Out And About.

[Maladict]

This evening's holiday:

I went down to the coast and took the ferry over to the Isle of Purbeck, had a walk along a beach and wandered amongst the dunes, before catching an open top bus home.

Quite hot at the beach at even at 7pm, still got back before sunset.

[mongers]

Visited West Wiltshire today to do a bit of exploring and eyeballing the routes of a few old byways.

Highlight, Devizes museum, a rather decent 'county museum' good archaeological collection, lots of artifacts from Avebury, Stonehenge and surrounds. Well worth a visit is those sort of intimate, uncrowded places appeal to you.

[mongers]

Went to the history festival on the far side of the downs to do some voluntary promotion work:

Coolest thing - a Spitfire (MkV?) and a Hurricane preforming 'acrobatics' over the side, especially given the low cloud cover and rain. The Spitfire pilot was looping the loop and doing something like a loop-turn to come back the way he'd come and dive low over the natural arena the hills make.

There was also a Dakota, flying in the sheeting rain. And a B-17 and Mustang which I'd missed earlier.


Naffest thing - five or six re-enactors dressed as WW2 Luftwaffe paratroops carrying out a patrol/maneuvers amongst the large festival tents, literally lying down with the MG and waving the others on make the next move, at one stage he thought they were going to seize the coffee/refreshment tent and turn it into Monte Casino. 

[garbon]

I finally broke my...embargo(?) and went to NYC's pride parade. After all, it does pass through my neighborhood.

I have to say that I once again realize that I am not a parade person - though the sense of enthusiasm was heartening.

[Admiral Yi]

The Spitfire pilot was looping the loop and doing something like a loop-turn to come back the way he'd come and dive low over the natural arena the hills make.

Sounds like a split-S. :messerschmidt:

[mongers]

The Spitfire pilot was looping the loop and doing something like a loop-turn to come back the way he'd come and dive low over the natural arena the hills make.

Sounds like a split-S. :messerschmidt:

It was very good, and I'm sure you're right.

[KRonn]

Went to the history festival on the far side of the downs to do some voluntary promotion work:

Coolest thing - a Spitfire (MkV?) and a Hurricane preforming 'acrobatics' over the side, especially given the low cloud cover and rain. The Spitfire pilot was looping the loop and doing something like a loop-turn to come back the way he'd come and dive low over the natural arena the hills make.

There was also a Dakota, flying in the sheeting rain. And a B-17 and Mustang which I'd missed earlier.


Naffest thing - five or six re-enactors dressed as WW2 Luftwaffe paratroops carrying out a patrol/maneuvers amongst the large festival tents, literally lying down with the MG and waving the others on make the next move, at one stage he thought they were going to seize the coffee/refreshment tent and turn it into Monte Casino. 

Very cool, the WW2 aircraft doing the aerobatics! I have an airport nearby and every couple of years WW2 aircraft, usually maintained by the Commemoration Air Force, stop by. Last time was a P-51 Mustang, B-17, B-24. I visited them, walked through the bombers, as I've done before when they've visited. I'm always surprised at how kind of cramped quarters inside they are. It's also great hearing them take off and land though, love the sounds of those engines. The P-51 had a second seat and they give rides for a fee. I didn't take them up on it though.

Good luck clearing the Monte Casino refreshment area of those entrenched troops!   

[mongers]

Went to the history festival on the far side of the downs to do some voluntary promotion work:

Coolest thing - a Spitfire (MkV?) and a Hurricane preforming 'acrobatics' over the side, especially given the low cloud cover and rain. The Spitfire pilot was looping the loop and doing something like a loop-turn to come back the way he'd come and dive low over the natural arena the hills make.

There was also a Dakota, flying in the sheeting rain. And a B-17 and Mustang which I'd missed earlier.


Naffest thing - five or six re-enactors dressed as WW2 Luftwaffe paratroops carrying out a patrol/maneuvers amongst the large festival tents, literally lying down with the MG and waving the others on make the next move, at one stage he thought they were going to seize the coffee/refreshment tent and turn it into Monte Casino. 

Very cool, the WW2 aircraft doing the aerobatics! I have an airport nearby and every couple of years WW2 aircraft, usually maintained by the Commemoration Air Force, stop by. Last time was a P-51 Mustang, B-17, B-24. I visited them, walked through the bombers, as I've done before when they've visited. I'm always surprised at how kind of cramped quarters inside they are. It's also great hearing them take off and land though, love the sounds of those engines. The P-51 had a second seat and they give rides for a fee. I didn't take them up on it though.

Good luck clearing the Monte Casino refreshment area of those entrenched troops!   

[mongers]

Finally at the third attempt made it to Hurst Castle down on the Solent coast, a Henry VIII coastal fort, much expanded by the Victorians to guard the Eastern entrance to the Solent's sheltered waters.

Not a part of the region I usually go, as it involves going through part of the coastal urban sprawl, but a Sunday afternoon whilst Wimbledon was on was a good time for a nice 30-32mile ride.

The fun bit, is once you arrive there, you have to walk 1.5-2 miles along a large shingle stone spit that juts out into the sea, in order to get to the castle/fort.

Also invariable rather blowy that far out to sea opposite the Isle of Wight.

Below looking over the battlements inshore to the harbour/lagoon behind the spit.

[Maladict]

Went to the RAF museum yesterday. A Lancaster up close is unbelievably impressive.
After that, off to the Maritime museum & Cutty Sark.

[mongers]

Went to the RAF museum yesterday. A Lancaster up close is unbelievably impressive.
After that, off to the Maritime museum & Cutty Sark.

Yeah, it is; did they still have the Sunderland you could walk through?

Whilst in Greenwich, make sure you check out the royal observatory. 

[Maladict]

Whilst in Greenwich, make sure you check out the royal observatory. 

It had closed by the time I got there. 
Still, the view was worth the climb.

[mongers]

Whilst in Greenwich, make sure you check out the royal observatory. 

It had closed by the time I got there. 
Still, the view was worth the climb.

Damn, at least it's not too far for you to make a special pilgrimage* in future 




* in relation to the Harrison chronometers.

[Maladict]

Damn, at least it's not too far for you to make a special pilgrimage* in future 

Certainly, I just missed out on the IWM reopening as well.

Oh, and the Sunderland is still there. The Sopwith Camel wasn't and the WW1 gallery is closed

[mongers]

Managed to see two 'castles' from different ends of the region this afternoon; this entailed 7 trains, 20 miles of cycling and around 8-9 miles of walking.

Visited Portchester castle over towards Portsmouth, a rather nice Roman Saxon shore fort, most of the walls still intact, with a large Norman keep and castle in the NE corner and a early norman abbey church in the SE corner.