11 November 2019 - This seems a fitting date to relate the little I know about another Second World War veteran that died recently - my father-in-law. The following is what little I gleaned from the few occasions when he opened up about his experiences.
In 1940, at the age of 18, Arthur Johnson joined the RAF in Penarth, a coastal town a few miles along the south Wales coast from our current home on Barry Island. After training, he ended up in North Africa, where, much to his surprise it seemed, he ended up as a gunner in the newly-formed RAF Regiment. He may have been one of its founding members.
It seems he spent a lot of time on desert airfields being attacked by the Luftwaffe. He also caught malaria and when his squadron moved on to Sicily, he spent time in a hospital on the flanks of Mount Etna. On discharge, he crossed the Messina Strait and caught up with his unit as they advanced through Italy. Following this, he returned to the UK, before re-joining the action in France after D-Day. He defended a succession of airfields as allied forces moved east into Germany.
He was always reluctant to say too much about his experiences, and he quickly became emotional about the loss of life. This may be explained by one conversation in which he revealed that he'd spent a lot of time picking up bodies in the aftermath of raids on the various airfields he'd helped defend. It may also explain why he never had his medals mounted and rarely, if ever, attended remembrance events; although he had planned to go to yesterday's ceremony in Ludlow. Alas, he died a few days before. I laid a cross for him.
Arthur Johnson, 1922-2019. Rest in peace.
In 1940, at the age of 18, Arthur Johnson joined the RAF in Penarth, a coastal town a few miles along the south Wales coast from our current home on Barry Island. After training, he ended up in North Africa, where, much to his surprise it seemed, he ended up as a gunner in the newly-formed RAF Regiment. He may have been one of its founding members.
It seems he spent a lot of time on desert airfields being attacked by the Luftwaffe. He also caught malaria and when his squadron moved on to Sicily, he spent time in a hospital on the flanks of Mount Etna. On discharge, he crossed the Messina Strait and caught up with his unit as they advanced through Italy. Following this, he returned to the UK, before re-joining the action in France after D-Day. He defended a succession of airfields as allied forces moved east into Germany.
He was always reluctant to say too much about his experiences, and he quickly became emotional about the loss of life. This may be explained by one conversation in which he revealed that he'd spent a lot of time picking up bodies in the aftermath of raids on the various airfields he'd helped defend. It may also explain why he never had his medals mounted and rarely, if ever, attended remembrance events; although he had planned to go to yesterday's ceremony in Ludlow. Alas, he died a few days before. I laid a cross for him.
Arthur Johnson, 1922-2019. Rest in peace.
22 October 2019 - The last month or so has included a restaurant review, a couple of visits to the theatre and rugby matches, and a few talks. The highlight though was a weekend in York for the 40th anniversary reunion of my RAF flying training course: No 43 Course at RAF Linton-on-Ouse, the period that forms the bulk of Shropshire Blue, Vol 2, On The Buffet. Four of our instructors and all the surviving members of the Course were there - sadly, two have passed away, one within the last twelve months. Two of our number plus partners had travelled from Honk Kong and New Zealand respectively, which shows dedication above and beyond. It was an enjoyable and, at times, a moving occasion.
One of my talks was to a unit I used to command, the University of Wales Air Squadron. I found them in good spirits as I related the stories of some of the pilots of the Battle of Britain, young men who were a similar age to the men and women in the audience. One man I feature is Flight Lieutenant James Nicolson, the recipient of the only Victoria Cross awarded during the Battle.
On 16th August 1940, his squadron was attacked and he was injured in the eye, leg and foot - his trouser leg was blown off - and his Hurricane caught fire. He unstrapped and was preparing to jump when a Messerschmitt Bf110 flashed past. Despite the flames, he got back in and fired at the Messerschmitt until he could bear the heat no longer, at which point he baled out. On the way down he was shot in the backside by an over-zealous member of the Home Guard - luckily with a shotgun rather than a rifle. On hearing while recovering in hospital that he was to be awarded the VC, he telegraphed his wife to say, Just got VC. Not sure why. Sadly, this doubt about his worthiness plagued him until he died in an air accident in India in 1945.
I took the photo opposite during a recent visit to Tangmere Aviation Museum. With apologies for the quality, it shows a famous painting of James Nicolson's exploit, plus the uniform jacket he was wearing on the day. I think the fire damage provides a telling illustration of his bravery.
One of my talks was to a unit I used to command, the University of Wales Air Squadron. I found them in good spirits as I related the stories of some of the pilots of the Battle of Britain, young men who were a similar age to the men and women in the audience. One man I feature is Flight Lieutenant James Nicolson, the recipient of the only Victoria Cross awarded during the Battle.
On 16th August 1940, his squadron was attacked and he was injured in the eye, leg and foot - his trouser leg was blown off - and his Hurricane caught fire. He unstrapped and was preparing to jump when a Messerschmitt Bf110 flashed past. Despite the flames, he got back in and fired at the Messerschmitt until he could bear the heat no longer, at which point he baled out. On the way down he was shot in the backside by an over-zealous member of the Home Guard - luckily with a shotgun rather than a rifle. On hearing while recovering in hospital that he was to be awarded the VC, he telegraphed his wife to say, Just got VC. Not sure why. Sadly, this doubt about his worthiness plagued him until he died in an air accident in India in 1945.
I took the photo opposite during a recent visit to Tangmere Aviation Museum. With apologies for the quality, it shows a famous painting of James Nicolson's exploit, plus the uniform jacket he was wearing on the day. I think the fire damage provides a telling illustration of his bravery.
12 September 2019 - I've just returned from Chichester where I have to admit the turnout for an evening to meet Kurt Turchan, the curator of the website allspitfirepilots, was a little disappointing. Nonetheless some moving stories were exchanged and those that did attend went away with a couple of Spitfire beer glasses each - which have been in my garage since the postponement of Kurt's last trip two years ago! It also provided an opportunity for me to meet a fellow writer of military fiction and an old colleague from my RAF days at Tangmere Aviation Musuem - always worth a visit.
The highlight of the month was a week of walking in several Norwegian national parks to the north of Bergen. The scenery was stunning and I hope the photos below convey at least some of the majesty of the sights we saw. What they can't convey is the thunderous noise of the rivers and waterfalls, or the full effects of climate change, especially on the glaciers.
On the writing front, I'm enjoying re-living some of the high spots of my time on the Hercules Operational Conversion Unit for volume 3 of Shropshire Blue.
The highlight of the month was a week of walking in several Norwegian national parks to the north of Bergen. The scenery was stunning and I hope the photos below convey at least some of the majesty of the sights we saw. What they can't convey is the thunderous noise of the rivers and waterfalls, or the full effects of climate change, especially on the glaciers.
On the writing front, I'm enjoying re-living some of the high spots of my time on the Hercules Operational Conversion Unit for volume 3 of Shropshire Blue.
13 August 2019 - Firstly, I had some very heartwarming feedback about A Local Hero, the story about my boyhood hero, Battle of Britian pilot, Laurie Whitbread, aired last month on Celtica on-line radio station. I'm proud to say that producer, Bill Everatt, has added it to the Celtica Archive page, where it can be found alongside my website banner picture.
Otherwise, in and around grandparenting duties, it has been a month of real contrast, with a stunning walk up Skirrid Fawr near Abergavenny and another up the Taff Trail from Radyr and around the woods surrounding Castell Coch. And after conventional trips to the theatre and cinema, our music experiences seemed to go from the sublime to the ridiculous. We started with two trips to the Welsh Proms, the first, One Small Step, with a moon-landing theme, the second, The Last Night, always a stirring occasion; and we finished with a trip to the Bloodstock metal music festival with our son, where the standout bands were Powerwolf and Sabaton, both great showmen as well as great musicians. And on Saturday, we're off to watch the Wales v England rugby match at Cardiff's Principality Stadium. After the defeat of Wales at Twickenham last week, this return match should be a real humdinger.
On the way back from Bloodstock, we visited the National Memorial Arboretum, always a moving place. It now has more than 300 memorials to military and civilian organisations scattered among its grounds.
Otherwise, in and around grandparenting duties, it has been a month of real contrast, with a stunning walk up Skirrid Fawr near Abergavenny and another up the Taff Trail from Radyr and around the woods surrounding Castell Coch. And after conventional trips to the theatre and cinema, our music experiences seemed to go from the sublime to the ridiculous. We started with two trips to the Welsh Proms, the first, One Small Step, with a moon-landing theme, the second, The Last Night, always a stirring occasion; and we finished with a trip to the Bloodstock metal music festival with our son, where the standout bands were Powerwolf and Sabaton, both great showmen as well as great musicians. And on Saturday, we're off to watch the Wales v England rugby match at Cardiff's Principality Stadium. After the defeat of Wales at Twickenham last week, this return match should be a real humdinger.
On the way back from Bloodstock, we visited the National Memorial Arboretum, always a moving place. It now has more than 300 memorials to military and civilian organisations scattered among its grounds.
5 July 2019 - I'm delighted to say that my 12-minute narration of A Local Hero, the story about my home-town Battle of Britain hero, Laurie Whitbread - shot down and killed at the height of the Battle - is streaming 24/7 until 7th August. It can be accessed by clicking on the thumbnail of Dave Carrington and his show, Squaring The Circle, on celticaradio.com. And I'm equally delighted that it’s accompanied by an evocative soundtrack from music royalty, the Violaris family.
Tony Violaris is a world-renowned producer, arranger, composer, writer and musician. Over the years, he’s produced and contributed to an amazing range of musical projects, while also writing, producing and playing for artists as varied as Demis Roussos, LaToya Jackson and Plácido Damingo. His son, Adam, is a musical prodigy, a prolific and award-winning composer who also writes film and TV music; and daughter, Elena, is a recording artist with a brilliant best-selling album, Rainstriker (co-written and produced by Adam and Tony), while her credits include writing and singing songs on several major television series’ as well as performing alongside stars such as Andrea Bocelli, Katherine Jenkins and Lesley Garret.
