Many of my computers and most of my gas turbines came from scrapyards. I like nothing better than exploring aviation, military, and computer specialised scrapyards, junkyards, and breakers. Some of my favourite British scrapyards are presented here.

Anchor Surplus, Nottingham.

This is a wonderful place! Not much in the way of gas turbines (although a Derwent can be seen in this picture), but an excellent collection of other military surplus. Tents, clothes, usual stuff - and a large amount of electronic/test equipment, photographic gear, and some computer parts. Visit them on the web at:

http://www.anchor-supplies.ltd.uk/

J. E. Williamson, Elgin.

This is a general scrapyard, but due to its proximity to the RAF base at Kinloss, it got a large amount of military aircraft scrap. When I was there five years ago they had two big yards, literally piled high with aircraft - Buccaneers, Shackleton bits, missile and engine parts, even a Nimrod simulator!

I returned late in '99 to find their main yard... was now a supermarket car park. Their 'other' yard, further out of town, had been totally remodeled and rebuilt, and 95% of the aircraft scrap was gone. Melted. All that was left were a few Derwent runway cleaners, pictured to the left. There may be a renaissance, but their best days are behind them I fear.

Nigel Spur, near Lincoln.

Those who have had the pleasure of meeting the redoubtable Mr. Spur will not forget him. His yard deals pretty much exclusively with scrap from the East Midlands RAF bases, and as such all kinds of things can turn up. Seems usually to have a lot of stationary engines, generators, and apron equipment, but relatively few gas turbines. Memorable arrivals in recent years have included the principal components of several Matra Martel TV guided air-ship missiles, and a large quantity of Plessy Solent gas turbine starters from Phantoms.

Still under construction... sections still to come on Smiths of Bloxham, Hanningfield Metals, Nev Martin, Marine Salvage, the last resting place of the Lockerbie PanAm 747, and the place old mainframes go to die...

Nev Martin - Bruntingthorpe: http://www.jetman.dircon.co.uk/brunty/index.html

Good link to Hanningfield Metals: http://www.johnreid.demon.co.uk/howto/scrapyard.htm