A RIOT RIAT in the Gloucestershire Countryside
23rd July 2017
No, not unrest in the Cotswolds, but the Royal International Air Tattoo at Fairford - but more on that story later...
So I notice two months has slipped by since our last update, but it seems like only two weeks - a sign of getting older perhaps? Nothing terribly exciting to report, or at least nothing we can mention here - suffice to stay we have had numerous trips to Cornwall and a return trip to Hereford...
We again stayed at The Meudon Hotel, and took a stroll down through the beautiful gardens to Bream Cove, the location used for the press launch of the original Range Rover in 1970, and again recently for the launch of the new Range Rover Velar - more pictures here for the LR aficionados amongst you.
So back to the headline - last weekend we joined my sister & family at the Fairford air show - not actually at the show but in a field nearby - having been to the show itself numerous times over the years this I think was a much better alternative - no crowds, a picnic and if anything a better view of the flying. So now follows numerous photographs - not ours, but the lenswork of Ian Wheeler and Gill MacKellar - top work! None of the Red Arrows, unfortunately they were flying whilst we were walking amongst the trees, but from the glimpses we saw they remain as impressive as ever.
Bell Boeing Osprey Tiltrotor - STOL (Short Takeoff and Landing) capability - as they used to say of the Harrier, happiness is vectored thrust...
No caption required
Ditto
Airbus A400M - possibly the most spectacular take off of the day - no pictures as we weren't expecting it!
Turkish F-16C Fighting Falcon
Patrouille Suisse - Swiss Air Force Aerobatic team
US Thunderbirds display team
Us - must have been warmer than it felt as my wine seems to have evaporated...
Since last weekend we have in fact bought a new camera, so now follows our early trials:
Blue tit on the squirrel-proof feeder
Baffled by the baffle...
Mimulus - first time grown and very successful!
Finally, last time there was mention of knobs and nuts, so this time I thought I'd share a picture of my plums:
