This Sunday (October 15) is going to be a busy day in Jurby. The annual Civic Sunday service takes place in the parish church at 11.15am and is open to all.

It is the final day of trading for Jurby Junk. It is also the last opportunity to see the RAF Jurby exhibition in the church, which will be open until 4pm.

News items about the RAF Jurby exhibition have prompted responses from far and wide, the most recent being from former Examiner reporter, Rod Comish in Sydney, who read about it online at IOM Today. Manxman Rod did his National Service at RAF Jurby from 1958 - 60.

He writes: ’I got a compassionate posting to RAF Jurby after my father died suddenly just six weeks after I started training at RAF Bridgenorth in Shropshire.

’They couldn’t think of what to do with me on arrival at the base, but as I had been a reporter with the Examiner (and continued to be afterwards) they made me the librarian.

’The final year was spent as a clerk with Station Warrant Officer, Mr Ransom, a terrific man, much feared but with a heart of gold. ’As I recall, there was only one aircraft at Jurby during my time. It was an Avro Anson which the CO used. I was in the aircraft once, but not to fly.

’After a few months I bought a Lambretta scooter so I could get home to Douglas (Castle Drive) to see my mum. The CO heard about it and I was ordered to report to the hangar where the plane was parked. I was then asked to put the scooter into the aircraft.

’With help it was manhandled in, but almost immediately removed. It seemed the CO’s daughter on the mainland had bought a scooter and he wanted to fly it back to Jurby, but needed to know if it would fit!

’During the summer months I used to cycle from Douglas to Jurby and vice versa (I was a member of the Manx Road Cycle Club) and got very fit! They were pretty carefree times’.

Rod sent two photos, one of himself in uniform in 1960 and the other showing a guard of honour on Douglas promenade, to mark the arrival of the new Governor, Sir Ronald Garvey in September1959. Rod is 11th from the right, back row. Sandra Kerrison’s book Jurby and the RAF is now available from Jurby church price £6.