Twinwood Revisited
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Whilst in Bedford recently to attend a Glenn Miller Tribute Concert by the Syd Lawrence Orchestra I met the owner of Twinwood Farm, Mrs. Liz Wooding. She invited my wife and I together with two of my BBB friends Chris and Jean Nash, to visit the site where Glenn Miller had taken his last flight on December the 15th 1944, never to be seen again. From our hotel just 8 miles out of Bedford we drove into the town and then took the A6 road to Clapham 3 miles north of Bedford. As we left the village the first turning on the right was Twinwood Road. We stopped there a while to wait for our friends. They had traveled down from Great Yarmouth on the day of the concert and were staying with Chris's brother in Northampton. |
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They too traveled down the A6 but from the opposite direction arriving at Twinwood Road about 15 minutes after us. We both then drove a few hundred yards up the road and turned right again into the farm drive. Stopping at the Farm House which is now known as Brownswood Farm. I got out of the car to let Liz and her husband Dave know we had arrived. With several knocks on the door and no reply I realized we had missed them and the only one to greet us was a very old kindly dog very unsteady on his feet. After a few pats on his head and a chat we reckoned he was happy to let us through. We drove on round the track to the remaining building from the old Airfield. I realized the track we were probably on was the old Perimeter track of the airfield which skirted its way round where the runways and aircraft parking bays would have been. Suddenly as we turn the bend and rounded the tree that blocked our view we saw the original control tower and some other buildings which were no doubt billets and/or mess halls. We drove up to and parked outside the old control tower, stepped out of our cars and then just gazed at this building. I had seen this building in photographs but looking at it live as it were, well, I was speechless for a while, amazed to see the building still there after all these years when the rest of the airfield, well you just wouldn't know it had been an airfield,. runways now just ploughed fields. |
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I reckon you are probably thinking what's in an old derelict building to get all worked up over. But to me this was quite a moment. You see when you have been so in love with the man's music for the best part of fifty years, have spent many thousands of hours listening to his music and have read just about everything that has been written about Glenn Miller , that to be standing at the very spot that he probably did on that fateful day made me feel both sad and yet happy. This I suppose was the closest I could have been to him. Having said that of course the evening before I had been sitting in the Corn Exchange listening to his music played by the Syd Lawrence Orchestra knowing that 55 years prior to that evening Glenn Miller played in that very place watched by hundreds of service- men at a time when the entertainers of those years were appearing in shows and broadcast's all over England . |
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The great orchestra and service dance bands could be heard on our radios and seen live by the men and women of the fighting forces . Just a look at one such programme by one of the British orchestra's of the time will show you how exciting concerts in those days were. The RAF Dance Orchestra better known as the Squadronaires on Friday 1st September 1944 broadcast from the 'Stage Door Canteen' and featured Fred Astaire, Bing Crosby, Jack Buchanan, Beatrice Lillie, Carole Lynne and Joan Hammond. What a line up. Oh, if only we could hear those programmes again today. While Glenn Millers massive orchestra was cramming in every minute of their time recording programmes for the BBC to be beamed out over the next six weeks he was planing to take the band to the front line troops nearing the end their great task to end the war, and in between times they were still giving live concerts around the country as well as live broadcasts three or four times a week. |
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| Now on the 15th December 1944 he was standing outside the control tower on a foggy dank cold day waiting to fly to France to continue his work of " bring a hunk of home" to the men of the fighting forces. Chris and I walked towards the building and as we entered through the side entrance where a door would have been I looked into the building, a cold damp place. The original green distempered walls showing the later signs of deterioration. The cement rendering of the walls up to dado level of three feet was cracking and above that the open brickwork finish. The ceiling of concrete was cracked and water stained. The electrical conduit carrying the power cable through the building now rusting. The old square metal switch boxes with the brass toggle switch still in place. Immediately on the left as we entered the corridor was a concrete built staircase. We climbed it as I mumbled to myself, "my God Glenn Miller walked up these stairs". We turned at the top and walked to the front of the building into a small room, the green painted door still attached with the stenciled lettering stating STORE ROOM. However as we entered we could see rusting metal objects that looked like telephone exchange equipment. Turning right out of this room led us to a large room with windows on three of the walls which looked out over the now ploughed field that was once the runways of Twinwood. This was the control Towers observation room. As I looked out I suddenly heard the sound of a single engine aircraft flying above us, an erie feeling as I looked up expecting to see a C64 Norseman turn and circle the airfield on this cold foggy day. But no, back to reality, it was sunny blue sky and only a helicopter flying over. | ||||||||||||||||
