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Re: Failsworth Scrap Yard

Posted by Ron Henry on Mon Feb 25, 2002 03:25:08 PM

In reply top Re: Failsworth Scrap Yard posted by Tim R Badham on Sun Feb 24, 2002 08:02:20 AM

I, too, visited this yard not long before it was cleared - probably c 1975 for my visit. I do remember that it was in a really depressing, dirty, industrial location, so I'm surprised to hear that it's now a housing estate. I would doubt if current environmental rules would allow it. When I was there, I seem to remember that the yard fence was no longer functional and there had been quite a lot of vandalism. In 1978, I chatted with Steve Hinton at Chino, and, IIRC, he'd visited the yard to get Griffons for parts reclamation for the Red Baron. Think I recall seeing the remains of the Swift and the Brigand.

In its latter days, the yard had passed into the ownership of a lady - can't remember her name. The company also had a warehouse/scrapyard operation somewhere in the Manchester area. There were some a/c parts there, but it was more of a mixed metals operation and was very untidy, and seemed to be very inactive.





: I visited and photographed the contents of this yard a few
: months before it was cleared. At that time a JCB had bee
: n used to "sort" the airframes into piles by type ! There
: was too much to list comprehensively here but to give you
: a flavour it included :
:
: Brigand RH746 (now at Kemble), Swifts WK198 (World air spe
: ed record holder - now at Usworth) and WK214, mountains of
: Balliols (some just cockpit sections) two of which are no
: w at Wolverhampton with the Boulton Paul folk), numerous p
: iston Provosts, at least 7 Fireflies - 4 of which were jus
: t cockpits + engines, Vampire T11 pods, a Meteor nose, sev
: eral noses off Shackletons, the wings off at least 1x USAF
: F-84F, parts from a Sea Hornet (1x wing at least), the no
: se and other parts off an ex RAF Neptune, varous gun turre
: ts etc etc. Of this lot some Firefly parts were if I reca
: ll obtained by Nick Grace (who incorporated them I think i
: nto the ex-Strathallen Firefly which is now in the US). O
: ther Firefly parts (including cockpit sections and at leas
: t one rear fuselage) were rescued by a saviour from the NE
: AM. One cockpit section was displayed for a while in Manc
: hester museum but I believe is now off site with its priva
: te custodian. I believe some of the surviving items menti
: oned are still owned by the scrapyard proprietor on some k
: ind of loan arrangement. Much, sadly was scrapped - truly
: one of the last great yards - Lasham was another I recall
: with nostalgia !
:
: To save me providing a list - I recommend you see Ken's ar
: ticle in June 1977 "Military Aviation Review" which outlin
: ed yard contents over the last 15 years of its existance.
:
: Regards, Tim
:
:
: : Do any of you guys recall a scrap yard near Failsworth i
: n
: : Manchester UK during 1970/80's. I think it contained the
: r
: : emains of former RN Firefly's. Any information on which
: ai
: : rcraft were stored and what happened to them.

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