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

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".

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"!

This is displayed in the "Milestones of Flight" section of the museum. The Eurofighter 'Typhoon' is the most modern aircraft in the RAF and can fly at twice the speed of sound. The UK, Germany, Italy and Spain have worked together to develop the many advanced features of this state-of-the-art machine.

The heroes of the "Battle of Britain" in pride of place at Hendon Museum!

A view looking up towards the town bridge.

Autumnal October scene!

Meerkats doing their "lookout for the gang" thing!!!