Raf Air Defence Radar Museum

Our Bloodhound Mk2 Missile on its way from the ADRM to be restored prior to being the star of a special exhibition in London early next year. Please watch this space for more information.

The RAF Air Defence Radar Museum would like to offer a warm welcome to the new manager, Beth Condie, who started work on Monday 10th November.

The end of the season is approaching and the volunteers will be turning their attention to renovations and improvements. The Museum will, however, open from November through to spring next year on every second Saturday of the month from 10.00 to 17.00.

A nice message on Facebook from Steve Suttle. "My wife and I visited the museum on thr 25th Sept and what a shock we got :-O. First of all, the tight fit in the car park, for a Thurs in late Sept. Secondly, a bigger shock when we got inside. Right from the welcome, the guided tour, which we would highly recommend, the exhibits, the size of the place and of course, the volunteers. This is truly a professionally run museum with a surprise around every corner and there are a lo...t of corners!! The cold war room is truly outstanding in that it is just as it was left the day the station closed. My wife and I had a brilliant time, taking about 4 hours in total to get round everything, incl a visit to the "crumbs" café for an excellent snack. Well done to you all, you are a credit to the museum and the museum is a credit to you." Thanks Steve, glad you enjoyed your visit. PS Rest assured, no money changed hands in the writing of this review!!!! Honest! ;-)
See More

Friends Go Underground! No, not a subversive plot by the Friends of the ADRM, but rather a reference to a visit by the Friends of the ADRM to the R3 Bunker on the old RAF Neatishead site earlier today. Some 55 Friends and Volunteers met at the Museum for a series of talks and a visit to the old Ops Room. Our thanks to Alan Hartley-Smith for a short talk on the 600 Radar as well as some unique footage of the S600 in use in the Falklands in the early 1980's. This was follow...ed by an excellent talk by Vic Jenkins entitled “Unusual experiences of Air Defence through the eyes of a Civil Servant!" which had the audience laughing at some of the things Vic got up to while procuring and testing Air Defence Radars! Bob Brown rounded the day off with a visit to the R3 in the afternoon. My thanks to all the Volunteers who were on hand to ensure the day ran smoothly!
See More

Russian bears prowling again! It seems Lossiemouth has been busy chasing them off for the first time since they took over the Northern “Q”. We are not sure of the exact date but the article is dated 19 Sept 2014 so within a week. Thanks to Pete Mabbitt for the heads up! Further information may be found at http://www.dailymail.co.uk/…/British-fi ghter-jets-execute-f…

Ringing the changes at Saxa Vord! From our friend, Gordon Carle, it seems work started on the removal of the last dome at Saxa Vord on 14 Sep 14 and it has now completely gone. The plinth was originally built for the T80 in 1963. Pete Brindley (Tx/Rx), who took the photos, was at Saxa 63/4, 73/74 and 77. The Curator is slightly curious as to what Pete did to deserve repeated sentences to the Penal Colony on Saxa? Or perhaps he just liked the remoteness of the place! Maybe Pete can enlighten us? ;-) C

From great news to sad news…….! We have just received the dreadful news regarding our long-standing friend and supporter in the Coltishall Rooms, Pete Goodwin, who passed away yesterday. I am sure you would all wish to join me in collectively passing our sympathies to Pete’s family at this very sad time indeed. We were stunned to hear the dreadful news. Despite this photo, Pete was always smiling and "full of the joys of spring" – his oft used phrase! Not only has Pete d...one so much for the Colt Memorial Rooms, he has been a leading light in the integration of the CMRs into the fabric of the Museum. The fact that the CMRs and ADRM now work as one as a matter of routine these days is, in no small measure, down to Pete’s support for both elements. But let us all remember with fondness, a real gentleman and friend who, sadly, will no longer be clocking in here at the Museum. RIP Peter. And thank you for all that you have done for the Museum. C
See More

A Neatishead “original” revisits the Museum! We had the pleasure of welcoming Rhoda Drummond (nee Slingsby) when she visited the Museum a couple of weeks back. Rhoda joined the RAF in 1941. She originally worked as a plotter at Coltishall but soon transferred to Neatishead in the very earliest days of the Station. At that time it was no more than a wooden hut and a few tents in the middle of a field but she soon took up residence in the brand new, sparkling “Happidrome” Op...s Room (now part of the Museum) when it was commissioned in early 1942. She worked on the Type 7 Height Finder amongst other things and stayed at Neatishead until she was demobbed at the end of the war. However she didn’t like life in “civvy street” and re-enlisted as soon as she could! She ended up as an instructor at Yatesbury, Wiltshire where she remained until she married in 1952. Rhoda is seen here with Volunteer Harold Gayfer plotting on the “Huff Duff” High Frequency Direction Finding Table and with the Curator outside the Museum at the end of her “returning home” visit to the Museum!
See More

It was great to welcome Members of the Fortress Study Group to the Museum on Saturday for a Tour. The Group was formed in 1975 at Pembroke College, Oxford to provide an opportunity for those interested in fortifications and military architecture to meet, get to know one another and publish their work. Since then the membership has grown to around six hundred, representing over thirty countries worldwide. They include professional architects and historians, retired or serving members of the armed forces as well as professional institutions and those with a casual but enthusiastic interest. Full details of the Group may be found at http://www.fsgfort.com/

Just a quick reminder that Castles in the Sky is on BBC 2 at 2100 tonight (Thursday 4/9/14). The film, produced in conjuction with the OU for all you budding Engineers, also gets a mention on their Website at http://www.open.edu/openlearn/castlesinth esky

A new book out - "Before I Forget - One man's Radar war"! While still awaiting a review copy, just found out about this new book to hit the bookshelves. Worth checking out to get another slant on the history of Radar and, in this case, OBOE. George was based for much of the time at Trimingham and Happisburgh, working on the OBOE blind-bombing system and was billeted at Overstrand. Can’t wait to have a read myself. Available on that big on-line shopping river – and many other good booksellers!!!! See the link for details https://www.facebook.com/georgephelpsbook

Castles in the Sky about to be aired! BBC 2 will be showing “Castles in the Sky” at 2100 on Thurs 4th Sept. The programme on the birth of Radar, starring Eddie Izzard as Robert Watson Watt, was filmed in Scotland last year. The Museum was asked to provide advice during the making of the film, including the Curator being asked to make the trials equipment used during the scenes at “Orford Ness” when he was on location near Edinburgh - “Well, as we have absolutely no idea w...hat it looked like, and you were a Radar engineer yourself, can you just build it for us?” Sadly, possibly due to the fact your Curator has not done much circuit design for some years now, it is the equipment rack that blows up with a flash and a pop!!!!!! But, as the saying goes, “To find out any more you will just have to watch the programme!” More details may be found at http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04gnhv7
See More

A new Record for Visitors on one day! We would really like to thank all our Visitors for being so understanding today as the Museum was simply over-run and we had to revert to self-guided visits! The vast majority of you realised we were facing exceptional numbers and were just pleased to be out of the rain! We hope that, despite the crowds, you enjoyed your visit! But, of course, a big "thank you" to all the Volunteers who were in today. A new record has been set for visitors numbers on one day – and by quite a margin! We have had 291 visitors so far - a few more may have arrived since I last counted up. Thank you to all those in all areas who coped so well with the sudden influx of people.

RAF ADRM is the proud owner of some new items! Well, to be honest, they have been on site for many years now but the Acquisitions and Disposal Committee at the RAF Museum have kindly gifted them to the ADRM so they now belong to the Radar Museum! This is really great as it means that we can now include these items in our Redevelopment Plans and can get HLF Funding for these items to cover both Conservation work and for housing them indoors out of the traditional Norfolk Summer weather! Brrrr!

The ADRM in the news again! It seems that we have had quite a bit of publicity of late one way or another including the Curator being interviewed on BBC Radio Norfolk yesterday! As ever, we are on the hunt for new Volunteers! Angie Johnson spotted the following on the EDP website - http://www.edp24.co.uk/…/raf_air_defenc e_radar_museum_on_ne…

It was great to wish Simone and her escort, Pete (not our Pete who was there to help wave them off but her Pete!) on the next leg of the journey to Watton. As there were only two ladies scheduled on this leg, it was decided bikes were permitted. We hope they did not get too wet en route!

It was great to welcome the WRAF Walkers to the Museum this evening after their walk from the old RAF Coltishall to RAF ADRM on the old RAF Neatishead site. Thankfully the sun was shining when they arrived though it appears that rain was encountered en route. In addition to Angie, Juliet and Vicky were their support team (to ensure the ice arrived in time for the Pimms!!!). Also on hand was Simone who took over the Ensign for the next leg of the trip to Watton, leaving the Museum at 0930 tomorrow. Anyone passing by is welcome to send Simone on her way in style in the morning!