 coastguards' lookout, orford ness number 3, suffolk, england May 07, 2007 You look worried. What's wrong? We're here at Orford Ness and you look terribly nervous. When I said it was a secret military base, I meant it used to be a secret military base. All you need now is your Natiional Trust card. Actually, you don't even need that because if you're not a member you can just pay the full entry fee. Anyone can visit. Feel better now? Come on, let's get on with the tour. I'll read a bit more from the guidebook. 'The military history of the site dates back to 1913, when a large part of the Ness was taken over by the War Department. It was drained to form airfields for the Central Flying School’s Experimental Flying Section; and so began an intense seventy year period of military activity. Experiments during the first World War included those on parachutes, aerial photography, bomb and machine gun sights, the evaluation of aircraft and the development of camouflage. Prisoners of War held in this area were used to help build the airfield and flood protection walls. In 1918 a number of German prisoners died in an epidemic, probably influenza, and were buried in Orford churchyard. Their bodies were later transferred to a war cemetery.' In case you're wondering, the building in the photo used to be the coastguards' lookout. Is that enough for now? I don't want to bore you. Lily came into our room last night at about 4.30am. There was an awful scratching noise coming from the loft above her bedroom she said. I listened. There was. We were scared together. I hesitantly climbed the loft ladder, switched on the light and hurried down again. We listened for a while. Silence. After a couple of minutes it started again. The light obviously wasn't going to stop whatever it was, doing whatever it wanted to do. Lily eventually settled in the spare room. I went back to bed and stared at the ceiling waiting for the drips of blood to start oozing through the plaster. Holga CGFN + Fujifilm Superia 400 © James Arnold 2007 Comment (11) | Permalink |
