Dawlish Carnival Airshow 2008

Yet again, a marvellous opportunity presented itself to skive off work in the afternoon to attend the Dawlish Airshow (I had to be in Brixham for Shopmobility in the evening). 60000 people attend the Dawlish Show so car was a no no, so I caught the train for the 5 minute journey with hundreds of Grockles, most of whom appear to have never been on a train before.

I met up with my daughter and her family (and despite the photo, young Melissa spent the time practising her Four Hour Sulk)

It was then a long afternoon watching the magnificent displays (and some pretty dull flypasts) and the usual difficulty getting decent photos with a basic digical camera: press button, wait several seconds, click). I really should have borrowed the Boy's DSLR.
Here I missed the magnificent Typhoon

and this one is most of a KC135 tanker (Boeing 707)

But I did manage to catch the typhoon eventually and what a plane! Some say Alien Space technology was used in it's manufacture: it can fly silently at 90mph, or break Mach 2 with thunderous noise, a very scary plane that can hover on it's tail before roaring off into space
Then came the Royal Jordanian Falcons

who were pretty special. The lead plane, while everyone was watching the main flight, tumbled out of the sky above us. How the pilot didn't lose consciousness, I really dont know.

Because I had to get to Brixham, I needed to be on a train, and with the station barred to everyone due to the overcrowding, I had to blag my way onto the platform ("I've actually got to be at a meeting in Brixham, mate". "Ahem, I didnt see you"). On the platform, I managed to catch the "Arrers" (mysteriously short of a plane)

The Heart

And Not Really the Challenger
A magnificent show all round and I have made arrangements to see the Typhoon and the Red Arrows at the launch of Torbay's fast ferry on the 27th, at Torquay Regatta (Appleby's Beer garden) after work on the 28th and Dartmouth Regatta (by steam train to Kingswear with my mum ) on the 30th.

I did eventually catch a train, (FGW put on extras, but needless to say, right at the point of greatest need, a 2 car FP turned up) met M at Torquay and got to Brixham on the bus in plenty of time. Brixham Town Band were playing in the Old Fish Market, on behalf of their chosen charities (Shopmobility was one of two). My duty was to thank them for their fundraising, but I wasnt called until 2130. In front of 3 or 400 people I managed a couple of ad-libbed funnies (they played Post Horn Gallop, theme of recently relegated Leicester City (but I doubt it was in my honour), and something from Les Miserables, which I said made my fiancee cry "It wasn't THAT bad" shouted someone), and thanked them. I suppose if you have to speak to large numbers of people, you get used to it. I didnt even have a prepared speech this time, although I made it up in my head and rehearsed it while supping my pint and eating fish and chips. I seem to be growing up all the time.