FCF AA BOX Challenge 2019-Just Jersey left!

[NewcastleFalcon]

I found AA box 374 for Maerdy at the Coventy Transport Museum yesterday. It's tucked away on a pallet behind a screen in a workshop. I'll upload the photo later on. The AA website gives the orignal location as 'Maerdy Cerrig-y-Drudion - Corwen A.5 / 3 1/2 miles northwest of Corwen'.

Well done Kev. I think that we very probably drove past the former location of that box off the A5, when we had our little holiday at Betsw-y-Coed. I think the redphonebox.info site has got their caption wrong in their AA Box Section which describes the box as being from Maerdy, Rhonnda Cynon Taff which is a completely different place.



If this link works this is where I think the box used to be next to the telegraph pole.
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@52.98873 ... 312!8i6656

Nearest Pub from the map appears to be the Goat Inn. Have a celebratory half pint of the Champion Beer of Wales 2013!



Regards Neil

PS Had it in mind to visit the Coventry Transport Museum on one of our expeditions outside Northumberland in the Summer when we were staying at Shrewsbury, but didn't quite get round to it, probably ended up staying a little bit too far north for a comfortable day trip on holiday.

[red_dwarfers]

Also saw this too. Is there a list for these Neil?



Coventry Transport Museum is pretty good though I must admit I preferred it before it was refurbished a couple years ago. Would definitely recommend going.

I like the photos, especially the ale!

[NewcastleFalcon]

Also saw this too. Is there a list for these Neil?

They are probably extinct by the roadside now, as the AA decomissioned its phones from 2002, and those pedestals didn't inspire affection like the old boxes so probably headed straight for the scrap heap....or Coventry Transport Museum

A roadside spot of one of them, would be worth at least a pint!



Regards Neil

[NewcastleFalcon]

Special treat for A303 fans....



Regards Neil

[NewcastleFalcon]

..and Cappercleuch box fans (from some excellent pictures from a Scottish Borders bike ride at http://www.lawside.co.uk/grey-mares-tail/#!)



Regards Neil

[CitroJim]

Special treat for A303 fans....

I'm definitely one of those! I travel along it enough...

I know that bit like the back of my hand but by gosh it looks vastly different today!

And soon, one hopes, it'll look different again as they finally sort out the bottleneck the pile of old stones in the background causes!

[daviemck2006]

Special treat for A303 fans....

I'm definitely one of those! I travel along it enough...

I know that bit like the back of my hand but by gosh it looks vastly different today!

And soon, one hopes, it'll look different again as they finally sort out the bottleneck the pile of old stones in the background causes!

You will have to stop and take a photo from the same place how it is today the nect time you go along it Jim!

Sent from my SM-G361F using Tapatalk

[NewcastleFalcon]

..just a bit more info on the Porlock Box which Kev(Red Dwarfers) provided the excellent pictures for and confirmed its re-instatement, as it doesn't appear currently on the Google Street View.

Found this article from the Western Morning News from 2014..."Famous AA phone box returns to Porlock Hill"

It had been in a bit of a state



Regards Neil

[CitroJim]

You will have to stop and take a photo from the same place how it is today the nect time you go along it Jim!

I will Davie although that stretch of road is now incredibly busy... Early one morning though, it will be done

[NewcastleFalcon]

Just wondering if the Air Drop Picture could be Porlock Box, looks like a bit of heathland/moorland in the background, and the junction sign is at just the right angle for the intersection with New Road and the A39....but.....searching for an old picture to back up my hunch...I found this from the 1930's which would seem to rule Porlock out.



Regards Neil

Ps...The barrels of water were for use of vehicles that had overheated!

[red_dwarfers]

Neil, have you seen 'A303 - Highway to the Sun' by Tom Fort https://vimeo.com/25813595 ? He also wrote a book to go with it which is also very good. I like Tom's presenting style. Annie's tea bar at the western end of the A303 has changed hands as she's retired but it's still going strong. Not much else has changed.

I'm having a bit of a moment here, what do you mean by the 'air drop picture'? Do you mean the photo you put below with the water barrels?

The stone wall behind the barrels and box is still there though looking a little worse for wear on the left hand side. Here's a crop of one of the other photos I took while up there:



Never realised there were barrels at the top, makes sense I guess!

[NewcastleFalcon]

I'm having a bit of a moment here, what do you mean by the 'air drop picture'? Do you mean the photo you put below with the water barrels?

Its this one here Kev, which I posted up as part of "Pictures of the Day"



I think I will bring my posts on it over to this thread...bit more logical. There's not much to go on but surprisingly the aircraft itself has an interesting story which I am enjoying reading about.

Regards Neil

Yes I enjoyed that documentary, and its one of Citrojim's favourites too!

[NewcastleFalcon]

.....just a small update on the "Air Drop AA Box"....

That plane is no ordinary plane, and its registration id, is no ordinary registration ID.

From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Kingdom_aircraft_registration
Second permanent register 1928-

At the 1927 International Radio-Telegraph Conference the United Kingdom was allocated radio callsign prefixes B, G, M, VP, VQ and VR. Within this new allocation the United Kingdom continued to use the prefix G- for all aircraft but the sequence was restarted at G-AAAA, which continued into the 21st century.[5] The first registration in the sequence, G-AAAA, was allocated to a de Havilland Gipsy Moth, registered on 30 July 1928 to Geoffrey de Havilland.

So more than likely the bloke flying that particular plane was Geoffrey de Havilland himself (edit ...Maybe not. It changed hands a few times before it ended it days in WW2 used as a decoy.

DH.60G [Gipsy I] regd G-AAAA [CofR 1709] 30.7.28 to Capt Geoffrey de Havilland, Stag Lane. CofA 1547
issued 12.9.28. Fitted with coupe top 10.28.
Regd 4.30 to Ivor H McClure, Stag Lane and operated by The Automobile Association Aviation Dept. Regd [CofR 5968]
12.6.35 to Air Hire Ltd, Heston. Regd [CofR 7801]
2.4.37 to Francis J Bush, Hatfield. Regd [CofR 8940]
9.12.38 to The Yorkshire Aeroplane Club Ltd, Yeadon.
Regn cld 6.2.40 as sold. Impressed as X5038 12.11.39. To 24 MU Ternhill. To Sound City Films Ltd 19.12.40 for use as decoy aircraft.

So the AA potentially used it from April 1930 to June 1935. The Stag Lane referred to is Stag Lane Aerodrome Edgeware...the main base of The de Havilland Aircraft Company Limited. TIn 1934 the company moved to a bigger factory and airfied at Hatfield Aerodrome.

Regards Neil

[CitroJim]

Water was still available at the top of Porlock Hill well into the late 70s....

[NewcastleFalcon]

I'm having a bit of a moment here, what do you mean by the 'air drop picture'? Do you mean the photo you put below with the water barrels?

Its this one here Kev, which I posted up as part of "Pictures of the Day"

Well after some enjoyable digging around, I think this pic from flickr of a particular AA box in 1928 could well be the location of the box in the airdrop photo.

the air drop box!

Regards Neil