| The condition of the ceiling and walls were similar to those throughout the building and standing in that room I began to feel that this was a waste. To let this building deteriorate further would surely be a great pity. I know over the past years many of the bands who played the tribute concerts to Glenn Miller have played on the grounds outside, with the control tower as a backdrop. The crowds who have come to see this must have felt as I do that somehow this building should be preserved in some way to honour Glenn's achievements in music . I understand that the present owners, Dave and Liz Wooding, do have plans to replace the many broken windows in the building and this surely would help to protect it from further deterioration. To regenerate the building or the suggestion that somehow this could be turned into a museum, is to me an exciting prospect. What problems this would present to the owners could be so enormous that it would make it not only an impossible if not improbable task to perform. But the dream of this control tower standing revamped as it were to the condition of an operational control tower, filled with memorabilia of the Royal Air Force and Glenn Miller's contribution to music as a standing monument to him would surely be a place where the thousands of fans would wish to visit and be part of. To hold concerts on the lawns in front of the tower from time to time by those orchestra who play his music, is a must, and I hope that even if no more was to come of the tower dream, at least the concerts will still happen with the blessing of Dave and Liz Wooding.. | ||||||||||||||||
| The building is at the moment repairable, The aerial pylon that stood on the roof has now collapsed onto the roof, the external steel staircase to the balcony and roof long ago rusted away. The handrail around the roof dangerously weakened by rust. But the brickwork and concrete structure is still intact and sound at this stage that if money was found and planning was obtained along with the willingness of the owners being prepared to allow such a possibility to take place with all the problem attached to such a venture then it could be done.. To prevent further deterioration ,as things stand to day, to have windows replaced is a great start, external doors too would be good and flat the concrete roof re-ashphalted, then the building would stand a chance. My friend Chris thinks that the building should remain as it is, albeit made weatherproof at least but, the interior to remain as now. I would prefer a museum idea albeit that the interior decor perhaps remain to show the original paint work and fittings which still remain. The washroom still has the hand basin and taps, not even cracked. The plastic lampshade still in place on the ceiling cracked but still there . The port holes from the information room behind the main observation room where important messages were passed to the control officers, still as original . The door still baring the names of the rooms , Rest Room, Store Room, Met Observer, still intact and the stenciled titles still visible. | ||||||||||||||||
| I can tell you, by the time we had finished our visit through the corridors and rooms of
that building and walked away from it, I felt elated We said good-bye to our friends and drove away from this place,
Chris to Great Yarmouth and Liz and I to Cornwall having spent one of the most rewarding couple of days for many
years. First with The Glenn Miller Tribute concert at The Corn Exchange with our favourite
today band, The Syd Lawrence Orchestra, meeting Beryl Davis at the concert, in fact, to sit next to the lovely
lady who sang with the Glenn Miller band during those war years. To meet and chat with Big Band presenter and compere
of the concert Malcolm Laycock and to talk with Chris Dean and other members of the Society who were present at
this Memorial Concert, and to cap it all, to visit the site of the last place Glenn visited before his trip to
eternity . The loss of Glenn was not the end of his memory or his music but the beginning of what was to become
an unprecedented revival of his music which I have no doubt in my mind , that it was Syd Lawrence who brought Glenn's
music back with a vengeance which has created incalculable work for those musicians around in this country as well
as other countries who love to play big band music and were at one time destined to fade away, drowned by the pop
music of the sixties Rock and Roll, Skiffle, Rap and the thump thump thump and the trash music that can be heard
penetrating the walls and ceiling of our homes played by the kids of today on their Hi Fi's as well as the car
radio blasting through our streets and in the countryside and beaches where we try to get away from it all. Fade out and imagine Moonlight Serenade playing quietly in the background. END. Don't I go On!. |
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The Directors are looking for memorabilia of war time equipment to go into the tower and well as Glenn Miller memorabilia. Please contact.. Mr Dave Wooding Now Open |
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Beryl Davis. Singer with the Oscar Rabin Orchestra and sang with Glenn Millers AEF Orchestra
during 1944. Click here
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For more concert information Click here |
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