An Adventure in England - Week 3

G'day again! Here's the final instalment of my awesome adventure in England! Let's get into the thick of things;

 Day 16 - Sunday 30th of September - Woke this morning feeling somewhat better than the day before. Had a bit of a lay in this morning no breakfast as we were heading off to The Halfway House east of Southend for an awesome carvery. I ended up going for a large portion again (who's going to say no to extra carvery?!). I also indulged in a nice pint of Guinness too. After the awesome feed we made our way back to Andy's for the afternoon indulged in a few more drinks and watched some TV and a film. A much needed break after the last trip into London.

Day 17 - 1st of October - Today was another very relaxed day. I had the opportunity to head into Leicester Square for a few drinks but to be quite honest, I was pretty exhausted from the trips into London. It just means next time I'm in the UK (T-Minus 8 months) I'll have a lot more to explore such as the London Eye, Westminster Abbey, West End etc. Anyway, I think I rolled out of bed at about one in the afternoon and pretty much did sweet bugger all. A good day just spent listening to music and chilling out. Isn't that what holidays are all about?

Day 18 - 2nd of October - Andy first day of vacation started today so we headed down to the Alex for a brilliant brunch that cost 4.50p! Massive breakfast too with a nice spot of tea on the side. We headed our

King of the World!

 way to Basildon for some rock climbing. I went up first and unfortunately had 

Buggered after Rock Climbing

my first experience of vertigo. I came down had a bottle of water and then went up on round 2 - made it to the top. Not sure why I had it - maybe it's because I hadn't done if for such a long time (I think that is going back 15 years now). Anyway so we were there for a good couple of hours trying our hand at the harder climbs. My forearms were absolutely drained by the end of this but hey - it was all good fun. Taking if up as part of my fitness routine when I'm back in Canada! After this we headed back down to Southend for a nice hot cup of tea and watched some TV. Tonight we cooked up an amazing vegetarian pasta dish and topped it off with a nice bottle of Merlot - tidy.

Day 19 - 3rd of October - Today we headed up to the Imperial War Museum at Duxford which is located 

At IWM Duxford

just to the south of Cambridge. The weather was reasonably cool today however I ventured out in just jeans and a tee shirt (I wonder why I kept getting strange looks). We stopped on the way north to grab a bite to eat before we made it into Duxford. The airbase is quite a massive complex with 7 hangers and a myriad of other buildings. We started our visit in the first hanger known as the AirSpace museum. Located in here is an introduction into the history of flight and also the history of British and Commonwealth aviation. There were a lot of exhibits for children and adults to play with that showed how surfaces on an aircraft work, the effect of lift and drag etc. While wandering around there was a cockpit of a Hawker Typhoon. It's amazing to see the engineering involved just for the pilot to control a plane. At the top of the hanger you can gaze over all the aircraft that are on static display in the hanger too. A few notable planes were the Avro Lancaster, the Concorde, Avro Vulcan, Spitfire and the 

Avro Lancaster

Tornado. We made our way around to the bottom of the hanger to get up close with the aircraft. We checked out a commercial aircraft from the 1950's - wow talk about leg room back then! We then made our way inside the Concorde. It really is an exceptional aircraft - the cockpit was rather small and the front window must have been pretty difficult to look out of especially when the plane was on the ground. There were stations for all the engineers, radio operators and navigator on the aircraft. Towards the back was the passenger's area and even then there was still a fair amount of leg room in the aircraft. We 

Avro Lancaster Tail Gun

finished off at the aft of the aircraft and was able to see the four massive power plants that sent this plane skywards. Simply amazing technology.
After the commercial aircraft I made my way to the tail gun position of the Lancaster. I've read a book called Tail-End Charlies which is about the experiences of being a tail gunner in world war II. It would have been a very cold and lonely experience out the back there, as most of the other positions on the aircraft were to the stern of the aircraft. We then made our way under the massive Avro Vulcan which was the British high altitude nuclear bomber. It saw service in the Falklands war in 1982 in which it dropped conventional bombs on Port Stanley Airfield. It is a massive aircraft with the bomb bay large enough to fit at least 2 cars. Simply massive. After this I checked out a 

