We hadn’t been to the de Havilland museum for way too long. Since our last visit the museum has undergone a transformation. The Mosquito Hanger remains the home to three Mosquitoes including the original prototype but there is now an impressive new hanger housing many of the other de Havilland aircraft exhibits. The larger outside exhibits have been moved to a new location alongside a much improved car parking area, entrance
shop, café area, new education room and an open mezzanine area in the new hanger.

The museum opens at 10.30am and most of us arrived a little early, especially those travelling from the south on the M25. After an ‘Indian Summer’, our Saturday was the day that all changed as the temperature dropped down to the more normal level for mid-October.

So eight members were warmly greeted by the museum staff and we were taken on a ‘quick’ tour of the museum. It was of course very kind of them to do this and I’m sure the tour was appreciated by all in the group, but we were there to draw and paint aircraft. The tour did give us all chance to choose a subject for the day.

The staff kindly made the education room available to us for our revue at 4.00pm. I conducted the meeting and we shared our days’ work and experiences.

It had been a good day but it was a shame that we had so few in attendance but sadly that’s been the case at all the three meetings that we’ve held this year. I hope to finish the year back at Hendon, let’s hope the attendance rallies a bit to finish off the year and my term in this Regional Organisers role.

Our thanks go to the museum staff, who impressive in number made us so welcome. It’s a really superb collection to visit and I’m sure it won’t be too long before we return.

Richard Wheatland GAvA