Today was Mark’s treat a visit to The Yorkshire Air Museum near York, it is the largest independent air museum in Britain.

This is taken from the website of the Yorkshire Air Museum

‘In 1944 Elvington became host to two French Squadrons operating within No.4 Group: No. 346 (Guyenne) and No.347 (Tunisie). Both squadrons played a major part in the bomber offensive against Germany. Whilst at Elvington, 77 Squadron lost 82 aircraft and 450 aircrew (comprising of Canadians, Australians, New Zealanders as well as British) and this comprised more than half their fatalities during the whole war. 77 Squadron lost a total of 883 airman.

On the night of 3^rd March 1945, German night-fighters launched Operation Gisela against the 450 heavy bombers of 4, 5 & 6 Groups RAF Bomber Command returning from a raid on the synthetic oil plants at Kamen, in the Ruhr and the Dortmund Canal. At around midnight 100 Junkers 88’s crossed the English coast from the Thames to Yorkshire and infiltrated the returning bomber streams. Two hours later at least 24 bombers had been shot down and a further 20 damaged.

Having shot down two Halifax bombers of 158 Squadron returning to RAF Lissett near Bridlington, Hauptman Johann Dreher of 13 Nachtjagdeschwader Gruppen (Night fighter destroyer group), in his Junkers 88G turned to attack the French Air Force Halifax’s landing at Elvington. The runway lights were switched off and all aircraft ordered (in French) to divert to other airfields. It was 1:50am and as the alarms sounded, Capitaine Notelle’s Halifax pulled sharply up and, narrowly escaping, headed north towards RAF Croft. He was stalked by another German night fighter and was hit 3 times before crash landing near Darlington. All the crew survived. Meanwhile, Dreher’s Junkers 88 continued to attack RAF Elvington, strafing the road and a passing taxi. Circling round for another attack, it clipped a tree and crashed into Dunnington Lodge farmhouse, killing all 5 crew; the farmer, Richard Moll; his wife and mother. A black cross can be seen by the roadside in front of the farmhouse near the Museum on the road back to York. The war ended just 9 weeks later and this is probably the scene of the very last Luftwaffe aircraft crash on British soil.’

If you want to listen to one of the songs played over the speakers click HERE and you will hear Dame Vera Lynn who was known as The Forces Sweetheart sing one of the most popular songs of the Second World War

And HERE if you want to hear some audio clips from the BBC schools programme.

Linking up with Helen for her Weekend Walk 

I know that sounds dramatic but it’s photographic frustration, I love architecture and I so admire photographers who seem to get that ‘just right’ shot. So imagine my frustration on, when looking at my shots of Fountains Abbey I was not happy. It’s that age old dilemma, that photography can catch a moment a fleeting nano second but sometimes it can’t quite get the essence the wow as the eyes take in a miraculous sight.

So Fountains Abbey near Ripon. When we told people that we were going to Yorkshire nearly everyone said ‘you must go to Fountains Abbey ‘ and it was on our to do list.  I must admit it was a dark and dank day so conditions were not perfect and I wasn’t feeling too brilliant and had I felt a bit better we would have explored more, but just to walk amongst the ruins if this beautiful place was enough.

So a bit of history

 ‘Fountains Abbey is one of the largest and best preserved ruined Cistercian monasteries in England. It is located approximately three miles south-west of Ripon in North Yorkshire, near to the village of Aldfield. Founded in 1132, the abbey operated for over 400 years, until 1539, when Henry VIII ordered the Dissolution of the Monasteries‘. 
Henry VIII was responsible for the destruction of many beautiful monastic buildings and what he didn’t destroy Oliver Cromwell had a good go at polishing off the rest !

I’m quoting here from Wiki ‘ 

In 1986 the parkland in which the abbey is situated and the abbey was designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. It was recognised for fulfilling the criteria of being a masterpiece of human creative genius, and an outstanding example of a type of building or architectural or technological ensemble or landscape which illustrates significant stages in human history.

That sums it up really, the abbey is in a valley and as you walk down you get tantalising glimpses and as you round the corner the abbey is strung out in front of you and my, amazing.

I had to put the shot of the Pheasant, they were everywhere and the way they run so funny. 

Linking up today with Helen at A Weekend Walk