Adam provided the musical underscore for one of my earlier stories on Celtica Radio and he and Tony developed a wider interest in my writing. They especially liked A Local Hero, and became co-conspirators in my efforts to have Laurie’s story reach a wider audience, So when Celtica offered to air the story, Tony said the family would provide the soundtrack. Not only is this a tremendous privilege for me, but the music and the skill of Celtica producer, Bill Everatt, have, I think, added a whole new dimension to the story, giving it a real emotional punch.
Tony Violaris is a world-renowned producer, arranger, composer, writer and musician. Over the years, he’s produced and contributed to an amazing range of musical projects, while also writing, producing and playing for artists as varied as Demis Roussos, LaToya Jackson and Plácido Damingo. His son, Adam, is a musical prodigy, a prolific and award-winning composer who also writes film and TV music; and daughter, Elena, is a recording artist with a brilliant best-selling album, Rainstriker (co-written and produced by Adam and Tony), while her credits include writing and singing songs on several major television series’ as well as performing alongside stars such as Andrea Bocelli, Katherine Jenkins and Lesley Garret.
Adam provided the musical underscore for one of my earlier stories on Celtica Radio and he and Tony developed a wider interest in my writing. They especially liked A Local Hero, and became co-conspirators in my efforts to have Laurie’s story reach a wider audience, So when Celtica offered to air the story, Tony said the family would provide the soundtrack. Not only is this a tremendous privilege for me, but the music and the skill of Celtica producer, Bill Everatt, have, I think, added a whole new dimension to the story, giving it a real emotional punch.
Buzz Aldrin on the moon
29 June 2019 - A few months ago, I was very disappointed by the film, Moon Landing, but I can thoroughly recommend the documentary, Apollo 11, which we watched at the cinema this afternoon. It is a straightforward timeline of archive footage (without narration) from the hours before launch until the ticker-tape parades on the return of the astronauts to Earth. All the visuals are stunning, and even though you know the outcome, the tension as the various countdowns unfold is almost unbearable, none more so than that for the firing of the lunar module engine to launch them from the lunar surface. A great film.
I was always a fan of aviation and space exploration, so I was a very excited 14-year old when Apollo 11 went to the moon. Fourteen years later, I was fortunate to spend three weeks flying a C-130 in and out of Cape Canaveral, and to see the sixth space shuttle launch. A later visit to the Kennedy Space Centre with my family was also a life highlight. Apollo 11 brought all those memories flooding back.
I was always a fan of aviation and space exploration, so I was a very excited 14-year old when Apollo 11 went to the moon. Fourteen years later, I was fortunate to spend three weeks flying a C-130 in and out of Cape Canaveral, and to see the sixth space shuttle launch. A later visit to the Kennedy Space Centre with my family was also a life highlight. Apollo 11 brought all those memories flooding back.
23 June 2019 - The main reason for this post is to share a few photos below, taken yesterday during a walk along the South Wales coast from Llantwit Major to Barry Island. After a long period of poor weather, it was a beautiful day - raining again today though - full of beautiful views along and across the Bristol Channel, as well as wildlife and wild flowers. A great day.
Otherwise, appearing on Radio Cardiff on Tuesday and doing my 202nd talk on Wednesday.
Otherwise, appearing on Radio Cardiff on Tuesday and doing my 202nd talk on Wednesday.
Another Hercules formating on ours over
the South Atlantic in 1983
4 June 2019 - Tomorrow I'm going to complete my 200th public speaking engagement, and appropriately enough I'll be presenting for the tenth time in ten years to the very same organisation that booked my first talk: Barry Probus 1. I'm very grateful for their loyalty, but if they book me again next year, they'll either have to start at the beginning or sit and listen to me talking about my holiday snaps! Or, of course, I may come up with another talk.
On the writing front, I'm enjoying digging up the memories of my time on the C-130 Hercules for the third volume of Shropshire Blue.
Finally, the pictures below are of our latest European walking holiday, this time in the beautiful Garfagnano region of Tuscany, in northern Italy. The only dampener (pun intended) was the weather, with heavy rain on the day we walked through the village of Campocatino where David Bowie was among the cast of a western filmed there - Il Mio West.
On the writing front, I'm enjoying digging up the memories of my time on the C-130 Hercules for the third volume of Shropshire Blue.
Finally, the pictures below are of our latest European walking holiday, this time in the beautiful Garfagnano region of Tuscany, in northern Italy. The only dampener (pun intended) was the weather, with heavy rain on the day we walked through the village of Campocatino where David Bowie was among the cast of a western filmed there - Il Mio West.
Laurie Whitbread's Grave
24 April 2019 - A couple of developments to mention this week. Firstly the latest edition of Ludlow Heritage magazine has included at Pages 5 and 6 my piece on Laurie Whitbread, the Battle of Britain pilot who was an inspiration for my RAF career, and to whom I dedicated Wings Over Summer. And hopefully, the same piece will be aired on Celtica radio in the next month or so. I'm really excited about the way it's been produced, about which I'll say more nearer the date it's to be aired.
13 April 2019 - Another relatively quiet month, although the first night of my three-day giveaway of Wings Over Summer on Amazon caused a sharp intake of breath. When I logged on the first morning, it was to discover that I'd given away 1500 copies, the vast majority in the US. I considered pulling the deal, but as it turned out, the rate slowed down. After three days, I'd given away 1785 copies, 1680 in the US. I suppose it sounds like madness, but I did it because the sales had slowed to a trickle, and it has led to a renewal of interest. Wings Over Malta is currently the subject of a reduction in price, which will last for the rest of this weekend.
The photos are from a lovely walk Geraldine and I did along the Wye Valley last weekend.
The photos are from a lovely walk Geraldine and I did along the Wye Valley last weekend.
3 March 2019 - A relatively quiet month, with my titles selling reasonably well, and both volumes of Shropshire Blue spending long periods in the top ten in the Amazon categories of Cold War and Air Force Biographies, and Aviation. Sometime in the next week, I intend to run a promotion in which Wings Over Summer will be free for several days. My appearance on Radio Cardiff also seemed to go well, with Ceri Stennet inviting me back to talk about Egypt in a month or so.
Geraldine and I enjoyed the tremendous atmosphere in Cardiff's Principality Stadium when Wales took on England at rugby. But she enjoyed the result more, as Wales once again knocked the wheels off England's chariot. We've also enjoyed a few Cardiff Blues home games, a play, Rebus, the Banff Mountain Film Festival, and a couple of films.
But perhaps the highlight of the month was a walk in the Brecon Beacons during the heatwave in the last week of February. I really do worry about the climate, but it was very pleasant in the hills, as the photographs below testify.
Geraldine and I enjoyed the tremendous atmosphere in Cardiff's Principality Stadium when Wales took on England at rugby. But she enjoyed the result more, as Wales once again knocked the wheels off England's chariot. We've also enjoyed a few Cardiff Blues home games, a play, Rebus, the Banff Mountain Film Festival, and a couple of films.
But perhaps the highlight of the month was a walk in the Brecon Beacons during the heatwave in the last week of February. I really do worry about the climate, but it was very pleasant in the hills, as the photographs below testify.
A TSR2 at the RAF Museum, Cosford
4 February 2019 - The new year has been kind so far. I did a couple of book signings in Shropshire, and they went well enough for me to be invited back to both venues in the summer. My first couple of talks of the year were also well received.
On the book front, On The Buffet has continued to do well in a modest way, spending long periods as the Number One Bestseller in Cold War Biographies, as Amazon so flatteringly puts it. It continues to generate a modest resurgence in my other titles, for which I'm grateful.
Finally, the photograph was taken on a recent visit to the RAF Museum at Cosford. It is of the TSR2, the ground-breaking aircraft that never was, cancelled before it came into RAF service.
On the book front, On The Buffet has continued to do well in a modest way, spending long periods as the Number One Bestseller in Cold War Biographies, as Amazon so flatteringly puts it. It continues to generate a modest resurgence in my other titles, for which I'm grateful.
Finally, the photograph was taken on a recent visit to the RAF Museum at Cosford. It is of the TSR2, the ground-breaking aircraft that never was, cancelled before it came into RAF service.
Four Generations
3 January 2019 - Firstly, a very happy new year to all. I hope 2019 produces all you want of it.
After the sadness of last month's funeral of my flying training mate, Bawb, the year ended on brighter notes, with sales of On The Buffet doing well, without worrying the likes of JK Rowling. It has spent most of the time in the top ten in the Amazon ebook categories of Aviation, Cold War and Air Force biographies (today it is 3, 1 and 4 respectively), and is currently in the top 10,000 ebooks on Amazon - which is more impressive than it sounds.
On the music front, my email buddy, Marco Iannello, has a new album for download, Piano Explorations. I love it. I also can't get enough of Rainstriker, by Eleni Violaris. And on Celtica, Bill Everatt's show, 60's Extra is an entertaining romp through the characters and music that led to the rock and prog giants of the era.
The photograph was taken on Boxing Day and is of four generations - Geraldine, her father (97 in less than two weeks), me, our daughter, Sarah, and her daughter, Lara (two and a half).
After the sadness of last month's funeral of my flying training mate, Bawb, the year ended on brighter notes, with sales of On The Buffet doing well, without worrying the likes of JK Rowling. It has spent most of the time in the top ten in the Amazon ebook categories of Aviation, Cold War and Air Force biographies (today it is 3, 1 and 4 respectively), and is currently in the top 10,000 ebooks on Amazon - which is more impressive than it sounds.
