Working Days Then Retirement

A Memory of Newton-on-Ouse.

After attending Newton village school from the age of 5 to 14, I found employment at a place called Tholthorpe where a new airfield was being built. Being 12 miles from my home I had to use a bicycle to get there and back. This was fine during the Spring and summer months but was a devil in winter. However I enjoyed my 18months there where I witnessed an airfield being built from start to finish at which point in time two bomber squadrons arrivedm complete with their fourty Halifax bombers.

My next move was to another airfield at Linton-on-Ouse which thankfully was only 1 mile from my home. This was an exciting period as I witnessed the two Canadian bomber squadrons taking part in bombing missions almost every night. Sadly many of these Haliax aircraft failed to return whilst other crashed locally. It was one of the latter that crashed into cottages in the Back Lane at Newton which resulted in 6 airmen being killed but two others were alive. The crew were largely Canadians that were burried at Harrogate. I was so moved by this incident that I designed and then arranged for a memorial to be erected on the site of the crash. The unveiling of the memorial was a day to remember as it was attended by scores of civilians and by members of the Canadian Air Force. The latter flew over to England in a huge C130 miliary transport which later in the day flew over the memorial site exactly as I arranged at 11 a.m.

After serving as a civil servant, radio and radar engineer, for 30 at RAF Linton on Ouse and for the final 3 years at the Home Office at Kippax from where I retired at the age of 60. Since then I have lived a very active life, firstly helping to build the Yorkshire Air Museum located at Elvington. It was here that I served on the management side and contribute in no small way to its construction. After 4 years the museum was fully developed at which point I left. I then looked for another sourse of interest which was flying light aircraft from Sherburn in Elmet airfield where if the weather is suitble I fly every Thursday. As a member I can also attend gatherings at other airfields such as Linton-on-Ouse and Leeming. A fellow member of the flying club organised a trip to Leeming Bar which is the home of a steam railway on which I went on a journey to Bedale, some 20 miles distance. Sadly it was a deisel engine that was used and not the steam engine. However, this was very exciting for me as I was allowed into the drivers cab from where I captured, via my video camera, the return journey back to Leeming Bar. On other days of the week I take my wife June and our springer spaniel dog named Sanantha, to the seaside at Filey, Scarborough and Bridlington. The one place I like very much is visiting "The Deep" at Hull. This is a museum with a difference as is concentrates on displaying all manner of marine life from the smallest minnow to large sharks. It takes at least 2 hours to see all the display features, after which we visit the cafe. From its windows one can look down into the River Humber and watch the large passenger ships leaving for the continent. Another interesting place to visit is Studley Royal, located to the west of Ripon. Here one can walk for miles following the route of a small river with its numerous natural stone built bridges. Nearer to home there are long walks along the banks of the River Ouse and it is here where I take my spaniel dog named Samantha, for long walks twice a day.

Although I am 82 years old I am still very fit so I hope the good Lord wll let me stay here on earth for at least another ten years because I still have many places I would like to visit although non of these will be abroad as I do not like ships.

Although I have visited London twice, it was so long ago that I am sure it will have changed so I hope to return to see those changes in the near futurebut this time I will travel by train and not on my motorcycle like last time. I must close now so may I say best wishes to all you viewers from Guy Jefferson.MBE Rawcliffe. York. U.K.

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