Hello from Pembrokeshire

My background
Served in the RAF 1970 - 1976 as a Ground Radar Electronic Technician Stationed at RAF Neatishead 1972 - 1976 as. Junior Technician working on the auto height / type 85 systems
1977 - 2015 Oil & Gas Industry as a Saturation Diver / Dive Supv / Offshore Construction Manager
In 1998 I moved to live in South West Wales Pembrokeshire and purchased a farm with many out building but bizzarely became the owner of a WW 2 GCI Happidrome, formaly known as RAF Ripperston which was operational from Dec 1943 until 1958. Sadly over the years whilst in farm ownership the buildings suffered various indignations from pig farm, puppy farm, chicken rooms and general junk storage. However, over the last 4 years I have spent some considerable money on repair and maintenance with roof repairs, replacement window lintels & windows such that the buildings are now ater tight and no longer blemish the country side.
My question and request for help is to try and find out some detailed history of my site with the hope of finding photographs or details of construction. I have been fortunate to get copies of RAF Form 540 Operations Record Bood from the National Archives, which I'm currently researching so as to produce a summary of main events, Station Commanders etc. Furthermore, the curator at Neatishead Radar Museum has been very helpful. Our plans are not to create a museum but to try and capture a period feel with some legitimate detail of the sites history. My wife and myself are keen photographers and have ideas for setting up a gallery and small training facility. Since we have made the building weather tight some of the rooms are now converted into studios, dark room and class room. We are currently constructing a web-site of our photographic work but will also include a pictorial story board of the works project as a before & after and will add history as time & research progresses. Please note that we are not open to the public at this stage but will gladly receive and questions or comments either through this forum or my emails. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Hi John:

Welcome to AiX. I spent a happy four years at Brawdy from 1975.

I'm no expert in GCI buildings but there are people here who will be most interested in your project. Welcome aboard.

Bill

Hello John, welcome to AiX.

In these modern times when demolition of WW2 structures is common your initiative to preserve gets a thumbs up from me. Nice to have a photographic facility to support your hobby but heating must be a problem!

I look forward to updates re your website.

Happy Happidrome!

Welcome John.

A few years ago I 'discovered' your building whilst investigating Talbenny airfield. It was a long time before I found out what it was as it was notably missing from the airfield site plan, being not part of the site. I noted very little on the web about it.

Good luck with your project. Having friends in the area, I intend to visit this part of Pembroke during the summer and have a look at the local airfields again - will visit St Davids for the first time.

Graham

PETERTHEEATER;160898 wrote:

Hello John, welcome to AiX.

In these modern times when demolition of WW2 structures is common your initiative to preserve gets a thumbs up from me. Nice to have a photographic facility to support your hobby but heating must be a problem!

I look forward to updates re your website.

Happy Happidrome!

Hi Thanks for your comments, yes heating the building will be our next problem once we intend to use the whole building complex. Spring /Summer/early autumn is no problem in Pembrokeshire plus the main line of the complex runs east / west so we get the sun cooking the building on the south face which tends to heat through the building. Winter is a differnt case todate we have just heated individual rooms as we use them with fan heaters. However, my plan is to install heating [original admin building only] a modern heating system subject to installation costs, which basically means I will complete the donkey work to keeps costs low.