On the music front, my email buddy, Marco Iannello, has a new album for download, Piano Explorations. I love it. I also can't get enough of Rainstriker, by Eleni Violaris. And on Celtica, Bill Everatt's show, 60's Extra is an entertaining romp through the characters and music that led to the rock and prog giants of the era.
The photograph was taken on Boxing Day and is of four generations - Geraldine, her father (97 in less than two weeks), me, our daughter, Sarah, and her daughter, Lara (two and a half).
18 December 2018 - Sadly I have a funeral to go to on Friday. A member of my first RAF flying training course, Robert Alston - known to us a Bawb - has died in his late 50s after a couple of years undergoing treatment for a brain tumour(s). As far as I can recall, he was the youngest of our course, joining the RAF straight from school at the age of 18. I particularly remember his puppyish enthusiasm, and although the puppyish aspect diminished with age and experience, the enthusiasm never did. He was one of many to be chopped from pilot training, but went on to pass a course with an even worse chop rate and become an air traffic controller. On leaving the RAF, he became a chartered surveyor in Suffolk.
I lost four friends from subsequent flying training courses to flying accidents, but until now, 43 Course had been luckier, with all of us surviving our flying careers, although Bawb is the second of us to go. I remember him as an all-round good guy, with no venom or side to his character at all. He really would do anything for anybody, and before the illness took its toll, he provided me with invaluable help in the research stage of my latest volume of memoir, On The Buffet.
43 Course will mark the 40th anniversary of the start of our course in York in September next year, and Bawb's absence will leave a gaping hole. He leaves behind a wife and two sons. Rest in peace.
I lost four friends from subsequent flying training courses to flying accidents, but until now, 43 Course had been luckier, with all of us surviving our flying careers, although Bawb is the second of us to go. I remember him as an all-round good guy, with no venom or side to his character at all. He really would do anything for anybody, and before the illness took its toll, he provided me with invaluable help in the research stage of my latest volume of memoir, On The Buffet.
43 Course will mark the 40th anniversary of the start of our course in York in September next year, and Bawb's absence will leave a gaping hole. He leaves behind a wife and two sons. Rest in peace.
17 November 2018 - I was so pleased with the cover Martin Butler designed for Shropshire Blue, Vol 2, that I asked him to do the same for Vol 1, and I'm in the process of uploading the result to the e-book and paperback editions of that title. I hope you agree that it's a change for the better.
Geraldine and I went to see Bohemian Rhapsody at the cinema and both of us found it quite emotional, especially the Live Aid sequences. If you read my short story, Band Aid, you'll get an inkling of why the period has an effect on me. But there's another reason. Like most of the country, we watched the Live Aid concert held several months after my own brief trip to Ethiopia. When The Cars performed their song, Drive, the television showed images of the famine, including starving toddlers sitting in the dirt. Lying in front of the television was our two-month old son, the epitome of well-fed good health. The contrast reduced Geraldine and I to tears. Hence our emotion at the film.
My appearance on Radio Cardiff went well and I've been invited back in January. And a few days ago, I did my final talk of the year - the Battle For Malta to the National Service Association at RAF Cosford. Afterwards, we had a thoroughly enjoyable visit to the RAF Museum there, including a look round the Cold War exhibition, and their conservation centre, which was holding an open day.
Geraldine and I went to see Bohemian Rhapsody at the cinema and both of us found it quite emotional, especially the Live Aid sequences. If you read my short story, Band Aid, you'll get an inkling of why the period has an effect on me. But there's another reason. Like most of the country, we watched the Live Aid concert held several months after my own brief trip to Ethiopia. When The Cars performed their song, Drive, the television showed images of the famine, including starving toddlers sitting in the dirt. Lying in front of the television was our two-month old son, the epitome of well-fed good health. The contrast reduced Geraldine and I to tears. Hence our emotion at the film.
My appearance on Radio Cardiff went well and I've been invited back in January. And a few days ago, I did my final talk of the year - the Battle For Malta to the National Service Association at RAF Cosford. Afterwards, we had a thoroughly enjoyable visit to the RAF Museum there, including a look round the Cold War exhibition, and their conservation centre, which was holding an open day.
4 November 2018 - After reviewing a proof of and making a few minor alterations, the paperback of On The Buffet is finally available through Amazon alongside the e-book.
Otherwise it has been a busy and enjoyable month, with a marvellous walking holiday on the Amalfi Coast of western Italy - some photos below, a couple of talks, two trips to Wembley to see the American Football and one to Cardiff's Pricipality (Millennium) Stadium for the Wales v Scotland autumn international rugby match, won by Wales. And this afternoon we're going to another rugby match, Cardiff Blues v Italian side, Zebre, which will be the last match of Welsh rugby legend, Gethin Jenkins, retiring after 195 games for the Blues, 129 for Wales and numerous tests on three British and Irish Lions tours. At 37, surely his body deserves a rest!
At 9am on Tuesday, I'm appearing again on Ceri Stennet's Radio Cardiff show, Come On In, mainly to talk about the centenary of the Royal Air Force, but I'm sure I'll also get an opportunity to talk about On The Buffet.
Otherwise it has been a busy and enjoyable month, with a marvellous walking holiday on the Amalfi Coast of western Italy - some photos below, a couple of talks, two trips to Wembley to see the American Football and one to Cardiff's Pricipality (Millennium) Stadium for the Wales v Scotland autumn international rugby match, won by Wales. And this afternoon we're going to another rugby match, Cardiff Blues v Italian side, Zebre, which will be the last match of Welsh rugby legend, Gethin Jenkins, retiring after 195 games for the Blues, 129 for Wales and numerous tests on three British and Irish Lions tours. At 37, surely his body deserves a rest!
At 9am on Tuesday, I'm appearing again on Ceri Stennet's Radio Cardiff show, Come On In, mainly to talk about the centenary of the Royal Air Force, but I'm sure I'll also get an opportunity to talk about On The Buffet.
2 October 2018 - With apologies to those who have been waiting patiently for me to get round to it, I'm delighted to say that I have just published the ebook of On The Buffet, the second volume of my memoir, Shropshire Blue, A Shropshire Lad in the RAF on Amazon. The paperback will be delayed a little because I have to review a proof copy which may take some time to arrive.
On The Buffet follows on from my commissioning at the end of Preparation For Flight to cover my progress through RAF pilot training, from the run up to first solo, to the thrills of spinning and aerobatics, the advanced skills of navigation and formation flying, and my personal demon, instrument flying. For me, it was a bloody difficult journey, but in the end I gained my wings and could look forward to life on the front line as a C-130 Hercules pilot. This period, which included the Falklands War, will be the subject of the third volume of Shropshire Blue.
I am very grateful to Martin Butler for the cover design, and an extract on spinning can be read through this link.
On The Buffet follows on from my commissioning at the end of Preparation For Flight to cover my progress through RAF pilot training, from the run up to first solo, to the thrills of spinning and aerobatics, the advanced skills of navigation and formation flying, and my personal demon, instrument flying. For me, it was a bloody difficult journey, but in the end I gained my wings and could look forward to life on the front line as a C-130 Hercules pilot. This period, which included the Falklands War, will be the subject of the third volume of Shropshire Blue.
I am very grateful to Martin Butler for the cover design, and an extract on spinning can be read through this link.
Formula X yacht airborne on its foils
11 September 2018 - Another month of contrasts, starting with an afternoon watching the annual Extreme Sailing event in Cardiff Bay. Unlike the last few years, there was a stiff breeze, which made the sailing in the natural amphitheatre of the Bay that much more exciting. And if the yacht in the photo looks as if it's airborne, it is, gliding above the water on two thin foils that howl in the wind. Quite a spectacle.
I always suffer a few butterflies before a talk, especially when waiting to see whether my laptop and projector will communicate with one another. But I've rarely been more nervous than when delivering the tribute at an uncle's funeral in Shropshire at the end of August. I knew Uncle Tom was popular, but just how popular became evident when we entered the large village church at Diddlebury. All bar the seats reserved for family were taken and people were standing everywhere, including behind the altar rail. And needless to say, having left Shropshire 45 years ago, all bar a few were strangers to me. I was shaking with nerves as the time to say my piece approached, but I managed to do it and hope I did my uncle justice.
I was much less nervous appearing on Ceri Stennet's Radio Cardiff show, Come On In, this morning. After a first appearance in May, he'd invited me back to speak about the Battle of Britain. I hope I did that subject justice as well.
I always suffer a few butterflies before a talk, especially when waiting to see whether my laptop and projector will communicate with one another. But I've rarely been more nervous than when delivering the tribute at an uncle's funeral in Shropshire at the end of August. I knew Uncle Tom was popular, but just how popular became evident when we entered the large village church at Diddlebury. All bar the seats reserved for family were taken and people were standing everywhere, including behind the altar rail. And needless to say, having left Shropshire 45 years ago, all bar a few were strangers to me. I was shaking with nerves as the time to say my piece approached, but I managed to do it and hope I did my uncle justice.
I was much less nervous appearing on Ceri Stennet's Radio Cardiff show, Come On In, this morning. After a first appearance in May, he'd invited me back to speak about the Battle of Britain. I hope I did that subject justice as well.
15 August 2018 - One of the highlights of the last month was a visit to the National Memorial Arboretum at Alrewas, Staffordshire. In acres of grounds it contains an array of impressive memorials to military and civilian organisations. I specifically wanted to see the Halton Grove, the memorial to the RAF Apprentice scheme, because about ten years ago I paid for an engraved paving stone for my own 123rd Entry. Below are photographs of a small selection of the memorials.
A book signing at the Shropshire Hills Discovery Centre in Craven Arms went well and they're now stocking Shropshire Blue. Elsewhere though, after a month of reasonably good sales in July, things have slowed down markedly. Perhaps the release of Shropshire Blue Vol 2, On The Buffet, will generate more interest. On that note, I hope to have it out as an ebook in the next month or so, and Martin Butler has once again designed a great cover, which I'll share on a future post.
