Honestly I’m really not trying to make this a monthly bit of splurge its just that the weather has been great and both the sun and I have been out! John being away on his holiers hasn’t helped nor has later than normal evenings trying to sort out the far workshop. Never mind, thankfully there hasn’t actually been that much balloony news about as it happens apart from a succession of weather friendly balloon meets to report on so that’s fine by us. Before I forget again if its your first visit a very bright and jolly hello to you. We are really a Part M Organisation looking after the airworthiness issues of balloons various. There, that’ll do, sponsor happy. Sadly the intention to go to Old Buckenham didn’t happen as a result of the new carting adventure that is now coming to fruition following a visit by daughter Mary to Andy Austin’s missus after she suggested putting a slightly naughty pony into a trap to calm it down. The flow of visitors has continued and we were delighted the other day when Matt, his misuses and Ladies World Champion Nicola, son Hugo and Mr Scaife senior called by on the way (sort of) to Heathrow Airport. Another surprise caller was Sticky Mickey on his latest water-cooled Vespa scoot off to chase the Tour of Britain that bravely took in Chesham. He was quick to tell us how this particular scooter hadn’t been near an AA Relay Truck unlike his original! We did manage to get to the Grass Roots Meet but I could only do the Friday and Saturday so we did it in shifts with Jane putting in an appearance on Sunday whilst I floated down the Thames on a Dunkirk Little Ship. Article up soon no doubt. Since then we have been frustrated by very gentle light and variables which are a tad tedious so we actually found ourselves not flying as there was not enough wind and then enjoyed watching balloons from Missenden hanging around forever. This was somewhat vindicated when Peter Dowlen called by to say on one evening that we had cancelled it took him the best part of an hour to make the next field over the road from the Black Horse whereupon he had to manhandle the rig to an enjoying field as the access was too small to get the retrieve through. Fair play. October is a few days away and its Long Jump Time and as it will be an Anthony Smith Commemorative year lots of entries are being encouraged. Details in the News.
The workshop is now getting sorted with a lot of stuff being shifted and collected which is nice. Despite a few hints and the news that it is now insured for a month we still haven’t news or pics of G-BUHU from Mr Donkin. If you see him give him a gentle prod. We have now dragged Rover off the shelf and sorted out the parachute. Sadly it now appears that it has been de-registered so once that is sorted we’ll take it for a spin and, before anyone asks, we will not be lending it out for anything until we’ve had a go. Tempting to remove the letter ‘R’ now. We’ll get some pics next time out to test the parachute. It’s a Cameron N-105 and will be on the market once we’ve flown it. Now we’ve been having a think and reckon we ought to get back to putting up more of the things we find at inspections. These days with the benefit of digitalis cameras and the interweb we could run Illustrated Inspectors Infos. To this end we’ll put one together with stuff from the past few weeks and see how it goes. It will most likely be a stand alone article that will live in the Technical Bit. I’ll talk it over with Basser the Brains. We are having a bit of an Inspectors Day this month for our lovely Inspectors so that will also form the basis for a bit of an article. Also due up soon is a piece on uneven tyre wear and Westfalia Trailers, something of a popular telephone topic recently. Up now is the well overdue article on the Villiers or to be politically correct the New Hudson Autocycle we put together a while ago and often gets a nod of approval by visitors.
Biggest news on the boys toys shed is the emergence of the 1935 Standard 9 that has been parked up for the past few years after the dynamo fell off. Thanks to some pressure from Barry we dragged it out and it is now running after a fashion and most of the missing bits have now been bolted back on. Another day or two and it will be on eBay I suspect but not before we go for a jolly jaunt in it. The Hexagon ended up being sold to a very nice bloke from Northampton who runs a scooter shop and a large consignment has gone to the tip. Next to go will be the Yamaha Style Sensation Jog. That may even make a tenner! We do have George Forsyth’s old Lindstrand that is shot and stripped of the bottom and crownring. It is a large bag of porous material now but if it is of use to anyone please come and get it otherwise it will be off to the tip in the next load. We’ve also had a bit of sort out of cylinders and there are a couple of 60 litre 
jobbies up for grabs one is a T&C the other a Lindstrand. Details in the Items for Sale section. Front page this time round is a piccie of one of the more spectacular but harmless clouds that settled over Coombe Hill and provided light and variable winds last week courtesy of Bazzer and Team Scaife who came and ate all the Hobnobs. Bless. Please have a wander around and I’ll try and get some more stuff up in the next day or so. All the best from Alice, Jane, John, Barry, Dotty and Chris.