617 squadron dambusters base to close

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Jun 16, 2020
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A few years ago we stayed on a nice CS site near Witney. They breed and sell Goat meat.


Also, it is on the flight path for Brize. You can wave to the pilots.

John
 
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The best curry is made using goat meat, but we have never been able to source it in the UK. Wife used to make curry the old fashion traditional Indian way where you use mainly the leaves and not the powder. Very flavoursome. Sadly you cannot buy the curry leaves in the UK. She was shown this method in Durban by an old Indian lady.

This is why I like living in Leicestershire, a quick visit to the towns Asian Supermarkets can find you any spice you could ever wish for. I'm sure goat meat is available as many of the restaurants have it on the menu.
There are many shops that sell an unbelievable selection of Naan breads, samosas that taste amazing .
My Wife teaches at a school in an Asian area and will regularly come home with some delicious treat that someone has made for her, or something purchased from one of the many local shops for our evening meal.



mmmm, I'm hungry just thinking about it
 
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Jul 18, 2017
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Working as a TV engineer visiting homes in Asian communities Diwali was when I went home loaded with treats.

In Durban we had a speciality called a "Bunny Chow". It was a third of a loaf of bread and the end part. They scooped out the inners and filled it with curry. and then put the inners back on top and it was served with sambals and plastic fork. The curry juice would soak into the bread. You would eat the bread with the curry. A delicious and filling meal.
 
Nov 11, 2009
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This is why I like living in Leicestershire, a quick visit to the towns Asian Supermarkets can find you any spice you could ever wish for. I'm sure goat meat is available as many of the restaurants have it on the menu.
There are many shops that sell an unbelievable selection of Naan breads, samosas that taste amazing .
My Wife teaches at a school in an Asian area and will regularly come home with some delicious treat that someone has made for her, or something purchased from one of the many local shops for our evening meal.



mmmm, I'm hungry just thinking about it
When I was an apprentice many of the staff were Asian or Asian descent and we would swop bits of our lunches. The first Indian restaurant in Leicester opened in the Highfields just a five minute walk from home. My father loved to go there as he had spent 1942-47 in India and had taste for Indian food. Mum also cooked a good curry, but not goat.

 
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When I was an apprentice many of the staff were Asian or Asian descent and we would swop bits of our lunches. The first Indian restaurant in Leicester opened in the Highfields just a five minute walk from home. My father loved to go there as he had spent 1942-47 in India and had taste for Indian food. Mum also cooked a good curry, but not goat.


Unfortunately many curry places cater for the "European taste" and currys can be extremely hot. Curry should be a flavouring like adding garlic, salt, pepper etc,
 
Jun 20, 2005
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15 years ago I was working in Bradford fortnightly for a couple of days. Achbars restaurant was mind blowing. Very much for the Asian Community , welcoming all, cheap prices and food unbelievable . Naan breads of blanket size hung from the ceiling over the table for all to eat. Goat? Yes!.
None of your colourings like today nor “curry”. All about flavour , taste , aroma and service. Then no licence so you took your own beers.
 

Parksy

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Nov 12, 2009
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15 years ago I was working in Bradford fortnightly for a couple of days. Achbars restaurant was mind blowing. Very much for the Asian Community , welcoming all, cheap prices and food unbelievable . Naan breads of blanket size hung from the ceiling over the table for all to eat. Goat? Yes!.
None of your colourings like today nor “curry”. All about flavour , taste , aroma and service. Then no licence so you took your own beers.
We have similar Indian restaurants and curry houses here in the Black Country, especially in Lye near Stourbridge.
We went to one a couple of weeks ago on a choir social night out.
Going back to World War 2 airfields, Bomber Command had active front line airfields in Lincolnshire, Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire plus a few PFF bases in East anglia.
Many of them now have small museums and visitors centres.
The USAAF 8th air force had frontline airfields in Norfolk, Suffolk, Huntingdonshire and Northamptonshire, again many with museums or visitors centres.
In my lorry driving days I often parked overnight on disused bomber bases, it was possible to have a look round to explore back then.
Many of them are disappearing now, turned into housing estates or reverted to farmland.
 
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Unfortunately many curry places cater for the "European taste" and currys can be extremely hot. Curry should be a flavouring like adding garlic, salt, pepper etc,
Whilst I worked in Pakistan and India for about 6 years I found that the Currys were hotter in the South of the countries, and in the North were more Tomatoes, in the food.
Yes the flavours cater more for the British taste in our UK Curry houses, but more so than the Malaysian Currys which are really different. West Indian Currys are different flavours again , a mix of West African, Indian and Chinese.
Thankfully I can buy Boneless goat meat in a local butchers, not far from Bletchley Park.
 
