"The Things You Hear In A Pub"

[Ray C]

So I duly went to my old local water hole at 12 to meet some of my fellow drinkers,
this pub has a 75 year old (bar fly) Frank, we all no the type...expert on everything for
a pint...

However today he had me (rocking on my heels) "how's 603 Ray"..? He knows I like aircraft,

"She's moved a bit Frank" ,after some discussion about Woodford, he then told me about
a drinker using the pub, as I understand it this Mr Thompson buys ex MOD stock &&&&
wait for it,he's just bought 80....yes 80 surplus Rolls Royce Spey engines.....! seems they
were destined for our Nimrod fleet, we know what happend there.

" He strips them down for spares...! Not only that this bloke bought two complete Harrier jets
this year at £40,000 each, sold one for £50,000 and is holding out on the other for £100,000"
Frank informed me.

In closing Frank tells me said Mr Thompson has just bought 200 army Land Rovers @ £1,000 each,
and plans to get them road legal & sell them on @ £3,000 each.

Look? I only had two pints...honest ! I plan to track down Mr Thompson with Franks help and
varify The story, you know how I like to get on the trail (603 Sep)

Question ? Could there have been 80 Spey engines available/for sale ? also would a Harrier only...I say
only fetch £40,0000 ????

Could there is a potential story here for 2013 ????? Let's see.

[Xplumberlives]

Yes there could have been 80 Speys for sale!

A Harrier or a spey are ONLY worth what the scrapman or anyone else will pay for them.

Must have been early model Harriers.

Looking forward to finding out more.

[Sooty655]

If the Speys were destined for the Nimrod fleet, they must have been for MR1/MR2/AEW. The recently scrapped MR4s didn't have Speys.

[Jigsaw]

Very interesting indeed (2 pints of what Ray, Jack Daniels)?

I too will look forward to hearing more of this

[Xplumberlives]

Does "Mr Thompson" wear a sheepskin coat and deal in imports and exports?

[MOD]

Does he have a minder called Terry?

Happy Crimble Ray.

[Jigsaw]

Thompsons Independant Traders eh?

[Ray C]

Cynics all of you....me thinks.....

[Xplumberlives]

Cynics all of you....me thinks.....

Include me out of dat statement please!

[Ray C]

Ive tracked down the owner of a number of millitary used jet engines advised to
me at my local pub late last year.....! Seems I wasn't that (Pissed) & they are out there.....!
amazemingly in a large unit not to far from where I live.

So the next stage is to contact the owner and see if he will allow me to visit & take
some pictures....!

Fingers crossed.

[Xplumberlives]

Looking forward to your photo report!

[Jigsaw]

Can't wait for this. Hope you get the go ahead to take the shots mate

[Nickolas]

If you swap lanes, average speed cameras can''t get you............

[Ray C]

So far so good, I'm OK to visit the owners premises next Tuesday....

[Jigsaw]

So far so good, I'm OK to visit the owners premises next Tuesday....

[Ray C]

I've been & I've seen.....! Unfortunately the owner wants no pictures posted on web sites....!
I must respect his wishes, However I can write a little about my visit.

When the shutter doors were opend I was confronted with a small sea of Spey engines on their cradles covered with green jackets, "there's only 32 left I had over 100 bought when Trident was scrapped" I was advised,
he also told me "The Brunty Buccaneer boys keep in touch with me when they need engine parts".

It seems this is one of two units where stock is kept,the other DID have a Harrier.....! but it
was sold last year, I was then shown a complete Pegasus engine WoW fantastic, when new it
apparently cost over £5 million, anyone want to make an offer...? there were a number a small compact engines in crates + what I presumed to be ground generators & starter units,

As for business things are OK currently but, the price of certain metals is at a low...so some of the
stripped engines live on for the time being.

In closing i have to say thank you to the owner for his time & showing me one of his Alladin caves.

Sorry guys I would have been delighted to post pictures of my visit, But, Not on this occasion,
having said that I bet a number of you out there know the bloke...