Big apologies to one and all but huge greetings nonetheless. This is probably the longest we have gone without a freshen up of the pages, mind you we did have a bit of a run on the Lindstrand closed news! Before we blah-blah on about this and that, if this is your first visit we are actually a company that looks after the Continuing Airworthiness of Hot Air Balloons of all shapes and sizes including mending and servicing all the various bits and bobs that make them work. That’s got that out the way. We have been having a fine old time not least as we celebrated St George’s Day in fine style in lovely sunshine outside the George and Dragon which is on Quainton Village Green, in the additional company of our Barry and Pauline who none of you will probably know but she did, as usual, try and sell me something. A coffee shop this time! Quite a timeless place Quainton, quaint even, made lovely by our first sight of house martins who had literally just arrived. Now the swallows and swifts are everywhere and it is as far removed from warm and sunny as it can be. Just to add insult to injury the peonies are out so its about time for a thunderstorm no doubt. On a brighter note, Jane’s dad, Edward Oates, was on the telly, radio and in the national press as he is now one of the few remaining Dunkirk veterans and went over to take part in the commemorations marking 75 years since Operation Dynamo. Its been a hectic month and I’m not really sure where May went or if it was ever here in the first place but now its June all will be lovely I’m certain.
This time round I’ve hardly had to write anything as we have a bit of retrospective from Tim Wilkinson who is busy building one each of the entire range of Airtour balloons, a justifiable rant and reason from Don Cameron (becoming a monthly thing) along with Rob Clements nice report on the Bath Balloon Fiesta and Elaine Smith’s report on a successful Bowes and Bells Meet that was unflyable but great fun nonetheless (used that word twice there). We just need to make our minds up which event to go north for. Thanks to them all. In the news there is, as you would expect, a bit on the forthcoming Lindstrand auction but one would imagine it will probably be mainly for tables and office chairs. Barry has devised a feature thingy that lets one know when a web-page gets updated and appears in the bit at the side and across. No idea how it works but hope it helps. With HS2 now knocking on the door we have a meeting in a few days time to see what the future holds so nothing rude written here for a day or so. Ahead of Jane’s cousin Pete leaving the farm to go to a remote Isle in Scotland the barn is nearly empty and our mates the chickens have moved across the valley to a new home. I’m sure they’ll be over for a visit before much longer. Visitors will notice the absence of Gus the Lurcher who, at the fine age of 17 plus, is no more. When he came to stay he was only supposed to be good for about six months so the fact he has gone on for over two years is nothing short of a miracle.
The nuts bolts and spanner department has actually been a bit active. At 300,000 miles the Hilux has had its fuel pump overhauled and now its all back together and just needs a bit of fine tuning. The pump was cleaned up and resealed by our good friends at Bosch Diesel Injection Services in Aylesbury and to be honest looked so lovely I was inclined to put it on the mantelpiece. Might be moved to write a bit about it another day. Barry was rather rudely knocked off his California by a bloke who said “Sorry didn’t see you mate.” Which made it all OK. Its not too bad but will need some attention to the fork yokes. He’s not impressed. Alice’s new car’s computer is at odds with its running so that is awaiting a reboot or whatever one does to the electronics on a modern car. Rather delightfully, and I realise it shouldn’t be in this bit, but we have had the great pleasure of a visit from Carol Klein, Jack in a bag and her niece Morgan who is a tattooist and all round very talented artist from 
Miami. We managed to bore the pants off her by taking her to a rather select Whispering Bob Harris event held in the rather marvellous surroundings of Blackwells bookshop in Oxford. We did make it up to her afterwards in the Kings Arms with cider and homemade Scotch eggs. Front page is us outside the George and Dragon whilst the rest of the country was working and the footnote shows a very interested Pete Bish and John discussing the merits of a fine watercolour rendering of the electricity pole with Morgan! Thanks again for dropping by. We trust you enjoy your visit and call back soon. Our best regards Jane, John, Chris, Alice and Dotty.