RAF Museum Unveils the Battle of Britain Beacon

[jameson]

Don't think anyone should get worried about this. Under the current government, prop: D. Cameron, (who somehow thinks the Americans stood shoulder to shoulder with Britian during BOB!), we have a regime who know the price of everything and the value of nothing.
Aside from that nothing is more depressing than looking at aircraft dangling on wires like the bedroom of a nine year old boy in the 1960's. What if they spent the money restoring some of them to flying status, so we could see and hear them flying again, a much more fitting memorial to those who fought IMHO. But we aren't going to be seeing either I'm afraid unless someone knows that they've already got the cash and are going ahead.

[Splitter]

Orville,

I understood "beacon", I just don't "see" a beacon there lol. I see a tall, twisty, shiny building that looks more like modern art than a memorial for a battle during WWII.

BTW, I don't dislike the building really, I just don't see the symbolic connection between the BoB and the architecture.

Don't trust the Americans on this one, though...we didn't have a WWII memorial in our nation's capital until a few years ago. Very sad.

Splitter

[winny]

When I say beacon I mean of the type used when the Spanish Armada was sighted off the British coast. A big stack of tree tunks all leaning against each other and the top half full of straw. Done slightly twisted so it stays upright..

A really basic beacon.

[WTE_Galway]

Restore this:




Or better still the whole of Tangmere.

Now that would be a fitting memorial.

[winny]

Originally Posted by WTE_Galway

Restore this:



Or better still the whole of Tangmere.

Now that would be a fitting memorial.

I totally agree with that. We do have a nasty habbit in the UK of ignoring some of the less 'grand' buildings even though they had a lot of historical importance. They get left to rot mostly. Unless they happen to be in central london, then they turn into tourist traps.

[Splitter]

Originally Posted by winny

When I say beacon I mean of the type used when the Spanish Armada was sighted off the British coast. A big stack of tree tunks all leaning against each other and the top half full of straw. Done slightly twisted so it stays upright..

A really basic beacon.

Yeah, Lord of the Rings style . I was with ya. Still, it's too modern. Interesting take off, but I guess I like my monuments understated. If you have to look at it and go, "WTF?" then the designers are trying too hard lol.

I still like the building though (and I like the gherkin, just more in Dubai). Hey, at least they are doing something grand to honor the heroes, have to appreciate that.

Splitter

[swiss]

Originally Posted by jameson

What if they spent the money restoring some of them to flying status, so we could see and hear them flying again, a much more fitting memorial to those who fought IMHO. But we aren't going to be seeing either I'm afraid unless someone knows that they've already got the cash and are going ahead.

While my visit in February up there, I noticed some of the engines are leaking oil - they had trays with oil binder under the nacelles.

That's a good sign actually.