2012 Annual General Meeting
The Friends of Langham Dome 2012 Annual General Meeting is due to take place on 28th March at 6.30pm in the Parish Room, Binham Road, Langham. All FoLD members are warmly invited to attend the AGM and learn about the activities of the past year and the progress towards submitting our Round 2 Heritage Lottery Bid.
The meeting will be followed at 7pm with an illustrated talk:
EYE IN THE SKY: NORFOLK'S HISTORY FROM THE AIR
to be given by Dr Richard Hoggett the
Coastal Heritage Officer for Norfolk County Council's Historic Environment Service.
Everyone is welcome to attend the talk which will provide an unusual insight into the history of the Dome and its locality.
Dome Open Days, September 2011
The Friends of Langham Dome opened the Dome to the public on Saturday 10th and Sunday 11th September as part of the the 2011 English Heritage Open Days Programme.
Manned by members of FoLD the Dome was open all day, which provided a great oppurtunity for people to see inside the Dome, meet members of the Friends of Langham Dome and ask questions about the restoration project. We had a steady stream of visitors over the weekend and we're delighted to say we had over forty new members join the Friends of Langham Dome!
2011 Annual General Meeting
The Friends of Langham Dome 2011 Annual General Meeting took place on Thursday 31st March 2011 and the Friends were pleased to report the following progress during their first year:-
- Membership of FoLD now stands at 250 people
- Local interest is strong with around 300 people attending the Langham Airfield Memorial Stone unveiling
- Education packs for schools will be developed in the coming year
- A sign has been erected at the Dome with details of its use
- A Heritage Lottery Fund Stage 1 grant of £18,000 has now been awarded
Illustrated Talk
Following the AGM was a very informative talk by Mr Fred Butcher on “Langham Airfield, RCATs (‘Radio Controlled Aerial Targets’) and The Stiffkey Whirlygig”. The 'Whirlygig' is a mysterious circular track, approximately 150ft in diameter, near the marshes at Stiffkey. From photographs and extensive research, Mr Butcher was able to confirm that the Whirlygig wasn't built until 1952, so it is a relic from the the Cold War, not World War II! It was used by the American airforce for several years to launch RCATs, which were used to train gunners on the B29 plane. (This was fitted with a complicated system of linked anti-aircraft guns). The RCATs were launched from a trolley which was pulled around the track by the central arm (still visible). After two revolutions they would reach their take-off speed of 85mph and could then be released. Their top speed was around 200mph and if not shot down by the gunners they would descend by a parachute for collection and re-use. With the advent of missile technology and changing political climate Stiffkey was closed in 1955, with Langham and Weybourne Airfields following in 1958 and the 'Whirlygig' was left to become an interesting feature on the Norfolk Coast.
Unveiling of the Langham Airfield Memorial Stone
On 26th February, The Friends of Langham Dome in conjunction with the Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust unveiled the Langham Airfield Memorial Stone. The stone is engraved with the message:
"In rememberance of all who served at Langham Airfield, 1940 to 1958"
Despite the damp weather the unveiling was attended by around 300 people and photographs of the unveiling can be found on the Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust website. The planned fly-past by a Spitfire was, unfortunately, aborted owing to the weather, however, FoLD committee member, Henry Labouchere, stepped in and performed a wonderful display in his Tiger Moth.
FoLD member Chris Richmond recorded a short film of the unveiling.