Jul 18, 2017
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We have similar Indian restaurants and curry houses here in the Black Country, especially in Lye near Stourbridge.
We went to one a couple of weeks ago on a choir social night out.
Going back to World War 2 airfields, Bomber Command had active front line airfields in Lincolnshire, Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire plus a few PFF bases in East anglia.
Many of them now have small museums and visitors centres.
The USAAF 8th air force had frontline airfields in Norfolk, Suffolk, Huntingdonshire and Northamptonshire, again many with museums or visitors centres.
In my lorry driving days I often parked overnight on disused bomber bases, it was possible to have a look round to explore back then.
Many of them are disappearing now, turned into housing estates or reverted to farmland.
Didn't Moreton in Marsh have an airfield which is now a firefighters training school?
 
Jul 18, 2017
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Whilst I worked in Pakistan and India for about 6 years I found that the Currys were hotter in the South of the countries, and in the North were more Tomatoes, in the food.
Yes the flavours cater more for the British taste in our UK Curry houses, but more so than the Malaysian Currys which are really different. West Indian Currys are different flavours again , a mix of West African, Indian and Chinese.
Thankfully I can buy Boneless goat meat in a local butchers, not far from Bletchley Park.
Boboti is my favourite Malaysian dish.
 
Nov 11, 2009
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Unfortunately many curry places cater for the "European taste" and currys can be extremely hot. Curry should be a flavouring like adding garlic, salt, pepper etc,
You are right on that one. The range of tastes that we have had when visiting India bears little resemblance to a lot of British curry houses. But you can still get ones in India that make a certain part of the anatomy replicate a F4 Phantom on reheat 🙈
 
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Didn't Moreton in Marsh have an airfield which is now a firefighters training school?
Yes it did. It’s the Fire Service Training College. When I was dabbling with water mist they allowed us use of their facilities and experience too. It’s for senior personnel courses in techniques, management and leadership training.
 
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You are right on that one. The range of tastes that we have had when visiting India bears little resemblance to a lot of British curry houses. But you can still get ones in India that make a certain part of the anatomy replicate a F4 Phantom on reheat 🙈
For those of you who have lived in Natal, you know how typical this is. They actually have a Curry cook-off about June/July. It takes up a major portion of a parking lot at the Royal Show in PMB.

Judge #3 was an inexperienced food critic named Frank, who was visiting from Australia.

Frank: "Recently, I was honoured to be selected as a judge at a Curry Cook-off. The original person called in sick at the last moment and I happened to be standing there at the judge's table asking for directions to the beer garden when the call came in. I was assured by the other two judges (Natal Indians) that the curry wouldn't be all that spicy and, besides, they told me I could have free beer during the tasting, so I accepted".

Here are the scorecard notes from the event:

CURRY # 1 - SEELAN'S MANIAC MONSTER TOMATO CURRY....
Judge # 1 -- A little too heavy on the tomato. Amusing kick.
Judge # 2 -- Nice smooth tomato flavour. Very mild.
Judge # 3 (Frank) -- Holy cow, what the hell is this stuff? You could remove dried paint from your driveway with it. Took me two beers to put the flames out. I hope that's the worst one. These people are crazy.

CURRY #2 - PHOENIX BBQ CHICKEN CURRY...
Judge # 1 -- Smoky, with a hint of chicken. Slight chilli tang.
Judge # 2 -- Exciting BBQ flavour, needs more peppers to be taken seriously.
Judge # 3 -- Keep this out of the reach of children. I'm not sure what I'm supposed to taste besides pain. I had to wave off two people who wanted to give me the Heimlich manoeuvre! They had to rush in more beer when they saw the look on my face.

CURRY # 3 - SHAMILA'S FAMOUS "BURN DOWN THE GARAGE" CURRY...
Judge # 1 -- Excellent firehouse curry. Great kick.
Judge # 2 -- A bit salty, good use of chilli peppers.
Judge # 3 -- Call 911. I've located a uranium spill. My nose feels like I have been snorting Drain Cleaner. Everyone knows the routine by now. Get me more beer before I ignite. Barmaid pounded me on the back, now my backbone is in the front part of my chest. I'm getting drunk from all the beer.

CHILLI # 4 - BABOO'S BLACK MAGIC BEAN CURRY...
Judge # 1 -- Black bean curry with almost no spice. Disappointing.
Judge # 2 -- Hint of lime in the black beans. Good side dish for fish or other mild foods, not much of a curry.
Judge # 3 -- I felt something scraping across my tongue, but was unable to taste it. Is it possible to burn out taste buds? Shareen, the beer maid, was standing behind me with fresh refills. That 200kg woman is starting to look HOT...just like this nuclear waste I'm eating! Is chilli an aphrodisiac?

