Scrolling News
NEW STOCK LISTING
No New Stock listed
in the last 60 days
18th March 2025
News Update from the CO Spring 2025
Many visitors to our site may be a tad bemused and frustrated by the distinct lack of fresh stock listings in recent months to view and hopefully buy, so it is time for a long overdue explanation. 2024 in itself was a challenging year for our CO and support team, in that our Married Quarters were extensively flooded in December 2023 and it has effectively taken until now (mid March 2025) to have the ground floor dried out, restored and redecorated. We hope these works will finally be signed off at some stage in the next 10 days and our domestic life can then return to some form of normality. Project managing the associated works and processing a significant insurance claim pretty much wrote of developing the business in 2024, although we are proud to confirm, despite external issues, we have continued to trade throughout, but at significantly reduced levels.Then just when we thought it was safe to get back in the water the MO was worried bout the health of the CO and suggested he get a PSA blood test last October. To those not familiar with the term 'PSA', it refers to 'Prostate Specific Antigen' and a high reading can indicate Prostate Cancer. Following numerous further tests, scans and a biopsy cancer was confirmed shortly before Christmas 2024, and after consultation the Boss has commenced remedial treatment in recent days. Hopefully, this will be successful, but in the meantime the MO insists he takes it easy, with no heavy lifting or other actions, that may exacerbate his recovery. That being said he is not confined to the sick bay and the office continues to function and we are handling all enquiries and despatching sales, but at a somewhat reduced level. So please feel free to contact us in the normal way, whilst the Boss recovers before returning to front line duty, hopefully in early Summer.
The Old Man also wanted to mention, seeing he was asymptomatic, it was only a supposedly 'routine' PSA test that identified his disease. 1 in 8 chaps in the UK suffer from prostate cancer at some stage in their lives, so if you are of a certain age, or have any concerns, get tested now! It is a simple and quick blood test and it may just save your life! As a retired GP chum told the Boss recently 'It is the cancer you do not know you have got that is the one you have to worry about'!
That aside, we have just heard the news the very last of 'The Few', Battle of Britain pilots, Group Captain John "Paddy" Hemingway DFC, has died at the age of 105. He was shot down four times and survived, but as a modest man to the end, he attributed his survival to pure luck, rather than skill. They do say 'it is the luck of the Irish' and Paddy Hemingway embodied the expression. Likewise, it is surely no coincidence that 'Paddy' received his final posting on 17th March, also know as St Patrick's Day. RIP Sir, you more than deserve it and it would be nice to think of him and his patron Saint sitting together, whilst reminiscing on his long career, and sharing a drop or two of the dark stuff?
Geoff Pringle
18th March 2025
Read our
Earlier Blogs
Take a Look
We stock a range
of New Aviation Books
see our
Books - Old & New
Page