More about Poole Flying Boats Celebration
With Charity status bestowed, various formats & methodologies were formulated and tried, to support PFBC longterm…
Consequently, The Friends of PFBC was duly formed under the guidance of Bertie Bowman then confirmed as a Trustee.
The concept of Maia-Mercury, ie ‘Composite Pair’ aka the ‘Pick-a-Back Pair’ (only flown independently, when at Poole), has come to be regarded as relevant – with PFBC giving momentum to The Friends to support our charitable perspectives. [So PFBC (like Maia), is the Transporter uplifting The Friends (Mercury) to achieve through their intrinsic relationship, by way of undertaking specific Tasks & Projects with hopefully successful outcomes, fulfilment our various Objectives.]
With the retirement of Peter and Adrian from the Trustees, Babs Plumbridge joined with the remit of establishing PFBC Memories, as she was ideally placed as the daughter of Coxswain Gilbert Davis of IAL and BOAC’s Marinecraft Units…
The MCUs at Poole were also represented by HLMs: Dave (Doug) Rose formerly with BOAC at Poole and out in Africa, and Bernie Wills formerly with the MCU of the Ministry of Civil Aviation – which held overall responsibility for Runways + Trots in Poole Harbour. Dave featured prominently in our first PFBC History Weekend held at clubhouse at Lake Yard formerly part of the Shipyard and Admiralty lands – later adjacent to RAF Hamworthy (today’s Royal Marines’ ATURM). Occasional Memory Days have been held at East Dorset LTCC (at Whitecliff) and the Dolphin Shopping Centre in Poole, as well as other Community-focussed venues such as the Hamworthy Library. PFBC is represented in Sydney & Durban.
We are also supported by a set of Presenters versed in the History of Aviation with emphasis on Flying Boats & Seaplanes and community-focussed /local history, who may represent PFBC in the immediate locality, and sometimes further afield. Presentations often feature prominently in our various Celebrations and Events, to underscore the significance of these…
Included within this Repertoire are:
Ref:
B 1.0 through to B 2.0
- ‘The Flying Boats at Poole’… ‘Parkstone-on-Sea and the Flying Boats’…
- ‘The Story of RAF Hamworthy’… ‘The Remains of their FB Days at Lake’…
- ‘The RAF in Dorset during WW2’… ‘From Uncle Sam: US-built Flying Boats’…
- ‘The Royal Naval Air Station Sandbanks – HMS Daedalus II: Seaplane Training’…
- ‘Britannia Rules Waves & Skies: Centenary of Seaplane Flight from moving Ship’…
- ‘Flying Boats of Bermuda and Poole’… ‘The Schneider Trophy Contest of 1919’…
- ‘Celebrating the influence of Sir Alan Cobham on the History of British Aviation’…
and B 2.1.
‘The Remarkable Maia ~ Mercury Story’…[ PFBC for 2013 ] …with more Presenters & Presentations in the Pipeline!
All the PFBC Trustees are required to complete a Probationary Period and specific Tasks before becoming fully fledged. With a very strong interest in maritime research (esp. Passenger Liners etc.) Stephen Macey joined as a Trustee in 2012, with responsibility for the Media… Following service with RUSI Stephen also enjoys certain expertise in military history.
In marking the 5th Birthday of PFBC during 2011, we celebrated the acquisition of an Office rented from the Borough of Poole Council, where we are located above Parkstone Library at Ashley Cross, sharing the lovely Edwardian building (formerly a Fire Station) with Poole Library Services, and with a room of our own at last!
Our office space is proving invaluable for admin. work, introducing people to PFBC, and for holding meetings: It is also providing suitable storage for PFBC’s Archive – comprising written information, articles, photographs, artefacts and memorabilia, together with our Display Boards, a photomontage depicting FB personnel + scenes covering a local perspective of the History of Flying Boats &Seaplanes, with the various Marinecraft Units etc.
It has also afforded us with areas to set up the Friends of PFBC Library Collection in a bookcase & on shelves.
This is referred to as Gemma’s Library, for as the widow of former Hon. President Jack Harris, she generously arranged for PFBC to have a selection of books from his Aviation History Collection, together with a beautiful framed colour photograph of an ex-Poole Catalina No.2 Altair Star, moored at Lake Koggala in former Ceylon.
Just as Poole was once the UK’s Hub for Civil Air Flying Boats, PFBC’s Office is the Hub, and focal point for the Friends of PFBC’s Task Forces, which are established to initiate a specific task, tackle it & report back, so that the objective(s) and goals involved are attainable within an acceptable time-span & financial constraint:
Some of these Tasks eg sorting out Newsletters, and preparations for a Celebration or Event are well-defined… whereas the undertaking of Projects implies extensive research etc. ~ which requires a more flexible approach!
Projects (some of which will subsequently feature as PFBC Publications) are a significant factor in presenting PFBC’s Archive in a tangible way for the public, especially in a context of furthering Educational perspectives. These encourage study and research which potentially expand our appreciation of Flying Boats & Seaplanes etc. and importantly the human factor of those who played an essential ingredient in this special chapter of History.
Various PFBC Projects significantly provide much scope for Community-Involvement, including Educational Interface potentially through the range of facets of research, techniques, skills & styles which can be deployed.
