Wave to close, for now??? REOPENING 1ST MARCH

[reaper493]

John has just posted this one the wave Facebook page:

It will be a shame to loose the large car park, fingers crossed someone takes it on, otherwise Cw-23 will be carnage!!

Well all good things have to come to an end!

Unfortunately we shall cease trading at The WAVE before the end of January 2023. An exact date will be announced after Christmas.
Due to the cabin being condemned and the MOD not having the finances to replace it, there is no other option.

The lease will be open to anyone that wants it via defence Estates within the MOD and I can pass on the details to anyone with a serious intent to take it on.

All fixtures and fittings will be slowly sold off over winter.

Thankyou to everyone who has supported us through some extremely difficult times.

We survived with your help and dedication through the volcanic ash clouds, which stopped flying for weeks, one of the worst winters that froze our pipes and doors for over a month and of course the runway repairs which lasted for years.

I’m not sure what will happen to this group at present, but I will keep it going for now.

Once again Thankyou so much.

EDIT. There will be no go fund me set up as this is not what I want. It’s time for a fresh impetus into the viewing area with new people and new ideas.
Respect to you all.

Mike

[Supra]

Can't see why the carpark would close just because the current Catering lease ends. I was under the impression they were two separate entities, but happy to be corrected. At Lakenheath you have a car-park, external catering & no shitters!
That continues to operate okay?

[blakey]

Why does the burger van closing affect the carpark??

[reaper493]

You make a good point Supra, LN and CBY spotters areas never close and don't have any issues - I think the difference with the car park at Waddo is it's size, if it's left unlocked permanently theres a worry the local 'youf' will soon start using it for drag racing/donuts etc or local travellers would take over and really can't see MODP/RAFP coming each day to unlock, even though they have a set of keys in the guard room and have done for a number of years.

Things sound positive already with a prospective new owner making them selves known, so will see what happens.

I believe the car park is still MOD land as well which suggests it will be locked up?

[baz1]

Re MOD not having Finances? i find that laughable as they have just closed Scampton sold the E'3s and the Sentinels.

[Supra]

Sadly it's not like a local Car-Boot sale. None of those generated funds will most likely make their way into RAF Waddington coffers, except maybe within annual budgeted MOD funding! Whilst it's not beyond possibility that RAF Waddington could unlock the Gate in the morning & lock it at dusk, I think their response would be "dis-inclined to acquiesce"... which means NO!
Best bet for flexible continuance of access would be a semi-permanent Catering Trailer & an adjoining cheap wooden shelter structure imo. Thunder-boxes would be a great addition, but they cost money! Who wants to pay a daily car parking charge to fund them?....thought so!

[Vulture 01]

Living close to 150 miles away, I wasn't able to use this superb facility as much as I might like. It's sad that after a very long time (30+years?) It's future looks cloudy.
A big thank you to the people who've run it over the years. Maybe if we'd all been prepared to put a couple of quid in the tin over all these years things might have been different. Who knows. Another case of you don't know what you've got till it's gone.

[Vulcanone]

It opened in 1995 or 1996. Whichever day 23 Sqn stood up as the second E-3 unit

[PR9]

I should imagine the car park will remain and be locked/unlocked by MOD similar to others (i.e. Leeming).
Damn shame to lose the van though.

[reaper493]

The WAVEs last day of trading will be Sunday 22nd January - after this date it will be shut and all contents removed.

There are at least 3 bids to the MOD to continue its running, the current occupants have to leave by 31st Jan, hopefully not too much of a gap in the middle.

[Pune]

"Who wants to pay a daily car parking charge to fund them?....thought so! "

I would be quite happy to pay to use the facility, as I am with Johns Field at Mildenhall, however I am quite aware that there are those who try and get something for nothing and spoil things for all.

[POL]

Will paying a car parking charge there mean that the local council and mod plod don't go round closing local roads any time anything interesting happens at waddington? If so I'm all for it.

[reaper493]

Mod own the car park so doubt that will happen!

As for the road closures, they're stupid

See what March brings

[Yunglee]

"See what March brings" - Would that be Joint Warrior 23-1 related?

Lee.

[reaper493]

Indeed. If the rumoured participants are true - it will be absolute chaos with or without the Wave I think....

Not quite sure on the credibility of the source though....

Either way, CW23-1 should be good!

[100arw]

"See what March brings" - Would that be Joint Warrior 23-1 related?

Did you mean Cobra Warrior, as Joint Warrior 23-1 (04 March) is off Norway.

P.

[Yunglee]

I was guessing it might be Joint Warrior based on the month but from Reapers response perhaps they’ll be 2 Cobra Warriors in 2023?

Lee

[reaper493]

There was meant to be two Cobra Warriors in 2022, but the first was cancelled due to the Ukraine situation, there has been two in previous years I think but they only attracted UK based stuff due to COVID.

Fingers crossed they get two in this year.

Mike

[tornado17]

Is there any update on the site and whether the car park will be usable for CW? I’m planning a trip up for the exercise and was just wondering where the nearest toilets will be if it isn’t up and running. I will have the wife in tow, hence the toilet question?!!

[C24]

Asda on Newark Rd, Lincoln is wife friendly. And close to retailers