CHILLI # 5 LALL'S LEGAL LIP REMOVER...
Judge # 1 -- Meaty, strong curry. Cayenne peppers freshly ground, adding considerable kick. Very impressive.
Judge # 2 -- Average beef curry, could use more tomato. Must admit the chilli peppers make a strong statement.
Judge # 3 -- My ears are ringing, sweat is pouring off my forehead and I can no longer focus my eyes. I passed wind and four people behind me needed paramedics. The contestant seemed offended when I told her that her chilli had given me brain damage. Shareen saved my tongue from bleeding by pouring beer directly on it from the pitcher. I wonder if I'm burning my lips off. It really annoys me that the other judges asked me to stop screaming. Stuff them.

CHILLI # 6 - VERISHNEE'S VEGETARIAN VARIETY...
Judge # 1 -- Thin yet bold vegetarian variety curry. Good balance of spices and peppers.
Judge # 2 -- The best yet. Aggressive use of peppers, onions, and garlic. Superb.
Judge # 3 -- My intestines are now a straight pipe filled with gaseous, sulphuric flames. I am definitely going to dirty myself if I pass wind and I'm worried it will eat through the chair. No one seems inclined to stand behind me except that Shareen. Can't feel my lips anymore. I need to wipe my backside with a snow cone ice-cream.

CHILLI # 7 - SELINA'S "MOTHER-IN-LAW'S-TONGUE" CURRY...
Judge # 1 -- A mediocre curry with too much reliance on canned peppers.
Judge # 2 -- Ho hum, tastes as if the chef literally threw in a can of chilli peppers at the last moment. (I should take note at this stage that I am worried about Judge # 3. He appears to be in a bit of distress as he is cursing uncontrollably).
Judge # 3 -- You could put a grenade in my mouth, pull the pin, and I wouldn't feel a thing. I've lost sight in one eye, and the world sounds like it is made of rushing water. My shirt is covered with curry which slid unnoticed out of my mouth. My pants are full of lava to match my shirt. At least, during the autopsy, they'll know what killed me. I've decided to stop breathing - it's too painful. Screw it; I'm not getting any oxygen anyway. If I need air I'll just suck it in through the 4-inch hole in my stomach.

CHILLI # 8 - NAIDOO'S TOENAIL CURLING CURRY...
Judge # 1 -- The perfect ending. This is a nice blend curry. Not too bold but spicy enough to declare its existence.
Judge # 2 -- This final entry is a good, balanced curry. Neither mild nor hot. Sorry to see that most of it was lost when Judge #3 farted, passed out, fell over and pulled the curry pot down on top of himself. Not sure if he's going to make it. Poor man, wonder how he'd have reacted to really hot curry?
Judge # 3 - No Report.
 
Jun 20, 2005
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A representation of all the aircraft involved in operation Tonga that left this small field near Cricklade 79 years ago tonight at 22:50 on the 5th June 1944 - superimposed onto a modern image of the remains of the main runway captured at 400 feet by drone. Lest we forget.

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A representation of all the aircraft involved in operation Tonga that left this small field near Cricklade 79 years ago tonight at 22:50 on the 5th June 1944 - superimposed onto a modern image of the remains of the main runway captured at 400 feet by drone. Lest we forget.

View attachment 4843
Fabulous shot is that the old airfield where there is a nature reserve and wildlife rescue Center?
 
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As I've said a few times I live at Melton Mowbray. Melton and the surrounding villages. particually Somerby, were the base for the parachute regiments, they were all over the place, then suddenley they were all gone. Many never to return.
 
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That lancaster is now called "Just Jane" and is based at East Kirkby . She is 3 or 4 years away from flying again
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJ2IeEIcKa8&pp=ygUSc2hlIHdpbGwgZmx5IGFnYWlu
We had a Woosiefest in 2018 at Woodthorpe Park Lincoln. A day spent at the East Kirkby museum and seeing Just Jane doing ground runs/ rides was awesome. At the end of each run we were given an ear piercing four engine full throttle demo for 30 seconds. Absolute music receiving a standing ovation👏👏
 

Parksy

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The wartime Strubby airfield was just up the road from the Woodthorpe Park site, we had a look round at some of the old Nissan huts that remained, and the memorial that stands by the main airfield entrance.
During that Woosiefest we visited the BBMF hangar at RAF Conningsby where aircraft of the BBMF were being maintained.
When we came out we waited with others next to the airfield perimeter fence and were treated to the sight of the BBMF Lancaster joining the circuit and landing.
The Lancaster taxied toward the hangar entrance, stopped and the crew disembarked.
The Lancaster pilot, Flt Lt Neil Farrell walked across and spoke to the gathered enthusiasts.
It was a day to remember!
 

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