Battle of Britain 70th anniversary party to be held at RAF Bentley Priory (From Haringey Independent)

Garden party will mark Battle of Britain 70th anniversary

7:20am Saturday 24th July 2010

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THE historic airbase in Stanmore is hosting a series of events to mark the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Britain.

Members of the Battle of Britain Memorial Trust are hosting a four-day celebration at RAF Bentley Priory, culminating in a charity tea party in the grounds of the famous building.

Between Thursday, September 9, and Saturday, September 11, hour-long tours can be booked around the former airbase, which served as the command centre for air forces during the Battle of Britain under the stewardship of Air Chief Marshal Sir Hugh Dowding.

On the Saturday, the house and grounds will be open to the public with displays about the Battle of Britain, life in the Forties, and the Royal Observer Corps, which played a key part in the allied forces battle against Hitler's Luftwaffe.

And on Sunday, the trust and St Luke's Hospice are holding a charity tea dance and garden party with musical entertainment from the likes of the British Airways Band and the Harrow Apollo Male Voice Choir.

The day will also include a Spitfire and Hurricane flypast, and tickets can be booked from 0208 382 8018 or emailing jvshah@stlukes-hospice.org.

Squadron Leader Erica Ferguson, who has spearheaded the preservation of RAF Bentley Priory, said: “I find it fascinating to think of the work and effort that must have been going on at Lord Dowding's Fighter Command headquarters at Bentley Priory on this day 70 years ago.

“It is a good reminder of how important our work of creating a museum and education centre there is.”

The trust has been fighting hard for the main building to be converted into a museum celebrating the bravery and dedication of those involved in the Battle of Britain.

Negotiations to sell the site to a private developer are believed to have entered the final stages, and once sold the trust will get funds to build the museum they have spent years fighting for.