I am pictured in the middle outside the Scafell Hotel with other guests

Earlier this week I was delighted to attend a special tribute to one of Britain’s greatest ever inventors as the Scafell Hotel in Borrowdale honoured a famous former guest.

A luxurious £30,000 suite will open at the Scafell Hotel in the Borrowdale Valley near Keswick – dedicated to the late Sir Barnes Wallis.

Sir Barnes, born in Ripley, Derbyshire, is famed for inventing the bouncing bomb called “Upkeep,” which was immortalised in the 1951 book The Dam Busters and the 1954 war epic of the same name.

Both tell the story of the series of daring war-time raids by the RAF’s 617 squadron, to destroy vast water supplies powering Hitler’s war effort.

Unknown to many, Sir Barnes made regular sojourns to the Scafell Hotel in the Lake District during the early 1940s and was a regular guest for over 30 years.

Such was his affection for the area, Sir Barnes’s headstone is made from original Lakeland slate from Honister Slate Mine; which has helped provide the special slate for the suite.

To honour the occasion, Mr Jessop, one of the owners of the Scafell Hotel and Mr Nelson via Flt Lt Ed Stephens have linked up with the 617 squadron, based at Lossiemouth, Scotland, and we were priviliged to witness a fly past of RAF Tornado GR4s.

As well as local dignitaries and guests, the event was attended by representatives from the 617 Squadron Aircrew Association (Veterans) and serving RAF officers.   All in all a tremendous day and the hotel is well worth a visit.   I have put a link to its website here

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