A very short drive from our home in Cambridgeshire is an old military airfield.
Owned by the Ministry of Defence but operated by the US Air Force (USAF) until 2020, most of the site, including the runway, was sold off ten years ago for housing.
One of the few remaining features of the Second World War site is the original watch office which is described thus:
This grade 2 listed building was the first permanent structure on the former airfield and served as RAF Alconbury's central operations hub during the Second World War, used to oversee the missions leaving the airfield counting them in and out.
What started out as a single storey nissen hut extended to include an operations room, teleprinter room, telephone exchange and a first storey observations room.
Three years ago the restored watch office reopened as a cafe/bistro and all seemed well until early this year when it closed suddenly with the owners citing “crippling financial pressures".
To say I was surprised is an understatement because whenever we went there (which was quite a lot) it was always busy so if they were finding things difficult what hope is there for many other hospitality venues?
Thankfully, the building has found a new tenant - the owners of a local pub - and it has just reopened as … The Watch Office.
To be honest, the menu is not as interesting as it was under the previous owners - I particularly miss the chorizo hash (sautéed new potatoes and chorizo, topped with eggs and chermoula), and the diablo morcilla (pan fried chorizo and black pudding, served on toasted sourdough with tomato chilli and jam and a spicy fried egg) - but it’s early days.
The real test will be a full English breakfast on New Year’s Day. Watch this space.
See also: New bar and restaurant opens inside former RAF World War II command centre with stunning military-themed mural by Peterborough street artist (Peterborough Telegraph)
Below: My wife at The Watch Office with the new mural behind her
