London Gliding Club 19-20th May 2001

Despite being a non-official "social" event organised on-the-hoof to replace other FMD-cancelled events, the London Gliding Club turned out to be one of the most social events for some time. A big hand for George Jackson who took over the organiser's clipboard for the weekend, and was even able to supply entertainment in the form of real gliding for those silly / brave / blasé enough to try in an elderly ex-RAF open-cockpit trainer.

Most of the Committee were there (quick, hang out the flags!) and Wayne Davies turned up (quick, hide all the silver!) in a Land Rover (quick, fire up the marching bands!) - that wasn't his. Well, he is from Yorkshire after all.

You ain't seen me, roight? Wayne Davies not only managed to turn up, but managed to turn up in a Land Rover. Mind you, turning up in a Land Rover still isn't the same as turning up in your own Land Rover. So Wayne couldn't be bothered with all that hassle of preparing an ex-MoD Land Rover for a show, oh no... he borrowed Sue Cummings' 1952 ex-WD 80" instead. Having made sure that she had polished it first of course - you don't want to be seen turning up in something grubby do you? But let's not forget that revenge is sweet, yet not fattening. So while washing up after the Saturday BBQ, he was heard saying "Don't tell Elaine I've been washing up will you, she still thinks I don't know where the kitchen is?"

Oh dear.

Mrs Davies, here is your husband. Doing the washing up. And clearly enjoying it.

    
The front row: 101FC GS, SII Lightweight (George Jackson), SIII VPK Lightweight (Mark Cook), SI 80" (Sue Cummings).
You nod and I'll kick it
Having pinned Wayne Davies's head to the side of his Arctic Lightweight, Steve Marsh takes bets as to whether he can drop-kick it into the bin.

Dave Fish's SII Recce 88" that, while heavily modified, retains more original features than may at first be apparent.

 
6x4 TACR Range Rover "Look and learn lads, look and learn..."
The London Gliding Club have also just acquired a new toy in the shape of an ex-Bosnia 6x4 TACR Range Rover airfield fire appliance in, unusually, drab green. One of the first jobs to be done is to paint it the more common bright red. Being fully functional, it just had to be tested to make sure that everything was as it should be. Besides, the runway was looking as though it could do with a watering... about 1,200 litres-worth of watering.
Steve Marsh demonstrating that a leather flying helmet without the egg whisk or the stick of wet celery is not as effective as George Jackson's dark glasses for when it comes to looking Intrepid. Or should that be Insipid? Under the pretence of wishing him well, Mike Allmey shakes Steve by the hand while undoing Steve's parachute straps...


... which he then immediately sells on to Derek Archer - who wasn't seen again until Tilbury in August.