Another highlight was spending the day with our son at the Bloodstock Metal Festival. And the highlight of the day was a fantastic set by our current favourite band, Nightwish. Check them out. They may change some of your perceptions about metal music. Other musical highlights of the past month included two visits to the Welsh Proms and the film, Mama Mia 2, which I challenge anyone to sit through without smiling, or even, in places, crying.
A book signing at the Shropshire Hills Discovery Centre in Craven Arms went well and they're now stocking Shropshire Blue. Elsewhere though, after a month of reasonably good sales in July, things have slowed down markedly. Perhaps the release of Shropshire Blue Vol 2, On The Buffet, will generate more interest. On that note, I hope to have it out as an ebook in the next month or so, and Martin Butler has once again designed a great cover, which I'll share on a future post.
Another highlight was spending the day with our son at the Bloodstock Metal Festival. And the highlight of the day was a fantastic set by our current favourite band, Nightwish. Check them out. They may change some of your perceptions about metal music. Other musical highlights of the past month included two visits to the Welsh Proms and the film, Mama Mia 2, which I challenge anyone to sit through without smiling, or even, in places, crying.
Geoffrey Wellum, age 19
21 July 2018 - I was very sad to hear of the death on Wednesday of Geoffrey Wellum, the youngest pilot to fight in the Battle of Britain. It seems especially sad as it comes hot on the heels of the death of another inspirational veteran, Tom Neil. Geoffrey's memoir of his experiences in the Second World War, First Light, was one of the inspirations for both Wings Over Summer and Wings Over Malta. But even more inspirational was hearing him speak at a dinner at RAF College Cranwell in 2002. His words captivated a room full of experienced RAF aircrew. One part of his speech has always stayed with me.
During the Battle of Britain, they sometimes saw two sunrises, the first up at 25,000 feet as they engaged overwhelming numbers of enemy aircraft, the second when they landed 15 minutes later. During those 15 minutes, he may have seen and/or heard one, two or three of his friends die. And he knew he was going to have to fly against similar odds several more times that day, and get up and do the same again the next day, and the next. I could tell that everyone in the room was wondering how they would have coped. I certainly was.
On a lighter note, on Tuesday I thoroughly enjoyed the film Spitfire, shown in cinemas as part of the RAF Centenary celebrations. It included fantastic aerial shots of current Spitfires as well as interviews with Geoffrey Wellum and Tom Neil.
During the Battle of Britain, they sometimes saw two sunrises, the first up at 25,000 feet as they engaged overwhelming numbers of enemy aircraft, the second when they landed 15 minutes later. During those 15 minutes, he may have seen and/or heard one, two or three of his friends die. And he knew he was going to have to fly against similar odds several more times that day, and get up and do the same again the next day, and the next. I could tell that everyone in the room was wondering how they would have coped. I certainly was.
On a lighter note, on Tuesday I thoroughly enjoyed the film Spitfire, shown in cinemas as part of the RAF Centenary celebrations. It included fantastic aerial shots of current Spitfires as well as interviews with Geoffrey Wellum and Tom Neil.
8 July 2018 - Geraldine and I had a great week walking in the Austrian Tyrol. The weather was kind and the scenery spectacular, as I hope you can tell from the pictures below. As usual, although we walked every day, burning plenty of calories on the way, the excellent food in the hotel and the stops at mountain huts for coffee and cake meant we put on weight rather than lose it. Never mind. It was a holiday after all.
The next weekend was spent in Swansea for the city's Air Show. As usual, the highlights for me were the Red Arrows and the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, the latter unfortunately confined to a couple of flypasts because of encroaching storms. The Lancaster especially is so valuable and delicate that they try not to fly it in rain! I'm looking forward to seeing them again this Tuesday in the flypast over Central London to commemorate 100 years of the RAF.
The next weekend was spent in Swansea for the city's Air Show. As usual, the highlights for me were the Red Arrows and the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, the latter unfortunately confined to a couple of flypasts because of encroaching storms. The Lancaster especially is so valuable and delicate that they try not to fly it in rain! I'm looking forward to seeing them again this Tuesday in the flypast over Central London to commemorate 100 years of the RAF.
11 June 2018 - I keep mentioning grandparenting duties. Well, we've just passed the milestone of our granddaughter's second birthday and I couldn't resist sharing a couple of images of her, one with the Duplo bricks her mother used to play with a couple of decades ago, and one of her riding her first bike. She has been a pleasure to look after and I hope we can continue in the same vein. Elsewhere, I have continued to make progress with On The Buffet, while completing a couple of talks and enjoying trips to the cinema to see Deadpool 2 and Solo. Yesterday, we returned to see the Volvo Round the World Race yachts sailing past the point on which we live. They were a magnificent sight.
With Ceri Stennett of Radio Cardiff
22 May 2018 - Another two weeks of contrast, with a couple of talks, a visit to Manchester to see our son, a trip to the cinema to enjoy The Avengers - Infinity War, a stiff walk in the Brecons and an appearance on Radio Cardiff.
Radio Cardiff is a volunteer-run radio station airing to about 27,000 listeners in and around Cardiff. I appeared on Come On In, a weekly 2-hour music and chat show starting at 9am on Tuesdays and hosted by Ceri Stennett. (The link is to the show on which I appeared, and I am the first guest.) While the records were playing, I was interested to hear about Ceri, a fellow writer (about football) and someone with a long pedigree in the theatre business. His father, Stan Stennett, was a well known variety and television performer, appearing in and running theatres all over the UK as well as featuring in the Black and White Minstrel Show, Coronation Street and Crossroads on the tele. He was also a keen private pilot and used to fly between gigs, often with his family - including the dog and the goldfish - in the aircraft. It seems I may be invited back to talk about my talks, and maybe even the Battle of Britain in September.
Radio Cardiff is a volunteer-run radio station airing to about 27,000 listeners in and around Cardiff. I appeared on Come On In, a weekly 2-hour music and chat show starting at 9am on Tuesdays and hosted by Ceri Stennett. (The link is to the show on which I appeared, and I am the first guest.) While the records were playing, I was interested to hear about Ceri, a fellow writer (about football) and someone with a long pedigree in the theatre business. His father, Stan Stennett, was a well known variety and television performer, appearing in and running theatres all over the UK as well as featuring in the Black and White Minstrel Show, Coronation Street and Crossroads on the tele. He was also a keen private pilot and used to fly between gigs, often with his family - including the dog and the goldfish - in the aircraft. It seems I may be invited back to talk about my talks, and maybe even the Battle of Britain in September.
7 May 2018 - Over the last few weeks, I've been making good progress with Shropshire Blue Vol 2 - On The Buffet - as well as enjoying some cracking rugby matches, including Cardiff Blues beating Pau to reach the final of the European Challenge Cup - which we hope to watch on a big screen at the Arms Park this Friday evening.
The real reason for this post, though, is to show another few days of contrast, from walking among the waterfalls of Glyn Neath on Friday, to walking round Ludlow castle on our monthly visit to the town on Sunday, to a packed Barry Island on the warmest early May Bank Holiday Monday on record. Variety is the spice of life and we seem to be getting plenty of it at the moment.
The real reason for this post, though, is to show another few days of contrast, from walking among the waterfalls of Glyn Neath on Friday, to walking round Ludlow castle on our monthly visit to the town on Sunday, to a packed Barry Island on the warmest early May Bank Holiday Monday on record. Variety is the spice of life and we seem to be getting plenty of it at the moment.
23 April 2018 - What more could an author ask of a book launch than to sell every copy of their latest book? But that’s exactly what happened to Jan Marsh at our meet the author event last Thursday, when her new historical novel, Love in the Limelight – A Drury Lane Romance, sold out.
In a packed Dotty Pots in Penarth, Jan was supported by me and the four other Tiny Writers. From left to right in the accompanying picture, we are: Robert Darke, author of The Accidental Courier, a fast-paced thriller set in his home town of Cardiff; Pam Cockerill, whose memoir, Seven Year Hitch, is a humorous account of family life in Barry and Cardiff in the 50s and 60s; Jan Marsh, for whom Love in the Limelight is a departure from her Foxwood trilogy; K J Rabane, author of the hugely successful Who is Sarah Lawson? and other Richie Stevens novels; Iona Jenkins, author of award-winning poetry collection, Heartsong, and the Lumenor series, popular with young teens and adults; and me, the Barry-Island author of Second World War aviation novels, Wings Over Summer and Wings Over Malta.
We each spoke for a few minutes about our writing and latest projects, before Jan read a short passage from Love in the Limelight. After a lively question and answer session, the evening finished with the chance to buy our books, which many did. All our titles are for sale as ebooks or paperbacks on Amazon.
In a packed Dotty Pots in Penarth, Jan was supported by me and the four other Tiny Writers. From left to right in the accompanying picture, we are: Robert Darke, author of The Accidental Courier, a fast-paced thriller set in his home town of Cardiff; Pam Cockerill, whose memoir, Seven Year Hitch, is a humorous account of family life in Barry and Cardiff in the 50s and 60s; Jan Marsh, for whom Love in the Limelight is a departure from her Foxwood trilogy; K J Rabane, author of the hugely successful Who is Sarah Lawson? and other Richie Stevens novels; Iona Jenkins, author of award-winning poetry collection, Heartsong, and the Lumenor series, popular with young teens and adults; and me, the Barry-Island author of Second World War aviation novels, Wings Over Summer and Wings Over Malta.
We each spoke for a few minutes about our writing and latest projects, before Jan read a short passage from Love in the Limelight. After a lively question and answer session, the evening finished with the chance to buy our books, which many did. All our titles are for sale as ebooks or paperbacks on Amazon.
