When we last featured the Aerospace Bristol conservation workshop and the restoration of Bristol Bolingbroke Ⅳ RCAF 9048 in the February 2020 issue, it was poised for a significant move from the temporary cold, leaky, tin-roofed Hangar 16R into the purposefully converted Grade Ⅱ-listed, 1915-built RFC Hangar 16M. Speaking in late 2019, conservation manager Paul Jones said, "What we are looking forward to is moving into our new conservation hangar later next year [2020], because we'll be able to start assembling the major components together. When the Bolingbroke begins to take shape as an aircraft, it will be a major boost for us."Unfortunately, this timescale was significantly interrupted by the COVID-19 restrictions from March 2020. While the capital works phase of the Hangar 16M project - retaining its historic profile with brand-new cladding, insulation, external doors and buttresses and newly restored windows, trusses and internal framework - was finished by late September 2020, fitting out the workshop took a further nine months. It was thanks to a ￡547,277 grant from the Biffa Award, part of the Landfill Communities Fund, that the restoration of the 106-year-old hangar was made possible.
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