Supermarine Spitfire

Spitfire and once again they are always an amazing plane to get up close and personal with. We made our way around past several other aircraft and came across the Rolls Royce engine used to power commercial aircraft such as the A380- It was massive. It was twice the height of me and was simply awe inspiring. I then had the opportunity to see the current strike fighter used by the RAF in Afghanistan the Tornado. Quite an impressive fighter / bomber with sweeping wings. It was a very cool sight to see. We made our way to the exit and 

A380 Engine

checked out Richard Branson's capsule that he used to fly across the Atlantic in a balloon. It was very cramped in there and once again an amazing example of brilliant technology can be used in adventuring.
We then made our way to the second hanger which housed the current flying aircraft that Duxford is famous for. On the way I had the childhood dream come true to have my photo taken next to the B-17 used in the Memphis Belle film. It was amazing to see the B-17. Such a beautiful and sleek bomber! One side is still painted in the livery of the film while the other side has the original nose art of the Sally B. The plane was actually converted from a 

Panivia Tornado

G to an F model for the film (the chin turret was removed and additional guns were placed next to the bombardier and navigators positions in the nose). We also say the Consolidated Catalina used for patrol missions in the pacific theatre and also the German Transporter - the Junkers J-55. Inside the hanger itself was a massive collection of Spitfires, a Grumman Hellcat, several Hawker Hurricanes, another Lancaster, a F-86 Sabre, an Me-109, a P-40 Kittyhawk, a couple of P-49 Mustangs and a Corsair. Unfortunately most of the hanger was closed off but it was still cool to see these aircraft in the flesh. 
Before we made our way to the Air and Sea hanger I treated myself to a four pound motion simulator (yes, I am still a big kid). The simulator contained combat footage of 2 Me-109's taking on 2 Spitfires. The sensation reminded me of my aerobatics flight I did on my birthday a few years ago. It lasted for a good 8 minutes with one Spitfire and the Me-109 being knocked out of action. It was very fun! 
We made our way into the Air and Sea hanger which had a few static displays of aircraft used in sea operations. They included the Hawker Sea Faerie, Swordfish (a Bi-plane that was used to inflict massive losses to the Italian Naval fleet at Taranto), the Hawker Sea Hawk, Hawker-Siddeley Buccaneer and a Vampire. We also checked out a piece of the iron curtain used to protect the German Battle cruiser "Tipetz" Which was sunk in Norway. There was a midget submarine also on display and a MTB 71 (PT Boat).
Next we made our way to the Battle of Britain Hanger which was home to a few Spitfires, Hurricanes and some German aircraft and remains. There was an Me-109 and the tail section of the Heinkel 111 that was found in farmland. The exhibitions also included information on what it was like during the Blitz, and what wartime London was like. Towards the back of the hanger there was a section dedicated to the Cold War which included a few static displays of SAM batteries, a F-4 Phantom, Gloster Meteor and another Vampire on display. 
The next hanger was the conservation hanger which housed the current restoration projects that are being 

SR-71 Blackbird

undertaken at IWM Duxford. There was the shell of a Japanese Zero with extensive battle damage and rust, a Hawker Harrier, a Swordfish, a Heinkel 111, the nose of a Lancaster and the tail gun from a Vickers Wellington. Everything was static and the planes which when restored would be housed in the other hangers.
We decided to skip the 1940 operations room exhibition as I have seen these in Dover before. We made our way to the American Air Museum. On the way was the static display of a F-15 Eagle! What an awesome sight! Upon entering the hanger you are instantly awe stuck with the sight of the B-52 Stratofortress! That thing is HUGE! It is the centrepiece of the museum and rightly so. We made our way down to the floor and checked out the SR-71 Blackbird spy plane. I remember being a kid remembering how massive this thing would have been and actually it's not as big as you think it is! It was still a very cool sight to see. We made our way to 

Next to the B-52

the B-29 Superfortress that was on display and checked out the nose section. The Nordon Bombsight was still mounted in the aircraft which and it's an impressive aircraft to stand next too as well. We made our way under the wing of the B-52 and I had my photo taken next to the nose - it simply towers over you. We made our way around and checked out the other B-17 that was on display, however it was still undergoing some restoration work. I also had the opportunity to get up close with the Ball Turret used in the B-24 Liberator that