4 April 2018 - Over the couple of years since I met Italian musician, Marco Iannello, at a gig in Manchester, he's been building an impressive portfolio of music, partly as a result of a rising tide of commissions. These include a suite to accompany a Viking festival in Italy (which will eventually appear as a CD); music for short films and videos; and accompaniment for a number of bands from countries as far apart as the USA, Ireland and the Netherlands. Marco has just updated his website to include his music. I may be biased but I think it's all marvellous and I often listen to it on loop as I write. I'd heartily recommend that you dip in and have a listen too. (He also has work on YouTube.)
Lunch in celebration of the Centenary of the Royal Air Force
Many of you will be aware that Sunday 1st April was the 100th anniversary of the formation of the Royal Air Force. A few days before, the group of veterans who meet every few months for lunch in the Cardiff and County Club in central Cardiff decided to dress up for a celebratory lunch. As you can see from the accompanying photograph (for which I wish I'd straightened my tie), those that could find and fit into their Mess Kit wore that.
Many of us had served for about a third of the RAF's 100 years, and between us we spanned more than half its existence, from the 1950s until well into the current century. As usual, we sat around and told very similar war stories to the ones we'd told a few months before, but it was, as always, great fun. A toast to the Royal Air Force was given by our only guest, Captain Sir Norman Lloyd-Edwards Royal Naval Reserve, a past Lord Lieutenant of South Glamorgan.
Many of us had served for about a third of the RAF's 100 years, and between us we spanned more than half its existence, from the 1950s until well into the current century. As usual, we sat around and told very similar war stories to the ones we'd told a few months before, but it was, as always, great fun. A toast to the Royal Air Force was given by our only guest, Captain Sir Norman Lloyd-Edwards Royal Naval Reserve, a past Lord Lieutenant of South Glamorgan.
21 March 2018 - A month of contrasts. We were hit quite badly by the snow in early March, with the easterly winds blowing snow through the vents in our loft. We only discovered this with the thaw, when a couple of leaks appeared in our bedroom ceiling. Everyone on the estate has the same vent system - to stop the roofs lifting off in high winds - and all had leaked to a greater or lesser extent, a few ending up with snowdrifts in their lofts! We caught our leaks early, so no major damage done, but some were not so lucky, including those who store belongings among the eaves. Anyway, we'd hunkered down for a couple of days, watching a white tornado of snow rise above our front lawn. It was only on the Saturday that we discovered we couldn't have left Barry Island even if we'd wanted to. It was cut off, and we cancelled a planned visit to Ludlow. The next weekend we flew out of Bristol for a very enjoyable four-night city break in Lisbon, where, although they were suffering storms, it was at least ten degrees warmer. And then, a couple of days after we got back, the snow returned and we had to cancel our re-scheduled visit to Ludlow. Hopefully, we'll get there this weekend. Otherwise, a quiet month of grandparenting duties, some writing, a talk and attending a couple of Cardiff Blues victories at the Cardiff Arms Park.
Air Chief Marshal Sir Peter Squire
8 February 2018 - I was saddened to read of the death of Air Chief Marshal Sir Peter Squire (on 19 Feb at the age of 72), the first senior officer 'of my era' that I can remember passing away. I met him on several occasions, two of which were memorable, for me at least.
He was commanding officer of 1 Squadron during the Falklands war, when they flew their Harriers from HMS Hermes. During the war, his aircraft was hit on a couple of occasions and he survived a crash landing. On a later visit to the Islands, he was forced to eject into the sea after an engine failure, being picked up by a Sea King. From then on, he rose steadily through the ranks, commanding RAF Cottesmore and filling a range of staff appointments.
When I was commanding the University of London Air Squadron, he was guest of honour at my first annual dinner, by which time he was an air marshal and Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff, (Programmes and Personnel) in the MOD. During my speech, I had a brain fade, forgetting the name of one of the senior Army officers I was due to thank, someone I knew well and respected. When I sat down, embarrassed and disappointed, Sir Peter leaned across and said not to worry, it was something he'd done many times. A small gesture, but much appreciated.
The next time we met, he was Chief of the Air Staff and I was a couple of days into my four and a half-month stint commanding the RAF detachment at Italian Air Force base Gioia del Colle in southern Italy. We'd had a dinner on the evening of his arrival and I picked him up from his hotel the next morning and drove him to the airfield for a briefing before he toured the detachment. Apparently, I drove part of the way on the wrong side of the road. Whether the air marshal had noticed, I don't know, but he never said anything. His staff did though, berating me for trying to kill the head of the RAF!
Although he must have had a hard edge, I found him unfailingly polite and thoughtful - in a way that some senior officers aren't. Rest in peace.
He was commanding officer of 1 Squadron during the Falklands war, when they flew their Harriers from HMS Hermes. During the war, his aircraft was hit on a couple of occasions and he survived a crash landing. On a later visit to the Islands, he was forced to eject into the sea after an engine failure, being picked up by a Sea King. From then on, he rose steadily through the ranks, commanding RAF Cottesmore and filling a range of staff appointments.
When I was commanding the University of London Air Squadron, he was guest of honour at my first annual dinner, by which time he was an air marshal and Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff, (Programmes and Personnel) in the MOD. During my speech, I had a brain fade, forgetting the name of one of the senior Army officers I was due to thank, someone I knew well and respected. When I sat down, embarrassed and disappointed, Sir Peter leaned across and said not to worry, it was something he'd done many times. A small gesture, but much appreciated.
The next time we met, he was Chief of the Air Staff and I was a couple of days into my four and a half-month stint commanding the RAF detachment at Italian Air Force base Gioia del Colle in southern Italy. We'd had a dinner on the evening of his arrival and I picked him up from his hotel the next morning and drove him to the airfield for a briefing before he toured the detachment. Apparently, I drove part of the way on the wrong side of the road. Whether the air marshal had noticed, I don't know, but he never said anything. His staff did though, berating me for trying to kill the head of the RAF!
Although he must have had a hard edge, I found him unfailingly polite and thoughtful - in a way that some senior officers aren't. Rest in peace.
7 February 2018 - Freed of grandparenting duties last Friday, Geraldine and I had a pleasant walk up the Taff Trail from Merthyr Tydfil to Pontsticill Reservoir. From the reservoir, we had a great view of two of the highest points in the Brecons, Pen Y Fan and Cribyn, both covered in snow. I also took a picture of something I don't remember seeing before, and which I thought looked quite sinister, like the jaws of a sandworm from the sci-fi novel, Dune. A little research revealed that they say it's a bell-mouth spillway and valve tower. But they would say that, wouldn't they?
Elsewhere, after a quiet start to the year, during which I've made significant progress with Shropshire Blue, Vol 2, February has been more exciting. On Saturday, we were in the Principality Stadium to see Wales beat Scotland 34-7. The atmosphere was fantastic and I really enjoyed belting out both national anthems. And then, a few seats along, someone stood up and began playing the bagpipes. From then on, about every 15 minutes, he played a couple of tunes. It failed to inspire Scotland, but those who've read Shropshire Blue Vol 1 will guess the effect it had on me. (Every working day for the three years of my RAF apprentice training, I marched behind a pipe band, covering nearly 2,000 miles in total.)
On Sunday night, I stayed up to watch the Superbowl, another great sporting event in which the Philadelphia Eagles beat the New England Patriots. My son and I hope to see the Eagles play at Wembley this October.
On Sunday night, I stayed up to watch the Superbowl, another great sporting event in which the Philadelphia Eagles beat the New England Patriots. My son and I hope to see the Eagles play at Wembley this October.
Sky a few minutes after sunset from our bedroom window
20 December 2017 - During a beautiful walk on Barry Island a couple of days ago, we witnessed spectacular views as the sun set over the north Devon coast. And when we were back in the house a few minutes later, the sky turned a stunning shade of dark salmon. I couldn't resist sharing the picture opposite - taken from our bedroom window - and using it as a medium to wish everyone a happy Christmas and a new year that fulfills all your wishes.
We thoroughly enjoyed the final Wales rugby match of the autumn series, partly because they beat the South Africans 24-22, but also because most of the tries were scored in the corner beneath our seats. Cardiff Blues also ground out an impressive victory (14-6) against Sale in atrocious conditions this Sunday. Elsewhere, we've enjoyed a short break in Exeter, a trip to the Wales Millennium Centre to see Miss Saigon, and to the cinema to see The Last Jedi. I've had some more positive book reviews, but sales continue at a trickle and I really must get round to publishing Volume 2 of Shropshire Blue next year.
Finally, I'm proud to share that the toy knitted by Geraldine (picture a few posts down - July 2017), raised £100 at a charity auction from which the proceeds will go to children suffering problems with speech and language.
We thoroughly enjoyed the final Wales rugby match of the autumn series, partly because they beat the South Africans 24-22, but also because most of the tries were scored in the corner beneath our seats. Cardiff Blues also ground out an impressive victory (14-6) against Sale in atrocious conditions this Sunday. Elsewhere, we've enjoyed a short break in Exeter, a trip to the Wales Millennium Centre to see Miss Saigon, and to the cinema to see The Last Jedi. I've had some more positive book reviews, but sales continue at a trickle and I really must get round to publishing Volume 2 of Shropshire Blue next year.
Finally, I'm proud to share that the toy knitted by Geraldine (picture a few posts down - July 2017), raised £100 at a charity auction from which the proceeds will go to children suffering problems with speech and language.
Sophie Lancaster
30 November 2017 - The highlight of this month was attending the Sophie Lancaster Festival at Rebellion Bar in Manchester with our son last weekend. Sophie was a 20-year old who, as the photo shows, styled herself as a Goth. On 11th August 2007, she was beaten to death by a gang of youths in a park in Bacup, Lancashire. Her boyfriend was lucky to survive. Their only crime was to be different. I may have noted the story at the time, but it was brought home when I attended the Bloodstock metal festival with my son a couple of years ago. The largest tent housed the Sophie Lancaster Stage, named in her honour, and one of the bands I enjoyed - and who Geraldine I subsequently saw in Cardiff - Delain, sing a song titled, 'We Are The Others,' also dedicated to Sophie. Movingly, Sophie's mother and sister attended the Sophie Festival on the Sunday, which would have been Sophie's 31st birthday. The proceeds of the Festival went to the Sophie Lancaster Foundation, a charity dedicated to fighting intolerance, prejudice and hatred.
