Critique The other side of Heyford Park

ancient_mariner · 11 Mar 2017

Some may be aware that I work on Heyford Park, former RAF & USAF airbase, now being pulled down and built on. The place has really aged over the last 3 or 4 years, and I'm seeing the few remaining old buildings in the accessible area getting more crumbly as they are neglected while building work goes on around them. I'd have liked to try some urbex type photos, but for obvious reasons that's not possible, but where I can take pictures then I'll keep doing so to document the changes as they happen. This should be a project, but I'd started photographing seriously again after the building/demolition work had started, and there are some large gaps in my pictures.

The Bar.

Derelict Heyford-7914 by Toni Ertl, on Flickr

H+H

Derelict Heyford-7921 by Toni Ertl, on Flickr

Where are the trees?

Derelict Heyford-7927 by Toni Ertl, on Flickr

Soft ground

Derelict Heyford-7945 by Toni Ertl, on Flickr

A place to leave stuff

Derelict Heyford-8006 by Toni Ertl, on Flickr

Cable

Derelict Heyford-8013 by Toni Ertl, on Flickr

A dark past?

Derelict Heyford-8015 by Toni Ertl, on Flickr

C&C welcome as always

Jannyfox · 11 Mar 2017

Heyford as in formerly Upper Heyford? My father was stationed there when he first joined the RAF. He was cycling from there when he met my mother. That was all sometime back in the days when dinosaurs roamed the earth but knowing the military he'd probably still recognise bits if he was still here.

ancient_mariner · 11 Mar 2017

Jannyfox said:
Heyford as in formerly Upper Heyford? My father was stationed there when he first joined the RAF. He was cycling from there when he met my mother. That was all sometime back in the days when dinosaurs roamed the earth but knowing the military he'd probably still recognise bits if he was still here.

That's the place. Was he stationed in a village or in Bicester (nearest town)? I presume that was before the USAF turned up.

Hertsman · 11 Mar 2017

We lived in Middleton Stoney for a while and where always amazed at how much infrastructure was left unused at Heyford,when Bicester could offer nowt....

Jannyfox · 11 Mar 2017

ancient_mariner said:
That's the place. Was he stationed in a village or in Bicester (nearest town)? I presume that was before the USAF turned up.

It was before the USAF. I have no idea where he actually lived - it was well before my time (my family skipped a generation) and I've never been to the area. I think my mother may have lived in Bicester when he was away but I'm not certain.

ancient_mariner · 11 Mar 2017

Hertsman said:
We lived in Middleton Stoney for a while and where always amazed at how much infrastructure was left unused at Heyford,when Bicester could offer nowt....

I know - we moved up in 1990, and they had a bowling alley & pizza place while there was only a sucky fish & chip place (Lemon Sole) in Bicester.

Jannyfox said:
It was before the USAF. I have no idea where he actually lived - it was well before my time (my family skipped a generation) and I've never been to the area. I think my mother may have lived in Bicester when he was away but I'm not certain.

Seems reasonable then.

Daithí · 12 Mar 2017

Sounds like a really interesting and worthwhile project. Number 4's my favourite - good use of the mud tracks as foreground interest and some nice tones in the sky.

steveb · 12 Mar 2017

Some interesting photos you have here. No. 3 is my favourite.

Other than driving within a few miles on my way into the Cotswolds I've only been there once for a safety course after being caught using my phone while driving many years back. Always planned to re visit, maybe I've left it too late now. Might drop by on my way back from Wychford next Saturday.

ancient_mariner · 12 Mar 2017

Daithí said:
Sounds like a really interesting and worthwhile project. Number 4's my favourite - good use of the mud tracks as foreground interest and some nice tones in the sky.

Thanks. I was in 2 minds about them because they're a bit of a fore-ground cliche, but I liked how they lead to the tower.

steveb said:
Some interesting photos you have here. No. 3 is my favourite.

Other than driving within a few miles on my way into the Cotswolds I've only been there once for a safety course after being caught using my phone while driving many years back. Always planned to re visit, maybe I've left it too late now. Might drop by on my way back from Wychford next Saturday.

Was that the speed awareness course (run in bld 78 - visible in H+H, number 2 along with a speed awareness parking sign)? There's a lot of stuff left, but it looks quite different with the new houses.