The Sperry Ball Turret

 was on display too! What a cramped location to fight a war. It definitely would have been a cool place to fight though - sitting under the aircraft you have a complete 180 degree view on the world! We checked out several other aircraft including the F-111 that has recently been retired in the RAAF and a few other aircraft that were hanging from the ceiling. Notable planes where the Curtiss and the U2 

Memphis Belle and I

Bomber. 
We made our way to the last hanger which was the land warfare hanger which housed the a collection of artillery pieces and tanks. I am not very big on land warfare however it was cool to see the following on static display - there was a German Panzer IV tank which was mainstay of the Panzer Battalions in World War II. There was also a Flak 88 artillery piece on the floor which was probably one of the best multi purpose weapons developed by the Germans. There was also a Tiger I on display which

Sally B / Memphis Belle

 was used in the film Saving Private Ryan. Also on display was a Russian T-34 which was used to destroy the Panzer Battalions at the Battle of Kirsk. Finally a Sherman M-4 was on display. A few other tanks were on display from the ages however their names escape me right now.
We made our way back towards the exit but not before stopping off to take a few more photos of the Memphis Belle on display. 
With everyone exhausted we made our way back to Southend where we went out to Cricketers for dinner. We all had an awesome Thai feed which was the best Thai I've ever tried. I had roasted duck which was just divine. Chris and Jen then joined us for a few beers before we called it a night! What an amazing day. 

Day 20 - 4th of October - Today I lacked any amount of energy. I was supposed to head up north to Colchester however I opted for a relaxing day in Southend. Ended up heading out for lunch at the Alex before sending off some postcards and then chilling at home. Not much else happened I ended up having an early night to recharge the batteries.

Carvery!

Day 21 - 5th of October - My last day in the UK... Today I made my way up north to Billericay on the train then Chris, Jen and myself headed off to the secret (well not so secret any more  Cold War bunker. The bunker itself was set on a farm which you could have blinked and missed if it you were not looking for it. The bunker itself was set 3 floors below ground, encased in lead and reinforced concrete. The audio tour took us around the facility which would have been used in the case of an Atom Bomb or Hydrogen Bomb being unleashed on London. It was quite scary to think that this facility was still in use up until 1994 and can be re used if necessary. The bunker itself can hold up to 300 people from memory for up to 3 months. There was all sorts of facilities in the bunker including medical rooms, radio rooms, accommodation and bathing facilities. The complex had continuous filtered air and the temperature and humidity was constantly kept level. The most scariest thing about the bunker was the laws that could be used by police and military if a bomb was to be unleashed - and they included being able to execute people due to radiation poisoning as a means to end suffering. To think that the English had this you can only imagine what other countries like the US have. We finished up the tour and made our way down to Billericay for a few pints at the White Hart before making our way to Basildon for a carvery dinner (yes another!). I opted for the King Size portion again and

 stuffed myself silly. We then went to the arcade for a drink, some pool and 2p machines before I headed back down to Southend to have a few drinks down at the Alex with Andy and Emma. Was not a very late night but all in all was a fun night out!

Day 22 - 6th of October - Headed out for breakfast this morning with Chris, Jen, Emma and Andy at the Alex. Indulged in the mega breakfast again and then we made our way to Heathrow. Said our goodbyes and reminded them that 8 months I'll be back for round two! Made my way through check-in and security with no problems before I made my way to the departure gate. My flight was pretty ordinary to say the least, a very rude family in front of us with a screaming child, but the couple next to me were nice enough. Ended up drinking red wine with them until we landed - very fun! Oh and I finished The Grey Knights omnibus! Awesome read. Unfortunately the rest of the adventure turned out to be pretty sour but I wont go into that. Let's just say I am already considering a move else where!
So there you have it! I had such an amazing experience in the UK and I can't wait until I go back. That is three weeks of my life that I'll never forget! Now it's back to reality to find a job and start saving for the next 4 months of travelling. I plan on heading down to the US in the coming weeks so stay tuned for another update.
Until next time - Hooroo!

~Matty