In other news, I completed three talks, moving slowly west from The Mumbles, Swansea, to Porthcawl and then Cardiff. My final talk of the year, The Battle of Britain, given at Barry War Museum, garnered them their largest ever audience.
We also watched a great game of rugby between Wales and Australia earlier in the month. Although Wales lost on that occasion, we hope they'll beat South Africa when we sit in the Principality Stadium again on Saturday.
In other news, I completed three talks, moving slowly west from The Mumbles, Swansea, to Porthcawl and then Cardiff. My final talk of the year, The Battle of Britain, given at Barry War Museum, garnered them their largest ever audience.
We also watched a great game of rugby between Wales and Australia earlier in the month. Although Wales lost on that occasion, we hope they'll beat South Africa when we sit in the Principality Stadium again on Saturday.
Hercules over the South Atlantic
30 October 2017 - A month with several personal highlights, the foremost the annual visit to an American Football game in London with my son. This year it was the Los Angeles Rams v the Arizona Cardinals at Twickenham. There hadn't been much daylight between the teams this season, so the result, 33-0 to the Rams, was a quite a surprise. A great weekend in London, though, including watching Blade Runner 2049 in a cinema on Leicester Square. This weekend, I attended the RAF Club, again in London, for the annual dinner of the University of London Air Squadron Ex-Members' Association. A glittering night among some very interesting people, including five who were students on the squadron when I was a flying instructor.
On the writing front, the highlight for me was a marvellous review on Amazon from one of the volunteers at Tangmere Aviation Museum. A self-confessed stickler for detail, he described Wings Over Summer as 'a masterpiece of historical fiction,' and later in the same review as, 'the finest historical fiction book of the Battle of Britain ever written'. I can stand any amount of that sort of flattery!
I also completed three talks, the most memorable to fifty-odd folk packed into a Nissen Hut on Shobdon airfield, the home of the Herefordshire Aero Club. Presenting the first of my three RAF talks, from Shropshire to the Falklands, to such a knowledgeable audience was a bit daunting, but they seemed to enjoy it - and so did I. Among the audience was someone I hadn't seen for years. We rubbed alongside one another several times during our careers, as apprentices, Hercules pilots and flying instructors. He's now an airline pilot. It was great to see him again. And then, on the way out to my car in the dark, two Hercules transited the airfield at low level. Nice of them to lay on a flypast!
On the writing front, the highlight for me was a marvellous review on Amazon from one of the volunteers at Tangmere Aviation Museum. A self-confessed stickler for detail, he described Wings Over Summer as 'a masterpiece of historical fiction,' and later in the same review as, 'the finest historical fiction book of the Battle of Britain ever written'. I can stand any amount of that sort of flattery!
I also completed three talks, the most memorable to fifty-odd folk packed into a Nissen Hut on Shobdon airfield, the home of the Herefordshire Aero Club. Presenting the first of my three RAF talks, from Shropshire to the Falklands, to such a knowledgeable audience was a bit daunting, but they seemed to enjoy it - and so did I. Among the audience was someone I hadn't seen for years. We rubbed alongside one another several times during our careers, as apprentices, Hercules pilots and flying instructors. He's now an airline pilot. It was great to see him again. And then, on the way out to my car in the dark, two Hercules transited the airfield at low level. Nice of them to lay on a flypast!
30 September 2017 - As promised, some more photographs from our Canadian Rockies walking holiday. All the scenery and wildlife was amazing and I found it very difficult to reduce the 300 images I finally retained to this nine. The final tally of mammals seen was Grizzly Bear (including a mother and three cubs), Black Bear, Moose, Elk, White-Tailed and Mule Deer, Bighorn Sheep, Coyote, Pine Marten, Black, Red and Ground Squirrel and Chipmunk.
Dave Honeyman and Ward Cameron (sometimes assisted by Dave's son William) were excellent guides whose love for the landscape and its wildlife shone through. They were also excellent companions. If we we were to go back independently, we'd certainly call on Dave's firm, Canadian Rockies Alpine, to guide us. We've also become avid listeners to Ward's Mountain Nature Podcast which, in easily digestible chunks, will tell you all you could ever wish to know about the Canadian Rockies and its Parks. Finally, if you're thinking of walking independently, a good place to start would be the trekking website of the man behind allspitfirepilots. It is trailpeak.com.
Dave Honeyman and Ward Cameron (sometimes assisted by Dave's son William) were excellent guides whose love for the landscape and its wildlife shone through. They were also excellent companions. If we we were to go back independently, we'd certainly call on Dave's firm, Canadian Rockies Alpine, to guide us. We've also become avid listeners to Ward's Mountain Nature Podcast which, in easily digestible chunks, will tell you all you could ever wish to know about the Canadian Rockies and its Parks. Finally, if you're thinking of walking independently, a good place to start would be the trekking website of the man behind allspitfirepilots. It is trailpeak.com.
26 September 2017 - A Close Encounter With The Boss - We've just returned from a walking holiday in the Canadian Rockies. Preparing to set out on the first walk, our group gathered by a wooden bridge over the Vermilion River. Suddenly, someone shouted, 'Bear!' And there, no more than 15 yards away on the other side of the shallow river was an enormous Grizzly Bear. My immediate feeling was one of excitement. Although the brochure had mentioned bears, I'd taken it with a pinch of salt, thinking the chances of actually seeing one were pretty remote. How wrong could you be?
The commanding voices of our previously mild-mannered guides left us in no doubt of the danger the Grizzly posed. It could have crossed the stream in a couple of strides. Brandishing the bear sprays that usually hung from their waists, they ushered us back to our vans. And then, on the other side of the bank, we spotted two young women. They were no more than five yards from the bear and hadn't seen it. When they did, the inevitable happened. They screamed and ran for the bridge, taking no notice of our guides' attempts to make them back away slowly.
In the end, we all survived, and, as the bear wandered up the track we'd planned to take, we made alternative plans. Our guides were visibly shaken. Bears rarely attack, and certainly not larger groups like ours. But the two young women seemed to have had a very narrow escape. And study of the photos we'd taken revealed that the bear was the dominant male in Banff National Park, known as The Boss. He varies in weight throughout the year, but when we saw him, approaching hibernation time, he was likely to have been near his peak of 325kg - 51 stone.
It was quite a start to the holiday, and I'm pleased to say there were many more wildlife encounters. I'll post some more pictures when I've sorted them all out. For the moment though, here are some images of the Bear, the close up having been taken by a retired doctor in our group, Roger Peppiatt.
The commanding voices of our previously mild-mannered guides left us in no doubt of the danger the Grizzly posed. It could have crossed the stream in a couple of strides. Brandishing the bear sprays that usually hung from their waists, they ushered us back to our vans. And then, on the other side of the bank, we spotted two young women. They were no more than five yards from the bear and hadn't seen it. When they did, the inevitable happened. They screamed and ran for the bridge, taking no notice of our guides' attempts to make them back away slowly.
In the end, we all survived, and, as the bear wandered up the track we'd planned to take, we made alternative plans. Our guides were visibly shaken. Bears rarely attack, and certainly not larger groups like ours. But the two young women seemed to have had a very narrow escape. And study of the photos we'd taken revealed that the bear was the dominant male in Banff National Park, known as The Boss. He varies in weight throughout the year, but when we saw him, approaching hibernation time, he was likely to have been near his peak of 325kg - 51 stone.
It was quite a start to the holiday, and I'm pleased to say there were many more wildlife encounters. I'll post some more pictures when I've sorted them all out. For the moment though, here are some images of the Bear, the close up having been taken by a retired doctor in our group, Roger Peppiatt.
4 September 2017 - On one of our regular visits to my home town of Ludlow, I dropped off some of my books at the local independent book shop, where they continue to sell steadily. It always makes me wonder how many books I might have sold if I'd secured an agent and publisher, and my titles appeared in a wider selection of book shops. But it was not to be, and beyond these infrequent musings, I really am very content with the self-publication route I chose to follow.
Then, having visited the graves of my parents and Laurie Whitbread, the Battle of Britain pilot to whom Wings Over Summer is dedicated, I ambled back through the town and into the local Oxfam Book Shop. There, I was surprised to find a copy of Wings Over Summer. It's the first time I've seen one of my titles in a charity shop, and I didn't know whether to be pleased or disappointed. In the end, I chose pleasure. Somehow, seeing it sitting there among the John Grisham and James Paterson titles seemed like a rite of passage, another milestone on the way to being an established author.
Then, having visited the graves of my parents and Laurie Whitbread, the Battle of Britain pilot to whom Wings Over Summer is dedicated, I ambled back through the town and into the local Oxfam Book Shop. There, I was surprised to find a copy of Wings Over Summer. It's the first time I've seen one of my titles in a charity shop, and I didn't know whether to be pleased or disappointed. In the end, I chose pleasure. Somehow, seeing it sitting there among the John Grisham and James Paterson titles seemed like a rite of passage, another milestone on the way to being an established author.
8 August 2017 - After two years when poor weather prevented their visits, the Red Arrows returned to display over Barry Island on Sunday. The photographs below were taken by fellow writer, Robert Darke, a much more talented photographer than me - because of the glare, I couldn't even find the aircraft in my viewfinder! As usual, the display was fantastic, and inevitably it rekindled memories of flying with Red 2 on a full display practice over RAF Scampton in June 2003. It was one of the highlights of my life and is the event which opens my first volume of memoir, Shropshire Blue.
