Between Easter 1978 and the summer of 1979, we lived at RAF Locking in Somerset. Since we left, following my father's posting, I have never been back.
Yesterday (20th May) I attended the Reliable Software Developer's conference in Bristol, and (as reported on my Amateur Radio page) used the spare time between sessions to activate a few local Worked All Britain squares. A quick glance at the map had shown that a drive-by was possible…
RAF Locking
RAF Locking closed in 1999, following the relocation of No.1 Radio School to RAF Cosford. The site was sold by the MoD in 2002.
Approaching the camp, the water tower was still prominent, and as a glanced at the tower, the car immediately in front of me turned directly into the married quarters at Mendip Road – this threw me slightly, as when we lived there, this entrance was gated and permanently closed. Of course, nowadays, the married quarters are in private hands, so there is no need for the gate to be closed… so I followed…
It was like entering a time-warp… even after 35 years, everything was exactly as I remembered it…
Flowerdown Road
Following Mendip Road, passing the Water Tower, I turned into Broadway, then into Flowerdown Road.
Just to repeat what I said above: it was like entering a time-warp… even after 35 years, everything was exactly as I remembered it… although the garage clearly had a new roof, even the garage door was still the same blue that I remember!
I stopped briefly to take some photos, without wanting to draw too much attention to myself.
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