PRESENTS
TOP SECRET HAWKLORDS
BY DAVE LAW
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CAST YOUR EYES IF YOU WILL OVER THE THREE PICTURES ABOVE. I AM SURE MOST OF YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH THE ONE ON IT'S OWN AS I PERSONALLY HAVE SEEN IT ON THE INNER COVER OF "HAWKLORDS LIVE" AS WELL AS BRIAN TAWN'S HAWKFAN AND ON THE NET AT STARFARER'S SITE. THE OTHER TWO TO MY KNOWLEDGE ARE LESS WELL KNOWN AND CONSEQUENTLY ALL THE MORE INTERESTING. I'VE BEEN FASCINATED FOR A LONG TIME ABOUT THIS PICTURE AS IT ALWAYS LOOKED TO ME AS IF IT WERE TAKEN ON THE PERIMETER OF SOME KIND OF MILITARY ESTABLISHMENT, PROBABLY AN AIR FORCE BASE.
NOW, IF YOU CARE TO CHECK MY PROFILE ON THE HOMEPAGE YOU'LL NOTICE THAT ONE OF MY INTERESTS IS AVIATION, OR TO PUT IT ANOTHER WAY, IN MY YOUNGER YEARS I WAS WHAT YOU WOULD COMMONLY CALL A "PLANE SPOTTER". YOU KNOW THE TYPE, WHETHER ON THE VIEWING TERRACE OF HEATHROW OR AT A MILITARY AIRSHOW, THE UNIFORM IS INVARIABLY THE SAME, ILL FITTING AND UNFASHIONABLE CLOTHES, BINOCULARS AROUND THE NECK AND ONE OF THOSE METAL CAMERA CASES OVER YOUR SHOULDER. YES I'M AFRAID THAT WAS ME, COUPLE THIS WITH MY LOVE FOR HAWKWIND AND THERE REALLY WASN'T MUCH HOPE WAS THERE!. WHAT MADE THIS PICTURE ALL THE MORE AMUSING FOR ME IS THAT SOMEWHERE ( AND IF I EVER FIND ANY I PROMISE TO ADD THEM TO THIS PAGE ) I HAVE PICTURES OF MYSELF AND MY MATES PULLING SIMILAR POSES AT AIRFIELDS AND THINKING THAT WE LOOKED REALLY COOL ( WE WERE YOUNG AT THE TIME ). IF YOU LOOK CAREFULLY YOU CAN CLEARLY SEE BOB HOLDING A PAIR OF BINOCULARS. IN MY OWN MIND I WAS CONVINCED THAT RATHER THAN MORE PROMOTIONAL PICTURES OF THE BAND, THIS WAS INSTEAD A PRIVATE PICTURE OF A DAY OUT BY THE "HAWKLORDS AVIATION SOCIETY"
MY INTEREST WAS FURTHER ENHANCED WHEN I ACQUIRED THE OTHER TWO PICTURES FROM DEREK WHITTAKER ONLY TO FIND THE BAND IN FRONT OF A SIGN READING CSOS MORWENSTOW. HAVING DONE A LITTLE DETECTIVE WORK I HAVE GLEANED THE FOLLOWING -
CSOS STANDS FOR COMPOSITE SIGNALS ORGANISATION STATIONS AND AT THE TIME WAS A FORERUNNER FOR WHAT IS NOW PART OF THE GCHQ ORGANISATION, OR TO PUT IT ANOTHER WAY THE BRITISH GOVERNMENTS TOP SECRET LISTENING AND INTERCEPTION NETWORK. AT THE TIME THERE WERE SEVERAL SITES ACROSS THE UK BUT I AM LEAD TO BELIEVE THAT MOST HAVE THESE HAVE NOW BEEN CLOSED DOWN PRESUMABLY DUE TO THE END OF THE COLD WAR AND ONE WOULD ALSO ASSUME THAT TECHNOLOGY IS SUCH THESE DAYS THAT THE FUNCTIONS THAT THE VARIOUS STATIONS CARRIED OUT CAN NOW BE DONE FROM A CENTRAL LOCATION. MORWENSTOW HAS APPARENTLY SO FAR ESCAPED "THE CHOP" AND TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE STILL OPERATES TO THIS DAY AND IN AN INTERESTING FOOT NOTE IS "ALLEGEDLY" FUNDED AT LEAST PARTLY BY THE USA.
WHY THE BAND CHOSE TO HAVE A PHOTO SHOOT IN SUCH A BIZARRE LOCATION IS UNKNOWN TO ME, BUT IT'S INTERESTING TO NOTE THAT ONLY A FEW YEARS LATER THEY (AS HAWKWIND) RECORDED THE TRACK " LIVING ON A KNIFE EDGE" WHICH FEATURED SUCH LINES AS -
"EVERY TIME I GO OUT, I THINK I'M BEING CHECKED OUT"
"FACELESS PEOPLE WATCHING ON A TV SCREEN"
IF YOU HAVEN'T DONE SO FOR A LONG TIME HAVE A LISTEN TO THIS SONG AS IT DEFIANTLY CONCERNS ITSELF WITH THE BANDS DISLIKE OF THE WAY THAT "THE AUTHORITIES" KEEP AN EYE ON US IN OUR EVERYDAY LIVES, AND SO TO MY MIND THERE IS A DEFINITE LINK TO THE PICTURES.
SO WHAT DO YOU THINK. IF YOU'VE GOT AN OPINION OR HAVE ANY OTHER DETAILS ON EITHER THE PICTURES OR CSOS MORWENSTOW THEN FEEL FREE TO E-MAIL
AS FOR ME, WELL I'M GLAD FOR MY OWN SAKE THAT I'VE HOPEFULLY SOLVED THIS LITTLE MYSTERY, BUT AT THE SAME TIME A LITTLE BIT DISAPPOINTED THAT IT WASN'T A DAY OUT BY THE "HAWKLORDS AVIATION SOCIETY"
