Like buses, nothing then three ‘runs’ come along - what a feast.
So this is the first of David’s Mid Week Runs in 2023, all will be on the second Wednesday of the month through to October.
Meet 9.15am B&Q South car park, off Hall Road Norwich NR4 6FB, for 9.30am departure.
Run for breakfast/coffee, 10.30am at The Cartshed, Great Massingham PE32 2HY. Then on to RAF Marham, PE33 9NP for 12.30pm guided tour of Heritage Centre with tea & biscuits. Free entry but donations are expected.
Return route planned, via Brown’s at Mundford if more tea is required, then route largely along B1108, Watton Road to Norwich with drivers peeling off for home as necessary.
The RAF Marham Aviation Heritage Centre has a collection of displays relating to RAF Marham and the RAF. The displays present the RAF Marham story in pictures, words and objects. Opened in August 1916 Marham base was originally a military night landing ground used by the Royal Flying Corps (RFC). It was used in the First World War focusing on defending the UK from Zeppelin raids. An area in the centre of the present airfield being occupied by Marham Aerodrome, this closed in 1919.
RAF Marham opened on 1 April 1937 as a station for two heavy bomber squadrons, though it was of considerably smaller area than present day. During WW2 RAF Marham was home to Wellingtons, Stirlings and eventually Mosquitos, and was subjected to a number of bombing raids. During 1944, RAF Marham closed for the construction of three new concrete runways of the standard triangular pattern, but Marham was one of only four sites built as a Super Heavy Bomber airfield with the 9,000 ft main runway substantially longer than the standard layout, and this is the main reason that it survived the post-war disposal of RAF airfields. In the late 1940s RAF Marham regularly hosted the United States Air Force with B-29 Superfortress Bombers, and later B-50s for Project “Ruby”. These exercises tested the effectiveness of deep penetration bombs such as the Grand Slam and Disney against “massive reinforced concrete targets”. Trials were undertaken attacking the Nordsee III U-boat pens in Germany. The exercises were also to show the Soviets that long-range missions were possible. From 1956 through to 1993 it was a V-bomber base for Victors and Valiants. From the late 1970s Tornados operated for some 37 years this era ending in 2019. Now the F-35B Lightning is the main jet in operation at Marham.
Breakfast and aviation history, sign up now, numbers of persons, not cars, is limited to 10 for the cafe.
- David
- Tamsin & Kevin
- Richard W
- Laurie
- Chris
- Paul & Linda
- Mark
- Daniel +1 at Marham
To those of you signed up for this run the cafe is requesting numbers for cooked breakfast (vegan inc). Some I know intend having a Full English. Please indicate if you would like this.
Thank you.
David