Nick Cripps

The Purple Haze was a very popular model in our club in the late 70s, designed by one of our members, a certain Rob Millinship. The original used a Jedelsky-style wing but was replaced by veneered foam when kitted by Peacock Models. I'll ask around at our next club meeting and see if anyone still has a copy of the plan. incidentally, another of Rob's designs kitted by Peacock Models was the Azure Lady. The original name "Shy Talk" was not deemed suitable for some reason!

I only went into Wayland's a few times but it was very much like Goodyear's in that respect. When Alf eventually retired, the model shop separated from the newsagents and was run by a few different people. At one time it was known as Premier Models which is probably the name you remember. Super Models in Spondon was run by Dave Heaton and then later his son, Mark, but as you say closed at least 10 years ago. Terry Tippett was the brains behind Micron radio and at one point had 3 shops, all in a small shopping precinct in Sandiacre, not far from M1 J25. Micron radio was very popular in the local area at least but struggled when the japanese manufacturers started to flood the market with cheap (relatively) radio in the late seventies. My first radio was Micron, too, and I still have it somewhere, I think. Converting it to 2.4GHz is an interesting idea but I think the DEAC pack would need replacing!

The shop on Nightingale Road was Goodyear's. It was adjacent to a newsagent also run by the proprietor whose name was ...Alf Goodyear. It was one of those wonderful old-school model shops that we all miss. You could go in and ask for something obscure and Alf would just rummage around in the back and find one for you - brilliant!

Alternative venue: RAF Syerston. It's a satellite airfield for Cranwell (like Barkston) and is in the same local area, a few miles SW of Newark on the A46. According to Googlemaps, it looks to be of a similar size to Barkston so should be able to host all of the usual events. Worth investigating by the BMFA?

Dave, The Mew Gull is one of my favourite aeroplanes. I've got an "Aircraft Archive" of racing and sporting aircraft which includes the Mew Gull. I'll bring it along to work on Monday and you can make use of the office photocopier.

"Suction surface" - you can tell you're a turbines man, Phil. Looking good....

Sad news indeed. My condolences to Janet and their family.

Er, 70oz is 4lb 6oz, not 5lb.

The Arkady Renko series by Martin Cruz Smith, starting with "Gorky Park", set in communist Russia, are a good read. Interestingly, I've just discovered there are 2 more which I haven't read yet - bonus! Craig Thomas has written many good novels including one of the best ever "Firefox", although the sequel lets it down a bit, and don't even mention the film..... Also recently got into Harlan Coben. Very american but the stories are well-written, often with an unexpected twist at the end.

And another for the list, please.

Will-o, I have to admit that I've not seen any C/L flying at BWA events but I do recall one of my local club members flying from our site when it flooded some years ago. He built a Catalina from the Aeromodelller plan, powered by a couple of PAW 19s. Just don't try it from a boat......

How about having a go at flying off water? More info here British Waterplane Association

And another Merry Christmas

Count me in please.

Jim, the BWA have the use of a lake next to Billing Aquadrome near Northampton on the 1st Sunday of the month and also host 3 meetings a year at Colwick Lake in Nottingham. Both of these will probably mean s bit of a drive for you but definitely worth the trip, especially the Colwick events. More details at the BWA website **LINK**