After the crash of the Hunter at Shoreham, all displays have to be attended by an adviser from the Civil Aviation Authority. The one who turned up to observe the Barry Island display was a retired RAF pilot I first met on Ascension Island in 1982. Small world.
I'll try not to sound too desperate, because it is a natural process, but sales of all my titles on Amazon have slowed to a trickle. Any help in generating renewed interest would be much appreciated. I guess what I really need to do is publish another title, and to that end I'm still working on Shropshire Blue Vol 2.
After the crash of the Hunter at Shoreham, all displays have to be attended by an adviser from the Civil Aviation Authority. The one who turned up to observe the Barry Island display was a retired RAF pilot I first met on Ascension Island in 1982. Small world.
I'll try not to sound too desperate, because it is a natural process, but sales of all my titles on Amazon have slowed to a trickle. Any help in generating renewed interest would be much appreciated. I guess what I really need to do is publish another title, and to that end I'm still working on Shropshire Blue Vol 2.
22 July 2017 - Geraldine and I went to see the movie, Dunkirk, yesterday. We really enjoyed it, and I was especially pleased to see a public vindication of the RAF's role in the evacuation hit the mainstream after all these years. For good reason, in the film, the impressive scenes of Spitfires taking on the Luftwaffe take place at low level in sight of the soldiers and sailors on the beach and in the ships. In reality, most of the action was up at 25,000 feet, beyond the beaches, so those on the ground rarely saw a British aircraft. This led to the belief that the RAF had let down the Army and Navy - which was untrue. Take 92 Squadron. In his book, First Light, Geoffrey Wellum explains that on the first day over Dunkirk - the day after his arrival - 92 Squadron lost five pilots, including the CO. (Roger Bushel, who became a POW and mastermind of the Great Escape. He was one of 50 escapers shot by the Gestapo on the orders of Hitler.) Even so, the Squadron received abuse from the Army, even having to vacate a pub to avoid a confrontation. I hope Christopher Nolan's film will go some way toward setting the record straight.
On a lighter note, the attached picture is an example of Geraldine's crafting skills. She has made the jester to raise money for a childrens' health charity in a 'guess the name' competition.
On a lighter note, the attached picture is an example of Geraldine's crafting skills. She has made the jester to raise money for a childrens' health charity in a 'guess the name' competition.
19 June 2017 - A quiet period at the moment, with just the odd talk and babysitting to interrupt my writing. But I thought I'd share a few photos that demonstrate the variety in our lives. On Saturday, Geraldine and I walked up and around the Blorenge, a prominent hill above Abergavenny that gives stunning 360 degree views of south Wales. We probably saw about 100 people, 80 in and around the car park feeding the wild ponies. And then, on Sunday, we walked out of our door and round Barry Island, which was full to the brim with holidaymakers. On a similar day when we moved here 12 years ago there would have been a few hundred. Then came Gavin and Stacey, and the rest is history...
Lara, aged one.
7 June 2017 - A double celebration today. Our granddaughter, Lara, is one year old. To say she continues to light up her lives is an understatement. She is simply marvellous. And it is the fortieth anniversary of the day Geraldine and I met on the 7 June 1977. I have always found it easy to remember, because it was the day of the Queen's Silver Jubilee. I was at home on leave from RAF Scampton and saw Geraldine with a girl with whom I used to go to school. I latched on, and the rest is history. For me, it was love at first sight, but I can't help thinking Geraldine would have had a much lesser sentence for murder.
On the writing front, the muse seems to be on me at the moment, and I'm making good progress with Shropshire Blue, Volume 2. I've also had some heartening reviews and emails, including one from an old RAF colleague who now flies for Cathay Pacific, and whose son is finding Wings Over Malta invaluable as a primer for an up-coming visit to Malta.
On the writing front, the muse seems to be on me at the moment, and I'm making good progress with Shropshire Blue, Volume 2. I've also had some heartening reviews and emails, including one from an old RAF colleague who now flies for Cathay Pacific, and whose son is finding Wings Over Malta invaluable as a primer for an up-coming visit to Malta.
Ascension airfield in April 1982
25 May 2017 - Barry Probus 1 seemed to enjoy my first rendition of Return to Ascension, so much so that they booked The Battle For Malta for next year - the 9th talk I will have presented to this organization. Over the last few weeks, I've had several emails from people who've enjoyed Shropshire Blue Volume 1. They've all asked about the progress of Volume 2. All I can say is that it is progressing and I hope to finish it in the next few months.
We were in Manchester to see our son at the weekend, which meant another visit to the Rebellion Bar for an evening of metal music. On this occasion, three of the four bands were a bit heavy for us - the genre name of Grind gives an indication of why we found some of it heavy-going. But the band Prognosis saved our night, and we really enjoyed the beer and the atmosphere again. Following this visit, it was especially sad to see the city caught up in a bombing atrocity. For once I agree with President Trump, the perpetrators really are losers.
We were in Manchester to see our son at the weekend, which meant another visit to the Rebellion Bar for an evening of metal music. On this occasion, three of the four bands were a bit heavy for us - the genre name of Grind gives an indication of why we found some of it heavy-going. But the band Prognosis saved our night, and we really enjoyed the beer and the atmosphere again. Following this visit, it was especially sad to see the city caught up in a bombing atrocity. For once I agree with President Trump, the perpetrators really are losers.
View over Ascension from Sisters Peak
10 May 2017 - I now offer a 13th talk, titled Return to Ascension Island, the tiny volcanic speck in the South Atlantic that became the staging post for the Falklands War in 1982. I visited 17 times during what was a very exciting time for the Island, and me. I also vowed to return and did so - with Geraldine - in 2016, 32 years after my last visit. We had a magical ten days. The illustrated talk is about the geology, wildlife and history of the Island, operations from there during and after the Falklands War, and my visits.
I've just visited the RAF Club in London, where Steve Dean, a flying instructor on the University of London Air Squadron when I commanded it in the 90s, was dined out after 30 years in the Royal Air Force. The dinner was attended by people from every period of his life and career, including his father. It was a glittering occasion, one I felt privileged to attend. I especially enjoyed sitting on a table with several of my old students.
Steve's next job is either a fantastic opportunity or a poison chalice. He's responsible for ensuring a memorial to the British involvement in the D-Day landings is on a hillside above Sword Beach by 6th June 2019. I wish him all the luck in the world.
I've just visited the RAF Club in London, where Steve Dean, a flying instructor on the University of London Air Squadron when I commanded it in the 90s, was dined out after 30 years in the Royal Air Force. The dinner was attended by people from every period of his life and career, including his father. It was a glittering occasion, one I felt privileged to attend. I especially enjoyed sitting on a table with several of my old students.
Steve's next job is either a fantastic opportunity or a poison chalice. He's responsible for ensuring a memorial to the British involvement in the D-Day landings is on a hillside above Sword Beach by 6th June 2019. I wish him all the luck in the world.
5 April 2017 - Apart from a few instances in previous posts, I tend not to include my holiday snaps - but - we've just returned from a marvellous walking holiday in the Aitana district of south-eastern Spain (about 30 minutes inland from Benidorm). It included the helicopter recovery of one of our party, who slipped and dislocated/fractured a wrist and gashed a leg. There was no way she could continue the walk to the nearest track, so the helicopter was called. Operated by the Fire Service, it arrived within 15 minutes and she was off the mountain 16 minutes later. After X-rays, plastering, and an overnight stay, she was released from hospital to fly home with the rest of her party 24 hours later. An impressive response, I thought.
2 March 2017 - For the next month, another of my prize-winning short stories is being read on Dave Carrington's show, Squaring The Circle, on Celtica Internet Radio. The story, Courting Disaster, is different from my usual fare, and the comedic element is certainly brought out by both the reading and the background music - by Tony and Adam Violaris, a father and son, Adam most famous for his film and television music and father, Tony, for having composed for Greek singer, Demis Roussos.
Overnight, a reviewer said of Wings Over Summer that it was, 'Quite possibly the best novel of the Battle of Britain'. I've said before that I can take any amount of flattery, and comments like that certainly make all the hours of writing worthwhile.
Finally, a couple of nights ago, I had an email from an ex flying student of mine who now flies Boeing 787s. He was in Narita, Japan, and had just been woken up by an earthquake, which turned out to be magnitude 4.6, centred near Fukushima. (Dangerous place, Fukushima!) It reminded me that, although I've never experienced an earthquake, I have flown around Etna when it was erupting in the 80s and, on one of our walking holidays, Geraldine and I stood about half a mile from one of the fissures on Stromboli and witnessed several eruptions.
Overnight, a reviewer said of Wings Over Summer that it was, 'Quite possibly the best novel of the Battle of Britain'. I've said before that I can take any amount of flattery, and comments like that certainly make all the hours of writing worthwhile.
Finally, a couple of nights ago, I had an email from an ex flying student of mine who now flies Boeing 787s. He was in Narita, Japan, and had just been woken up by an earthquake, which turned out to be magnitude 4.6, centred near Fukushima. (Dangerous place, Fukushima!) It reminded me that, although I've never experienced an earthquake, I have flown around Etna when it was erupting in the 80s and, on one of our walking holidays, Geraldine and I stood about half a mile from one of the fissures on Stromboli and witnessed several eruptions.
25 February 2017 – I’ve mentioned the website allspitfirepilots several times. It was set up about 18 months ago by Canadian, Kurt Turchan, and since then it has grown in leaps and bounds, with hundreds – thousands - of Spitfire pilots and aircraft profiles added, some with amazing images and stories. Most of the contributions have been added by enthusiasts. I’ve even added a few myself, including Laurie Whitbread, the Battle of Britain pilot from my home town who inspired my RAF career and writing.
