Intermission : What excitement

for a small Somerset village

We’re used to these flying low over our roof tops; Chinooks, and Hercules aircraft. Sometimes sounds as though they are looking to clip our chimney pots. Fine sight, despite all that. Having an old man who was in the TA predisposes me towards the armed forces. The old man was C/O 40/41st Royal Tank Regiment (Territorial Division) for many years, based in Oldham, and some weekends the old man would take us up there and hand us over to a gang of his squaddies to go on their tank exercises on Saddleworth Moor. This would have been c1960.

These beasts - Centurion tanks. Here’s the old man, at his military best. This would have been a parade through Oldham as a part of Wakes Week; older Northerners will know what I am talking about, for the rest of you, check it out.

Was gardening earlier this avo, when a Chinook flew low over the house. Hovered for a short while over the recreation ground just behind where we lived. Passed back over the house in the direction it had come from, then back our way again, and landed on the village cricket pitch.

Happily no game in progress.

Reason for the stop? No, nobody needed a pee. In fact, a red kite had flown straight into (and through) one of the windscreen sections.

Everyone up our end of the village out to rubber neck :-) Lots of our lovely neighbours.

Looks like we may have them for a day or two before they can leave. Hopefully will get a video when they do, as I just missed them landing.