And now for something completely different….

[trusty220]

Seeing as it was the wife’s birthday last week I thought that I’d treat her to a day out on Saturday. The local Shackleton association were having an Open Day and Engine Run, so I thought it would be a rare treat for her.
For a mere £2 you could crawl over everything inside, bark your shins on the spars and sit in the pilots’ seats whilst being entertained by an 80-year old ex-RAF technician that had worked on the aircraft in it’s working days. Bargain! I can’t think of anywhere else that you can do this, then stand back and watch as all four engines are run up to full power making the tailwheel bounce up and down.
Well, simple things please simple minds; at least, I think that’s what Ruth said but most of it was carried away in the slipstream.
There’s no pleasing some people.

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[dave]

For Shackleton read a squadron of loose rivets flying in formation.
I am glad that you had a good day.

[stevewoollas]

As you can imagine the good Lady Chair was looking forward to her birthday and had spent the previous week thinking about the treat in store which Chair had promised. Various options had passed through her mind; a quiet meal for two, a trip to the theatre, a weekend in London, or even Paris. Now you and I know Chair better than this and whilst he also considered each of these options, (in cost decending order), each was dismissed on the basis of excessive cost until he eventually saw the advent for the Shackleton Open Day priced at £2 per head.
What a bargain!
The two of them for £4….even less if he could convince the ticket office staff he was a senior citizen….might even be able to include a cup of tea without spending in excess of a fiver.
So, thanks to Chair’s extremely frugal nature, (he insists Generous nature), the good Lady Chair celebrated her birthday crawling through the innards of a Shackleton aircraft and being totally deafened when the engines were struck up. On the journey home one person sat with a wide grin on his face thinking “what a great day, played at airplanes, treated her to her birthday and change from a fiver” The other sat totally dejected thinking “what a c**p day, stubbed my toe on the spar, banged my head, after all these years is that all he thinks I am worth”.
I think you will agree with me the Lady Chair deserves better than treatment at this level.
I understand the day wasn’t a total loss, however, on their return to Ravenhall the table was laden with a celebrationary Gala Pork Pie adorned with the appropriate number of candles and a bottle of Tizer.
Tuck in Chair, at least you enjoyed celebrating the good Lady Chair’s birthday.
Ruth–better luck next year!

[joegrgraham]

Looks like a good day out. Where is this?.

Joe.

[trusty220]

Hello, Joe,
The Shackleton is situated at Bagington Airport in Coventry. If you wish to go to see it you need to consult their website for special events; your best bet is to Google “Shackleton Preservation Trust” and it will tell you all you need to know.
I see that Steve has risen to the challenge yet again, and I can’t fault his imagination at all- it is obviously firing on all cylinders! I still have a little chuckle about our ‘phone conversation last week- when I called he was walking through Lincoln town centre, so he stopped and sat down on a bench.
Our conversation was interrupted by a passer-by pressing a pound coin into his hand, which started Steve off on a tangent. All that I could hear at my end was, “No, I’m not a beggar, honestly! Please take this money back!”
I was creased up at my end!

[stevewoollas]

I good little anecdote worthy Chair and we were all almost convinced until reaching the final part.
Yes, I do sit down to answer my phone, particularly if the caller is one who is known to babble on. When I sit down I remove my cap and place it in front of me and if passers by choose to place their loose change into it I really cannot be blamed. Now, this is where your tale falls flat Mr Chair, as anyone who knows me will confirm, I never turn down cash donations of any denomination, particularly English coin of the realm so any utterance on my part would be acknowledged thanks not re-buff.
Anyway, don’t change the subject, surely the good Lady Chair should be allowed and, indeed, encouraged to comment on her Birthday Day Out.
Come on Lady Chair what did you really think?

[Author]

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