Edgehill became Shenington when Farmer Paul Gibbs wanted to put his village on the map....that would have been around 1988.
A chap whose name escapes me had been running his own private operation with his wife, flying T21s and other high performance two seaters, and exploiting willing to learn bods to do the grunt work. It was not at that time, I believe, a BGA recognised club.
Paul Gibbs, having tried the T21, went downhill to Bideford and learned to fly in proper gliders. He fell out with the current operator at Edgehill, and he together with Bruce Hopkins, Brian Badger, and yours truly, set up SHENINGTON GLIDING CLUB! I came from Booker because I had bought the Supercub, had it shipped from Texas in a Box, the engineer at Booker put it together, but the club said a 150 wasn't up to pulling open class gliders full of water, so Shenington needed me....or at least it needed GOFER!
Paul became an instructor; went to Dunstable to become a Full Cat and was our CFI, and a very good one indeed. When at Dunstable on the course, various posh pilots were discussing their gliders. I've got a Turbo Duo Discus, says one. I'm flying a 25 meter Lak, says another. Well, said Paul Gibbs, I own an airfield.
That corked 'em up!
Paul is in the Shenington Churchyard now. We gave him a good sendoff, with 6 gliders on tow, and the motor glider, directed from the ground as to the proper moment to do the flypast...and they did it right. We still miss Paul Gibbs very much. His widow and son are now managing the farm, and we are grateful to the family.
Last edited by mary meagher; 5th Jun 2014 at 21:16.