Join me in my 1967 Vitesse as we examine an abbey, a pilgrim church and a WW2 fighter air base.
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- Опубліковано 15 жов 2024
- Tess and I take a spring morning out to visit St Botolphs Church at Iken, Leiston Abbey and the former USAAF airfield at Leiston, home to The P47 Thunderbolts and P51 Mustangs. We ask "Did the Romans really leave England for good in the 5th Century?
What a lovely drive! The Vitesse sounds great! Lovely church, thanks for sharing
Another excellent and informative video Sean. I really will have to venture down to the Suffolk coastal area again, I’m only in Norfolk but it’s been ages since I was at Leiston. There’s so much history in that area and it’s great to learn even more of it from you.
Thanks so much for your lovely comment 😀
A very phylosophical outing Sean. Many years ago went to a concert by Pro Corda students at Leiston Abbey, very atmospheric. Good to see the USAF memorial being maintained as are others in the area. We should never forget the sacrifice made by these very you men in WW2, so far from home. I gather from a recent EAPC talk on Parham 740 aircrew were lost from that airfield alone.
Thanks John. What a horrifying statistic, but it is one most viscerally demonstrated in the glass wall memorial at Duxford's American hanger.
Hi Sean, another very interesting video and lovely roads to drive. I did notice that the Vitesse engine sounded very sweet and quieter looks like a good job. Happy days.
All the best Bob😊
Thanks so much Bob 😀
Hello Sean. I've just come to this video in my To Watch list, so pardon me for being some two months behind! All your videos are packed with interest, but, for me, this one really stands out.
There is much to comment on, so here goes:
Interesting about the rocker shaft needing to be replaced. I think I've mentioned before about my having this same "issue" (!) with both my Vitesse and my 2500TC. It seems to be a weakness of the otherwise very robust Triumph inline six. The smoothness, sound and extra power that the new shaft brings, in keeping the valve clearances set, is a real treat! With my Vitesse I found myself, before replacing the shaft, having to reset the valve clearances about every two weeks. I remember, when touring Britain in 1973, doing this in a layby near Iron Bridge in the Midlands. I became really quite proficient in this operation, with all the practice I was getting!
A very good friend of mine, himself a lapsed Roman Catholic, maintains that the Roman Empire never died, it just transformed itself into the RC Church!
I am a keen follower of the 'Greg's Airplanes and Automobiles' You Tube channel. By sheer coincidence, his latest video, part of which I have been watching this morning, is actually a response to the comments stated in a live video he did a few weeks ago. The subject matter concerns the whole issue of the USAAF bombers being accompanied by long range escort fighters, in the shape of the P-47 (which Greg rates very highly) and the P-51. The matter of drop tanks features prominently.
The list of names of deceased US airmen from that base is sobering to say the least. The older I get, the more strongly I hold the view that war is an atrocity, harking back to our primate ancestors (if one agrees with the Theory of Evolution). The tragic and mad loss of life resulting, alone, from the wars of the 20th Century (not to mention what is going on at present in the Ukraine, Palestine and other theatres), is sickening. It's time, I believe that we, as a species, found a far more sane and suitable way to resolve our disagreements.
Aldeburgh is a town of which I am very fond - my distant relative, Ida, lived there and I visited her several times over the years - she was a mine of information concerning her branch of the family (incidentally, I need to chase cousin Paul, concerning that other matter). Have you done a video on Aldeburgh yet? I cannot find any reference in this regard. It's a pleasant and very interesting seaside town, I think.
Anyway, sorry for taking up so much space here. All the best, Colin.
So pleased you enjoyed this Colin. It is interesting to hear your experience of the 6 cylinder rocker shafts. There was at one time, a kit you could use that diverted oil from the bottom of the engine to the top. Presumably this was meant to address the problem you described. I gather that the common view nowadays is that this is a disaster as it stares the main bearings!, I must admit that the new rocker assembly has made the engine much sweeter. I was interested to hear your comments on the Roman Empire. I think as we are witnessing with Russia at the moment, empires have a habit of metamorphosis and it's very interesting to see how influential Turkey is becoming. As Darwinists I think it is not surprising that we agree on the subject of war. Sadly this highlights the paradox of humanity. Individuals behave very differently from groups. The greatest psychological pain felt by people appears to be the pain of being ostracised. All groups, it seems, are destined to work to preserve the values of that group - on pain of ostracism. The fear of being thrown out of the cave to the sabre toothed tigers inevitably means groups will search for a common enemy (and if they can't find one from outside, they find one within). It is the saddest feature of human psychology.
