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AN
APPEAL When the gates closed for the last time in October ’93, we saw the Twin Bases slowly begin to deteriorate, with grass growing up on the runways, paint peeling and buildings crumbling. While Woodbridge is now being used by the British Army, Bentwaters has suffered several years of uncertainty. Turned down by local authorities as a new airport, some light industry has moved into the tech site with plans for more soon. The great news is what is happening on the Bentwaters domestic side. Those of us who have made the trek back over there recently have seen Bentwaters coming to life again as the village of Rendlesham. Bentwaters housing is now occupied by local residents, the theatre has reopened and the Child Development Center has become the local post office, grocery and community center. It is slowly becoming a real village. The center of any viable village is its church, and this month (April 2000), the Bentwaters chapel, closed since Air Force operations ceased, has reopened as the new parish church of St. Felix. First services, presided over by the Reverend Martin Flowerdew, were held April 9, 2000. As can be imagined, the church is in a state of disrepair and most needed is a cross for the roof of the church to replace those removed when the building was vacated. I titled this note as an appeal and that’s where I’m headed here. We are starting a fund raising campaign to help the Rendlesham residents put a cross on St. Felix church to honor both those who served at the bases and the British people who welcomed us into their communities over the decades. Many of us consider our time at Bentwaters and Woodbridge to have been some of the best years of our Air Force experiences. We can leave a lasting legacy through this appeal and I hope we’ll receive an enthusiastic response. Send your donation in Sterling or US Dollars to:
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The
Revd. Martin Flowerdew
Appeal
launched by