About ten years ago the clubhouse resembled an auction sales room, full of old sofas and armchairs which were discovered to have become home to half the vermin of Shalbourne. A thorough clear out provided the opportunity for some much needed tarting up. But as we all know – nature abhors a vacuum and in the years that followed the angst that so often confronts us when forced to abandon a worn out boot scraper or surplus hat stand was ameliorated by the thought that one could always ‘donate it to the club’. Thus, over the years that followed, the inviting space gradually became a museum of modern artifacts and in so doing gave the disenfranchised rodent population the opportunity to reclaim old territory.
Our ‘work weekend’ provided the opportunity for radical clear out (which included a shovel full of mouse unmentionables). So anything contaminated, plus a pile of ‘pre-loved’ items were committed to Valhalla. There remain a good supply of sturdy wooden chairs, a (potentially) functional heater and a comfortable space for congregating when the cloud base is too low. And with the planned addition of a wider door it will also add convenience when being used as a occasional extension to the aircraft workshop.
So thanks to everyone who conveyed the vast pile of rubbish to the bonfire, plus all who in the meantime scurried around the site cleaning aircraft, clearing the hangar, preparing the new launch trailer, building a winch, cutting back brush plus dozens vital etceteras. And not least to Pete for his endless supply of bacon butties.
The enthusiasm was palpable. Hopefully more of the same today!
No nasty winds and clear sunny sky (first beany hat of the year was spotted) with patches of fog in the valley and elsewhere. Unfortunately lots of misting but with an organized laying on of hands to warm up the canopy Bob B took to the air. The views from the air were fabulous looking down on the patches of the fog shining in the sunlight. As the morning progressed a the wind veered to give just a touch of north which dragged the fog/low cloud out of the valley which resulted in base legs moved into the airfield to keep in the clear air. This resulted in long retrieves. Decision made to change ends Paul M and I launched above cloud and were treated to a shadow of the Puchacz cast on to the cloud surrounded by a 360 degree rainbow – spectacular! I say “we” but Paul was too busy flying to pay any attention to it. As we circled in a clear patch down to cloud base I realized there was little point in changing ends. A lunch break was declared.