Good to hear from you as always. I will take your advice and do a specific feature on Aldeburgh soon.
Best wishes,
Sean
@@seanhumfrey Thank you very much, Sean, for replying so promptly and fully. Your point regarding ostracism is very well made.
All the best,
Colin.
Your Triumph does sound lovely. I did similar journeys pottering around UK country back lanes in my GT6 Mk.III a good few years back now. I certainly miss it, the exhaust note was lovely. Though I reckon your Vitesse is somewhat better being a convertible for the task - my GT6 could get very hot due to heat soak, it needed a sunroof. Greetings from OZ
Thank you so much Mark. I love The GT6. Beautiful looking cars but I hear that they can get quite hot. I am guessing that is even more of a problem in Australia!
I was still watching 'this episode' when you replied etc and I must say aside from the Vitesse, I do find all your local historical and personal views etc most interesting. I gather you will be aware of the author H.V. Morton? When in UK I discovered him on a BBC radio program in the 90s and ended up tracking down most of his books, his trips around pre-war UK in his car, captured an England quite eloquently, especially his book 'I Saw Two Englands' as the country prepared for war - city and country. I know he can divide people, critics etc but I found his writing captured a country that no longer exists (which changed dramatically after the war).
As to the YOXFORD BOYS - I find this subject fascinating - one can only imagine the impact of these young Americans and the whole infrastructure on the local environment and populace back then - they must have been a bolt from the blue (no pun intended) to the locals in what must have been a very quiet area - which still seems just as quiet. One can only imagine how the locals felt when they left - a real mixture I'm sure, but on the whole a huge warmth for them. When you panned the camera to show the airfield I could literally hear the Merlins in the Mustangs as they did a squadron take-off for an 8 hour mission there and back.
As to a Triumph here in OZ, a GT6 must/would have been a trial due to the heat... the Herald, Spitfire was very popular here in the 60s (though 70s models [Spitfire] were not imported), whilst the TR models did very well - alongside the saloons including the Pi. The Stag was very popular. I'm not sure if the Vitesse 1600 and 2-Litre were factory imported, I never saw any, though we seem to have the odd import?
Mark, I hadn't heard of this writer, but sounds just my kind of author so I will look him up and try to get hold of a copy. I am extremely grateful for your recommendation. What you said about the airfield rings so true. These are evocative places and to think about the ages and casualty numbers of the men involved is awful and magnificent in equal measure.
The Nuclear Waste from Sizewell C will be dealt with as follows: HLW and spent fuel will be packaged in concrete casks in an interim storage facility on the Sizewell C site. The casks use shielding which will reduce the radiation to a level that poses no risk to the workforce, public or the environment. The shielding is so effective that it is safe to touch the outside of the casks. The casks can be stored on site indefinitely or moved to a Geological Disposal Facility. An interim storage facility is already used for waste and spent fuel at Sizewell B.
ILW will be packaged in stainless steel drums and stored in a shielded facility made of concrete. This is the same approach used at other nuclear sites and allows the radiation to reach a level that poses no risk.
LLW will be promptly removed and taken to the UK’s Low-Level Waste Facility at Drigg in Cumbria.
That is reassuring Leon.
Rubber brake hoses, which are permeable, allow moisture into the brake fluid, they should be regarded as consumables are replaced no later than every 15 years. Indeed ALL the rubber seals in the brake system will only be good for a maximum of 20 years. A complete brake fluid change is recommended every 2 years, but no more than every 5 years, because it is hygroscopic and loses efficiency every year as it absorbs mousture from the air.
I think this is such an important message Leon. The fluid has been changed but I have owned the car for 12 years and I now suspect that the hoses were last done when the car was restored 23 years ago 😬 of course, they looked perfectly serviceable, but looks are deceptive and you can quickly lose a sense of time after a few years of ownership. ATS did also overhaul the brake master cylinder, which I ought to have mentioned 👍
A very phylosophical outing Sean. Many years ago went to a concert by Pro Corda students at Leiston Abbey, very atmospheric. Good to see the USAF memorial being maintained as are others in the area. We should never forget the sacrifice made by these very you men in WW2, so far from home. I gather from a recent EAPC talk on Parham 740 aircrew were lost from that airfield alone.