The tumult and the shouting dies...
The Captains and the Kings depart" .... and leaves the world to silence and to me....... For World read Dover. The Bleriot Weekend had to be seen to be believed.... P & O's Computer crashed early the first morning and the resultant traffic jam "Gridlocked" the entire Town and it's surroundings as far back as Folkestone and Canterbury. When it recovered the weekend was a great success despite the seething Michael Carson, being and I quote him "stitched up by the French" by being refused permission to take off in his genuine Bleriot XI as being "too dangerous with the present winds" whilst permitting two French pilots, of course, to go with two replicas. Nevertheless there were various displays of Sky diving, launch rescues A wonderful display of grace and beauty from a Spitfire but , Alas , only a very brief but spectacular "Fly Past" By the Red Arrows and, I hate to say this but , an even better one from the following "Patrouille De France" ( Formation even tighter !). They came over the Castle where the Guests were assembling for one of the finest meals and evenings that I have experienced. The Steaks were the most tender that I had ever tasted, and I have eaten the fabulous "Kyoto" ones where the cattle are "beer massaged" daily by the Japanese Farmers, . They came from the nearby Alkham Valley and I now have the name of the Butcher ! There must have been over two hundred guests assembled in a most remarkable and beautiful Marquee on the lawn of the "Look out Post" jutting out of the cliff top in front of Dover Castle.
The guests included the Bleriot family with whom I aired my French and was very warmly received, Dignitaries from the Royal Aero Club, Representatives of France, Italy ,and from Dover, the (Lady") Mayor who was the unfortunate recipient of the Guest Speaker's (Gyles Brandreth) rather over the top , remarks concerning her proximity to the President of Italy's Ambassador who was sitting quite close to her and telling her how lucky that she was . She bore his remarks with great dignity and was treated to a resounding round of applause after the speeches were over. Gyle's speech was very witty and completely over the heads of the many nice Americans scattered around the room but I think that he rather got carried away with his own exuberance and went a little too far.....!
The evening culminated with a display of fireworks from the Harbour that lay below us and took me straight back to Berlin, The Ruhr (Happy Valley) ! I was fortunate in having Cliff Spink and his charming Wife as companions and we spent the whole time reminiscing and I could not believe that he was some thirty years or so younger than me . He was supposed to bring his own personal Spitfire over but told me that the tail wheel fell off or was punctured before take off. If I have strayed from the "Thread", Forgive me but I would not have been present to relate this to you if I had not "gained my brevet in WWII" Reg le Thank you "The Gypsy" for "posterising" me , in the Sky, so to speak.