Photos by G Lokey : on the map, in Google Earth (KML)

It is possible, here in Ushuaia ships usually goes to Malvinas, South Georgia and Antarctica. Last week brit guest of the Hotel take that ship.

Sorry Cristobal unable to open your pics! Will wait until you put them on Panoramio!!!

A memorial to the 350,000 Americans of the United States Eighth Air Force, including my old man, who served in the UK during WW2, 26,000 of whom were killed in combat. Listed on the memorial are the "Medal of Honour" recipients, (the U.S. Victoria Cross equivalent), and this list very definitely does not include my father! The primary aircraft of the "Mighty Eighth" was the Boeing B17G "Flying Fortress" which carried out daytime bombing raids over Germany. The Eighth Air Force eventually numbered more than 3,500 bombers and fighters. This memorial is situated in the "Bomber Hall" adjacent, appropriately, to the B17 "Flying Fortress"

The Bedford Suspension Bridge was constructed in 1888 to provide access from the Embankment to Mill Meadows which had been purchased by Bedford Corporation five years earlier. At first a low flat girder bridge was proposed but this would have obstructed river traffic. John James Webster, whose design allowed sailing boats to pass underneath, built the bridge. He also built Prebend Street bridge and several seaside piers. The opening ceremony was performed by the Marquis of Tavistock who on the same day opened Bedford Park! Not a lot of people know that!!! The bridge was closed in 1983 for repairs and the restoration work was carried out by local firm C.A.E.C. Howard at a cost of £32,000. So a good earner for "Cack" as all Bedfordians, and I am one, know the firm!!! The bridge was re-opened in March 1984.

The Bristol Bloodhound is a British surface-to-air missile developed during the 1950s as the UKs main air defence weapon and was in large-scale service with the RAF and four other countries. The Bloodhound Mk1 entered service in December 1958 and the Mk2 in 1964. The last Mk2 missile squadron stood down in July 1991 although Swiss examples stayed operational until 1999. The planned Mk3 was a nuclear warhead-equipped Mk2 with a longer range but the project, one of several adaptions of existing British missiles to carry tactical nuclear devices was cancelled in 1960. Mk4 was a cancelled mobile version based on Swedish field army experience. This "gate sentry" is obviously aimed at Shite Hart Lane!!!

There are five Asian elephants at the Zoo and this is the newest, a bull elephant, born 6.8.09. His mother, Noorjahan, was the zoo's first artificially inseminated (AI) elephant. The four adult elephants are all female and Ganesh is the third of the five to be "captive-born". In the wild bull elephants lead a solitary life and would not live with the females only joining the herd for mating. Rather than bring a bull to the Twycross herd it was decided to use the AI technique and experts flew in from Germany to inseminate Noorjahan with a sample taken from the bull elephant Emmett, at Whipsnade Zoo, and Ganesh Vijay is the result. He will suckle from his mother for about a year and then take solids such as vegetables, fruit and hay. When fully grown he will get through four bales of hay a day along with several buckets of fruit and vegetables with several gallons of water to wash it all down! If anyone is sufficiently interested in watching these wonderful animals at Twycross, get "Twycross Zoo" on the internet and you will find they have a live webcam!!!

No 601 Squadron was formed at Northolt in 1925 as a light bomber unit of the Auxiliary Air Force. Flying did not begin until 1926 when its Avro 504s were supplemented by DH9A light bombers. In January 1927 the Squadron moved to Hendon where it was based up to the outbreak of war. In November 1929 Waptis replaced the DH9As and in 1933 these were replaced by Harts. The following year the Squadron was re-designated a Fighter unit and in 1937 the Harts were replaced by Demons. The following year they converted to Guantlet single-seater fighters and the following year they began to receive Blenheims. It was with these that they began fighter patrols at the outbreak of war and by the following year they had converted to Hurricanes. A detachment operated from French soil for a week and then the Squadron carried out defensive duties from the South of England during the Battle of Britain. In February 1941 they were re-equipped with Airacobras which proved useless and in in March 1942 they were discarded in favour of Spitfires. In April 1942 the Squadron sailed for the Middle East and were based in Egypt until the end of the African campaign in May 1943. From there it was to Tunisia and then to Malta to cover the Sicily landings. After that it was to Italy to carry out ground support to the Army until the end of the war. On the 14th August 1945 the Squadron was disbanded. On 10th May 1946 the Auxuliary Air Force was re-formed and 601 began recruiting at Hendon. In October it commenced flying Spitfires and in 1949 moved to North Weald. It then flew Vampires and then Meteors before on 10th March 1957 the AAF was disbanded and 601 ceased to exist. The sculpture is to commemorate 601's time at Hendon.

A view from the north end of the hall. In the foreground on the floor, the "Miles Mohawk"; suspended to the left the "Hawker Hart"; to its right the German "Fokker DV11"; slightly above it the "Sopwith Camel"; top right the "Sikorsky Hoverfly"; and below it another German offering the "Junkers Jumo". The Eurofighter 'Typhoon' can be glimpsed just below the RAF roundel on the lower wing of the Sopwith Camel. Behind the Miles Mohawk on the floor can be seen the final German offering the "Messerschmitt Bf109G".

My all-time favourite aircraft situated in the Historic Hangars. The Lightning was the ultimate single seat interceptor fighter flown by the RAF. The first prototype exceeded the speed of sound on its first flight on 1957. In 1958 it was the first British aeroplane to reach twice the speed of sound. It could climb to 40,000 ft in 2 mins 30 secs and operate up to 55,000 ft. during the Cold War it was on standby to intercept Russian aircraft intruding into British air space. I used to watch it doing its "overflying" of Nicosia International Airport in 1971 on a daily basis, two runs at rooftop height and the "icing on the cake", the low level pass ending with it standing on its tail, afterburners on, and climbing like a rocket! Unbelievable!!!

The Vampire was a first generation jet fighter which saw service in the immediate post-war period with the RAF frontline squadrons in the UK and Germany. Work on the design of the DH100 began in 1942 and the prototype made its first flight on 20.9.43. It was originally named the Spider Crab and re-named Vampire when ordered into service by the RAF. It did not become available until 1945 and did not enter service until summer 1946. This F3 was a long-range version of the F1 with a re-designed tail unit. On the 14.7.48 six Vampire F3s of 54 Squadron became the first ever jet aircraft to fly across the Atlantic under their own power. This small unsophisticated aircraft of relatively unusual design was viewed with fondness by many pilots who nicknamed it the "aerial kiddy car"!