RAF Watton 2003 - Gates Now Closed. By Mr Frank Hurrell

This video was shot and edited by Mr Frank Hurrell of Dereham Road, Watton in 2003. Frank wanted to record the last moments of the buildings on the technical site at RAF Watton before its sale and subsequent demolition and development into Blenheim Grange, Carbrooke as it is today.
I am very grateful to Frank for giving me a copy of his video at the tie and his permission to use in the future.
The Gates Now Closed
The gates now closed on an era long
and minds drift on to friends now gone,
of memories, lived in other times
of olden songs and distant rhymes.
The thoughts of runways long and clean
now holed, broken, and patched with green
of hangars tall and kept with pride
no longer used, so bare inside.
The planes whose engines used to roar
that once took off, return no more
where oft’ they taxied, to fly away
now looked upon another day
Of men and women that would strive
in days gone by, to keep alive
the heart that beat for all to see,
gone forever, but not the memory.
To look across that field so bare,
to wish, to think, to say a prayer
for to forget them would be so wrong
for the heart may have stopped, but the soul lives on.
Copyright © Mike Hillier 1990 to 2000 Used with Mike's permission.

[@joannicholson970]

Was there in the late 80s, Royal Observer Corp annual camp. We stay in the families accommodations. Fond memories of that place.

[@stevewebster3079]

Walked past those gates so many times and spoke to the guys on guard duty , ...ended up carting barley onto the camp to fill the hangars up,......Great memories

[@ianjones4116]

4.55 i put some of those top windows in, back in 1984. Was bloody cold too. ❤

[@rogerbyroncollins7204]

Thank you Frank as these bring back so many memories as an RAF 'brat'- the son of M/Nav Arthur Collins who was stationed there as aircrew on B29 Washington between 1957 and 1959. We lived in a married quarter in Dickson Close opposite the main entrance. I attended Hammonds Grammar School in Swaffham and cycled to the railway station and train to Swaffham - one of Dad's best postings. Super video

[@stuartburgess2409]

Stationed here on & off from 1986 till 1992 under Honingtons watchful gaze as HAWD , the station was still well used by all sorts from the RAF model aicraft competitions to the visiting boxing teams , we were still there mainly for Eastern & later Boarder radar, but sadly everything is nearly gone except for the married quarters & the domestic side of the camp which is now a small industrial area . The old road to Griston has been reinstated as a cycle path crossing just near the threshold of the runway.

[@picturesofrafwatton]

Hapy days!(?)