November/December 2021 Newsletter

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CLUB PROGRAMME   November/December 2021

NB: Subject to Covid Lockdown Restrictions

Tuesday              9   November                    Club Social Afternoon      Club Lounge                   1330

Tuesday              23 November                   Club Social Afternoon      Club Lounge                   1330

Tuesday              7   December                    Committee Meeting                                                       1200

Tuesday              7   December                    Club Luncheon                   Club Lounge                   1230 for 1300

Tuesday              21 December                    Club Social Afternoon      Club Lounge                   1330

2022

Tuesday              18 January                         Club Social Afternoon      Club Lounge                   1330

PRESIDENTS NOTE

Greetings from the Flight Deck.

Hello everyone.

Well, I have competed my refamil and am now back in the left seat.   Nothing much has changed except as I noted in the last newsletter our membership is diminished.

It was a relief when we moved to Covid Alert II because we could meet again and as we are all known to each other, we can mingle with little restriction (but sensibly) when we are within our club rooms.   Unfortunately we had to cancel two social afternoons and our Battle of Britain Commemoration but we have since managed to meet and enjoy a wonderful lunch.   Long may that continue.

We are planning to meet fortnightly as usual and hold our Christmas lunch on 7  December.   (Date changed since the last newsletter.)

It is our intention to invite and encourage our two members who turn 100 around the end of the year to join us at that lunch so that as many of us as possible can celebrate with them.

Sadly we learned on 11 October that our Patron and Past President Laurie Turner had died suddenly and unexpectedly.   His funeral was held on 22 October and a good number of us were able to attend.   Our sympathies are shared with Laurie’s family.

We continue to work on gaining greater recognition in Christchurch for Sir Keith Park and now have support from several in the local business community.   Our latest plan is to have the airport overpass named the Sir Keith Park Flyover.

Finally we realised in the last few days that we had neglected to remind members of their obligation to pay the annual subs by 31 August.   Please refer to the notice elsewhere in this newsletter.

Keep smiling,

Kevin Jones

SUBSCRIPTIONS:

As noted by Kevin above our subs are due, so let’s all make Peter’s life easy:

Annual sub $25 payable to account number: 03 0802 0585688 00

Due to matters outside our control we are a bit late this year so prompt payment would be appreciated.

BATTLE OF BRITAIN

Sadly we missed out this years BOB commemoration.  Isn’t this a wonderful photo:

Happy villagers giving a cheerful thumbs up to a downed enemy aircraft:

One farmer in his effort to contribute to the Spitfire Fund charged sixpence to view the only field in Kent without a German aircraft in it!! 

ON A LIGHTER NOTE:

A woman in a hot air balloon realised she was lost. She reduced altitude and spotted a man below.
She descended a bit more and shouted:
"'Excuse me, can you help me? I promised a friend I would meet him an hour ago but I don't know where I am".
The man below replied "You're in a hot air balloon hovering approximately 30 feet above the ground.
You're between 40 and 41 degrees north latitude and between 59 and 60 degrees west longitude".

"You must be a technician." said the balloonist. "I am" replied the man "how did you know?"
"Well," answered the balloonist, "everything you have told me is probably technically correct, but I've no idea what to make of your information and the fact is, I'm still lost
Frankly, you've not been much help at all. If anything, you've delayed my trip with your talk."

The man below responded, "You must be a politician". "I am" replied the balloonist, "but how did you know?"
"Well," said the man "you don't know where you are or where you're going. You have risen to where you are, due to a large quantity of hot air.
You made a promise, which you've no idea how to keep, and you expect people beneath you to solve your problems.
The fact is you are in exactly the same position you were in before we met, but now, somehow, it's my flaming fault!

Keith Jolly, Editor

The Price of Freedom is Eternal Vigilance