Royal Air Force Seletar Reunion Tour – March 2009

Posted on by
Reply
via seletar.net

Mid March saw thirty-eight members of the Association once again gathering at that ancient conglomeration of buildings known as Heathrow Airport…… lots of great pictures of Singapore, including the sad mid-demolition one of the old mess hall.

“After Singapore, it was time for one group to head back for the UK and another for Penang, where, courtesy of the British High Commission in Kuala Lumpur, we had managed to get permission to visit the RMAF Base at Butterworth, yet another first. It was almost sixty years since I’d been based here so there was almost nothing I recognised, except the building that had been our Sqn (110) HQ, now unused, still looking lonely and forlorn on a piece of grass overlooking to the runway, as it always had. Other buildings had sprung up all around, but none too close. It was as if it were warning them off, like Clint Eastwood in the film Gran Torino – “Get off my lawn.”

All in all another good tour. Did someone mention something about a repeat in 2011?”

Theatre Club still invokes memories

Posted on by
15

A post from almost 2 years ago is hot again, thanks to memories from Pete Goss and Alan Hills. Enjoy!


  • Pete Goss // April 22, 2009 at 7:47 am | Reply (edit)

    I must have known Lew, because I was in the play that won the Services Drama Festival. It was called “JB” and was directed by my mum, Julie Goss. I have very fond memories of the club which was very successful while we were there from 1960 to 1963. I still have some of the old programmes in the attic.

  • Alan Hills // December 8, 2009 at 4:29 am | Reply (edit)

    I was the station photographer at RAF Seletar 1962 -64. Just after JB I was asked to take photos of productions at the theatre club – I think the first was Alladin? Xmas ‘62 – and I continued until repat in Aug 1964. I still have many photos from that time, plus old programmes, of the productions, the fire, etc.. I remember Julie Goss very well. I am still in touch with John Baker (lighting) who went on to work with Joan Littlewood at Stratford (East), then Chichester, now in South Africa. Also Joyce Dobbie.
    I did 12 years in the RAF, my best postings were Butzweilerhof and Seletar – great memories!

  • Alan Hills // December 15, 2009 at 3:54 am | Reply (edit)

    Re location of Theatre Club. Just been looking at Google Maps – entered ‘Seletar’ and up it came. Sat pix a bit bit dark and cloudy – but could make out the SHQ, the station cinema and post office – still there.

    From memory, the Theatre club was in Oxford Street, which branched at a sharp angle from Piccadilly (where did they get these names!). On the corner was the Anglican Church, and I think the Club was the next building along – but again from memory there was also the families NAAFI shop in that row.

    The schools were in the Crescent on the right hand side of Picadilly going toward the main camp entrance.

    Unfortunately the pix are quite dark and it is difficult to be sure, but there does seem to be quite a lot of the old buildings standing.

    Worth a chufti, though!

    All best.

One year on

Posted on by
2

12 months ago, residents along Haymarket, Bayswater, Kinghtsbridge, Hyde Park Gate, The Oval, Swallow Street and parts of Edgeware Road and Regent Street were hosting garage sales, packing up and bidding farewell to a very special place.

foursquare

It seems like the right time to reflect on what has actually happened to Seletar since it was handed over to JTC. I’ve set up an account at Foursquare to build profiles of key places. Join me, and share your stories.