The North Notts Association of National Trust Members were given a real treat when they visited The Lincolnshire Aviation Centre in East Kirby, as part of their monthly outing and then had free rein to look around Boston for a couple of hours. They arrived after an uneventful journey with good weather and all dispersed to look at the many attractions on view all relating to the RAF Bomber command from the last war. There you can experience the sights and sounds, and even smells of a bomber airfield. The pride of the collection was the Lancaster bomber ‘Just Jane’ which is under further renovation, but the Control Tower, the Naafi, the Memorial Chapel and replicas of the Bouncing Bomb were all of equal interest. Visitors found the amount of memorabilia and photographs and wreckage retrieved after the war of Spitfires and other planes, both amazing and emotionally thought provoking.
To some of the older members it brought back memories of the wartime period and the time of austerity for some time afterwards. There were long lists of names of the young men who lost their lives in their wonderful brave efforts to save our country from Hitler’s domination, along with boards showing photographs of the different squadrons and their names were scattered around in the different hangars on the site.
In Boston, most of the visitors went to see the 800-year-old Boston Stump for which the town is famous and the market and the river and little alleyways to explore gave everyone an opportunity to wander and make their own discoveries. After a quick cuppa, everyone boarded the coach for the return journey.
There are two more visits planned for the group and there are still vacancies for the Bowes Museum trip on Thursday 12th September. In October, the normal meetings at the Crossing will resume and more details will be in next month’s issue. Anyone who is a member of the National Trust can join the association and more information can be found online at www.nationaltrust.org.uk/features/north-nottingham-association or you can email NthNottsNTAssoc@gmail.com for a calendar showing list of future events and membership details.