 1990 my wife and I went to Orkney. The reason why is now lost. I wanted to visit the Stromness Museum to see relics of the scuttled Hun fleet from 1919. While there we encountered several members of the Hudsons Bay society from the US/Canada who were holding their convention in the AA one star Stromness hotel. The lady on the museum counter allowed one of them to buy a ticket and then told him they were closing for lunch in ten minutes...to which he responded, but I only have an hour here before I return to Chicago. "Oh well..perhaps you'll come back and see us again some time". Basil Fawlty museum management at it's best...maybe Hendon needs to wake up a little too.