ANOTHER LONG LOST PUBLIC UNDERGROUND AIR RAID SHELTER IN DEVONPORT PARK, DEVONPORT, PLYMOUTH, UK COMES TO LIGHT AFTER A LONG SLEEP

Paul Badoosh & his pal Si TTW, have been working hard trying to record Plymouth/Devonport wartime heritage in spite of the efficient efforts of Plymouth City Council to destroy it!! The underground air raid shelter described below in March has now been mostly destroyed by Plymouth City Council working with the "Friends" of Devonport Park ( yes seems odd..who needs enemies!!) & funded by a Heritage Grant from the National Lottery (even odder). I was approached some time ago by the Friends of Devonport Park with a request that I help them find an intact underground air raid shelter with a view to opening in to the public - well I wish I never got involved with this lot as a superbly intact shelter has been almost completely destroyed in their heritage plan - certainly destroyed to any preservation point of view - in order to make the foundations for a child's "Tarzan" swing. I wonder how long Si & Paul's discovery will last? I hear PCC and the Friends are looking for a site for a rubbish bin - ideal, just what is needed. As a Plymouth person I can only say that I have never seen such ignorance & wanton destruction by buffoons - as with this lot. There is no excuse for ignorance, save stupidity. They destroyed what Hitler could not. Plymouth Council always tells us that it needs new things - attractions - to bring visitors to Plymouth - & then it does this - its so sad it's funny as I hear that in Devonport Park come this autumn, they plan to hold a "World War II" day - it would have been the star attraction - maybe a drawing of it on an "interpretation panel" will draw in the crowds? Anyway, back to Paul & Si, using fibre optics they found a patent passage in, & before long they were the first persons to enter this shelter since the war. Here is their video.