Post by Peter MassonPost by Nev ArthurDoes anyone know what the building here used to be? As I was passing
Bickley Junction today, with some more experienced Eurostar drivers,
they commented on the amount of barbed wire and stuff that used to
surround the place, so if anyone can tell me what it was, I would be
grateful.
If you mean the place alongside the Up Tonbridge Spur, my old Geographers'
labels it 'Ministry of Supply'. It was always known locally as 'AQUILA',
though I don't know what that stood for. Used to have quite a number of
apprentices, who lived in a hostel in Chislehurst, so I think it was secret
in the sense that the Government doesn't want us to know what it's up to,
rather than in the highly sinister sense.
FWIW for the last few years before it closed (along with most of our defence
facilities, army, air force and navy - soon to be opened up for PFI no
doubt) it was little more than a training centre for apprentices. My next
door neighbour was trained there, it closed, he moved to Woolwich, that
closed ... he now works in the MOD building up town, just another civil
servant amongst the mass of them that now out number the armed forces they
are supposed to support... actually he's a very nice chap.
--
All the best,
Chris Wilson
That's cwilson at britwar with a dot uk and dot co on the end. (Reply
address is blackholed)
http://www.britwar.co.uk - British Wargames
http://www.the-dormouse.org - The Dormouse Line Model Railway