WHAT A DIFFERENCE A FEW YEARS MAKE

[Phil Perry]

Greenwich London. Viewed from a similar point FORTY years apart.

 

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[onetrack]

I haven't been to London since 1988, when I arrived for my first and only visit. I was quite amazed at the lack of high rise in London, when I started getting around the place. It was extremely rare to find a building over about 8 stories.

 

I was expecting a lot of impressively tall buildings. It appears they've fixed the problem, since I was there last. I'm glad I saw it as it was, in the original photo.

 

 

[Phil Perry]

hen I lived in West Bromwich in 1967, there was a 23 storey block of flats which towered over most of the town.   The engineering college up the road was 16 storeys, but High, as the classrooms had much higher ceilings than the average residential block. . . went there a few weeks ago and the entire place had been changed into a mini Chicago . . never spent much time down the smoke ( London) as it was far too hard to park me motorbike. . . but I did meet and have a brief chat about bikes with Clint Eastwood, who was here filming 'Where Eagles Dare' at Pinewood. . . he was sitting on his Triumph Bonneville having a smoke in Trafalgar square. . .  Tru Dat.

 

I think I even posted a picture of him on RF some years ago, whilst discussing Motey Bikes

 

 

[onetrack]

Phil, does this meetup and chat mean you can now say, "I've got a mate who's a famous actor....."  

 

 

[willedoo]

. . . but I did meet and have a brief chat about bikes with Clint Eastwood, who was here filming 'Where Eagles Dare' at Pinewood. .

 

That would make your day, Phil.

 

 

[Marty_d]

Meanwhile, for years Clint has been telling people in that gravelly voice... "I was over the pond in England one time, you'll never guess who I met... Phil Perry!"

 

 

[willedoo]

I'm not sure if Phil should have gone public with this. Next thing you know, he'll have the paparazzi on his doorstep.

 

 

[onetrack]

Then he'll probably be killed, trying to get away from them. You shouldn't have chased this type of notoriety, Phil. 

 

 

[Phil Perry]

Hopefully mate, I've already had my share of notoriety in stuffing Col.Keith Hatfield's Tiger into a ditch at Casey airfield.  Pilot 'Friends' (especially those of an Australian bent ) can be terribly cruel. . . was even presented with a printed Tee shirt of the event. . . Bar$terds. . . .

 

Kept a low profile since then.

 

 

[facthunter]

Aaah Those dinkum Australians . Even give you the shirt off their back and the pommie  bar stewards never  stop wingeing about what's written on the shirt.  After busting the Bl##dy Tiger, it's lucky you escaped with your life . Nev

 

 

[onetrack]

Gee, Phil - You're talking ancient history, when you mention Col. Keith Hatfield, he's been dead for over 6 years. I reckon you'd be a member of a pretty big club, putting a Tiger Moth into a ditch. 

 

There's a good "yarn session" with Keith Hatfield relating his life story, below. I had to laugh at the story of the talking cockatoo.

 

He certainly lived a wildly varied and interesting life, not many people would have endured the range of life experiences he did, and so many life-threatening ones, too.

 

http://australiansatwarfilmarchive.unsw.edu.au/archive/2047-leslie-hatfield

 

 

[Phil Perry]

The poor Tiger wasn't dinted at all, as I'd cut the switches before the mains sunk into the ditch and it nosed down with the prop level . . 

 

But even though I paid the engineer a bung for a full airframe check, for some ungodly reason, Keith refused to allow me to fly his precious Leopard Moth after that.. . How cruel can a man be ? ? ? ?

 

Thanks for the Link 1T.   Cheers !

 

 

[Phil Perry]

Just listened to that Onetrack Sir. ..  FASCINATING  man with a heck of a story.

 

Thanks again.

 

Phil.

 

 

[nomadpete]

Yes, an interesting retrospective.

 

It impresses me to hear his adventures. In his own words. And never agrandising anything.

 

Most people who have 'interesting' lives don't live to such a ripe old age!

 

 

[Phil Perry]

Had to giggle at Keith's comments about Elsa's ubiquitous home made Hamburgers !

 

I delivered some aircraft parts to Jerilderie, one of the Groupair hire machines was stranded there.   After landing in Keith's C-210 and was booking in at the office, the chap there said 'Casey Airfield ? ? ?  " Have you had one of Elsa's Bonzer Burgers mate?"

 

Elsa's fame was spread quite wide . . .!

 

 

[facthunter]

Not the one "who's figure used to be her fame and now her fame has spread"?  Nev.