On Mon, 06 Mar 2006 11:44:33 GMT, dave wrote:

Just a fume to say how pathetic was the sound BBC coverage of last weekends
flypast by several Spitfires. What I was waiting to hear was the sound of those
wonderful Merlins. What I got was two motormouth presenters with who were
terrified of any silence longer than 0.1 second.

The OB pictures were excellent though, great to see those aircraft flying.

I live just north of the Scottish Border. A couple of years ago, I
was having lunch and thought I heard that unmistakable sound of a
Merlin engine - once heard (and like so many folks now retired I heard
my first a very long time ago) never forgotten. Surely not a Spitfire
or Hurricane? I left my lunch and rushed outside, just in time to see
a lone Spitfire cruise overhead at no more than 1000 ft, heading
south. There had been an air show further north a day earlier, so it
was presumably heading home.

One of my neighbours saw me looking up and asked what was the matter -
I pointed to the Spitfire. He wasn't impressed - "What's all the
excitement? Just some bloody aeroplane, isn't it?"

I went into full Victor Meldrew mode, with the wife trying to quieten
me. The poor neighbour retreated down the street with my voice
getting louder as he retreated - "Some bloody aeroplane? SOME BLOODY
AEROPLANE???!! If it wasn't for that 'bloody aeroplane', matey -
you'd be speaking German and eating with chopsticks!!!!!"

I think the poor man crossed the street on his way back home.

Just a few months later, a B17 flew over at low level, again heading
south. A hugely impressive sight and sound. But apart from me, not a
single person in the neighbourhood even raised their eyes. There's a
monument in London that promises we'll never forget. Hell - most
folks have forgotten already.

John