And now, Kurt has announced that he’s visiting the UK this summer. Starting at Tangmere, he aims to cycle round as many Battle of Britain locations as he can fit in, promoting the site as he goes. He hopes people will join him for some or all of his ride, or just meet up in a pub in the evenings for a chat. He also hopes to arrange an evening or two – perhaps at Biggin Hill and Duxord – concentrating on some of the more unusual stories on the site, and including the odd short talk by me and maybe others, plus the chance to drink beer and walk away with one of these distinctive glasses.
He’s always looking for people to add to the site, just a pilot name or aircraft number would be welcome, bare bones to which other contributors can add flesh, or you can add some detail to existing profiles. But now, he’d also love to hear from anyone interested in joining him for part or all of his bike ride, attending an event – or hosting one – or just appearing at some stage to say hello. He can be reached through the contact area of allspitfirepilots
And now, Kurt has announced that he’s visiting the UK this summer. Starting at Tangmere, he aims to cycle round as many Battle of Britain locations as he can fit in, promoting the site as he goes. He hopes people will join him for some or all of his ride, or just meet up in a pub in the evenings for a chat. He also hopes to arrange an evening or two – perhaps at Biggin Hill and Duxord – concentrating on some of the more unusual stories on the site, and including the odd short talk by me and maybe others, plus the chance to drink beer and walk away with one of these distinctive glasses.
He’s always looking for people to add to the site, just a pilot name or aircraft number would be welcome, bare bones to which other contributors can add flesh, or you can add some detail to existing profiles. But now, he’d also love to hear from anyone interested in joining him for part or all of his bike ride, attending an event – or hosting one – or just appearing at some stage to say hello. He can be reached through the contact area of allspitfirepilots
22 January 2017 - The first outing of my new talk, The Battle For Malta, seemed to be enjoyed by the Cardiff branch of the Royal Aeronautical Society on Wednesday evening. Although I had to gloss over a few lapses of memory, I too was pleased, especially when, in addition to my small fee, they decided to donate £100 to the Spitfire Society, a charity which aims to promote the memory of the Supermarine Spitfire in all its guises. If you have any interest in the Spitfire, I would recommend joining the Society, if only to receive their excellent newsletters and magazine.
I was heartened by an email I received this week from a reader. He had read Shropshire Blue three times and was on his third reading of Wings Over Malta. Because they tend to get overlooked, he was particularly fulsome about my focus on the groundcrew, who serviced the aircraft on Malta under the harshest of conditions. I can take any amount of flattery, so this was much appreciated.
And finally, Geraldine and I did a coast walk between Porthcawl and Port Talbot yesterday. I mention it because of the contrast we saw between natural beauty, industrial vigour - in the form of the Port Talbot steelworks - and industrial decay. Very sobering, as was the amount of plastic rubbish of all sorts along the tide line.
I was heartened by an email I received this week from a reader. He had read Shropshire Blue three times and was on his third reading of Wings Over Malta. Because they tend to get overlooked, he was particularly fulsome about my focus on the groundcrew, who serviced the aircraft on Malta under the harshest of conditions. I can take any amount of flattery, so this was much appreciated.
And finally, Geraldine and I did a coast walk between Porthcawl and Port Talbot yesterday. I mention it because of the contrast we saw between natural beauty, industrial vigour - in the form of the Port Talbot steelworks - and industrial decay. Very sobering, as was the amount of plastic rubbish of all sorts along the tide line.
1 January 2017 - Hard to believe, but here we are at the start of another year. Firstly, thanks to all those who have taken an interest in my work during 2016, and welcome to any new visitors. I hope 2017 is everything you want it to be.
Geraldine and I had a marvellous Christmas break, including family time and a magical walk in the Brecons. We we ended up among what must have been thousands of people - I'd forgotten the Tuesday after Christmas was a bank holiday - walking up Corn Ddu and Pen y Fan, the two hills in the middle photograph below. But we'd already visited the glacial lake below the hills, Llyn Cwm Llwch, where we'd spent 30 minutes in glorious isolation and eaten first lunch. On May Day each year, a secret gate used to open on the shore to reveal a passage to an island hidden in the centre of the lake. Once there, visitors found themselves in a beautiful garden and treated to a feast by the resident fairies. The only rule was that nothing could be taken back to the world of men. Of course, one visitor stole a flower and the gate has never opened since - not even for us.
Geraldine and I had a marvellous Christmas break, including family time and a magical walk in the Brecons. We we ended up among what must have been thousands of people - I'd forgotten the Tuesday after Christmas was a bank holiday - walking up Corn Ddu and Pen y Fan, the two hills in the middle photograph below. But we'd already visited the glacial lake below the hills, Llyn Cwm Llwch, where we'd spent 30 minutes in glorious isolation and eaten first lunch. On May Day each year, a secret gate used to open on the shore to reveal a passage to an island hidden in the centre of the lake. Once there, visitors found themselves in a beautiful garden and treated to a feast by the resident fairies. The only rule was that nothing could be taken back to the world of men. Of course, one visitor stole a flower and the gate has never opened since - not even for us.
8 December 2016 - This morning, I passed 20,000 book sales when Wings Over Summer clocked up its 16,669th sale. I don't suppose J K Rowling will be sweating unduly at the competition, but as a self-published and self-publicising writer, I'm over the moon to have achieved the milsestone.
Other recent events have included an article in the RAF Apprentice association magazine, the Haltonian, and a very positive review of Wings Over Malta in Spitfire, the Spitfire Society magazine. I'd recommend anyone with an interest in the aircraft to join the Spitfire Society, and to take a look at the website allspitfirepilots, which is a mine of information about those that flew it.
I have also finally finished working up my talk on the Battle For Malta, which will be presented for the first time to the Cardiff Branch of the Royal Aeronautical Society in January. My last talk of this year, From Lincoln to Tokyo, will be given to the Penarth Local History Society tonight.
Other recent events have included an article in the RAF Apprentice association magazine, the Haltonian, and a very positive review of Wings Over Malta in Spitfire, the Spitfire Society magazine. I'd recommend anyone with an interest in the aircraft to join the Spitfire Society, and to take a look at the website allspitfirepilots, which is a mine of information about those that flew it.
I have also finally finished working up my talk on the Battle For Malta, which will be presented for the first time to the Cardiff Branch of the Royal Aeronautical Society in January. My last talk of this year, From Lincoln to Tokyo, will be given to the Penarth Local History Society tonight.
23 November 2016 - It's been a relatively busy month since my last post. At the end of October, I travelled to Stratford-upon-Avon to a reunion with about 30 of my Apprentice entry on the 40th anniversary of our graduation from RAF Halton after 3 years of training to become aircraft technicians in the airframe and propulsion trades. It was a good craic. I've also given a few talks; been to a cracking gig by symphonic metal band, Delain; attended a talk on life, the universe and everything by Professor Brian Cox; and two autumn rugby internationals: Wales v Argentina, which Wales scraped 24-20 - and was a poor game - and Wales v Japan, which was excellent, although Wales were lucky to run out winners with a last gasp drop goal to make it 33-30. Until the weather broke over the last few days, we've had some beautiful walks, with the trees looking especially splendid this autumn. There have also been some lovely sunsets, like that pictured over Barry Island's new iconic icon. On the writing side, I'm continuing with the tales of my flying training for Shropshire Blue, Volume Two, and am close to finishing a talk on the Battle of Malta, which I'll present for the first time to the Cardiff branch of the Royal Aeronautical Society in January.
22 October 2016 - One of my short stories, Courting Disaster, has just been published in the November Issue (#181) of Writers' Forum magazine. It can be read by clicking on the title in the previous sentence or through my Writing - Short Story page.
I have also finally added a piece about Laurie Whitbread, the Battle of Britain pilot from my home town of Ludlow to whom Wings Over Summer is dedicated. Titled, A Local Hero, it can be read through this link or through my Writing - Short Story page. I visited his grave this weekend on a visit to Ludlow.
Elsewhere, life goes along pleasantly. I am writing the second volume of Shropshire Blue, which is about my flying training, and also a new talk on the Battle For Malta. My son and I had a good weekend in London, including the American Football at Wembley (Indianapolis Colts v Jacksonville Jaguars), and a visit to London Zoo, where we saw (but did not release) the male silverback gorilla! Geraldine and I are enjoying our visits to the rubgy at Cardiff Arms Park - partly because Cardiff Blues are doing much better this season - and we are looking forward to attending two of the autumn internationals, Wales v Argentina and Wales v Japan. And finally, and most importantly, our grand-daughter Lara - now 19 weeks old - continues to light up our lives.
I have also finally added a piece about Laurie Whitbread, the Battle of Britain pilot from my home town of Ludlow to whom Wings Over Summer is dedicated. Titled, A Local Hero, it can be read through this link or through my Writing - Short Story page. I visited his grave this weekend on a visit to Ludlow.
Elsewhere, life goes along pleasantly. I am writing the second volume of Shropshire Blue, which is about my flying training, and also a new talk on the Battle For Malta. My son and I had a good weekend in London, including the American Football at Wembley (Indianapolis Colts v Jacksonville Jaguars), and a visit to London Zoo, where we saw (but did not release) the male silverback gorilla! Geraldine and I are enjoying our visits to the rubgy at Cardiff Arms Park - partly because Cardiff Blues are doing much better this season - and we are looking forward to attending two of the autumn internationals, Wales v Argentina and Wales v Japan. And finally, and most importantly, our grand-daughter Lara - now 19 weeks old - continues to light up our lives.
15 September 2016 - Geraldine and I have just returned from five days in Berlin. It was quite a nostalgic visit for me. On my two previous visits, the Berlin Wall was an all-pervading presence. On the first, in 1981, I flew along one of the three air corridors into the City in a Jetstream, on the final test of my flying training. The second visit was three years later when, as a Hercules co-pilot, I flew in with officers from the RAF Staff College down the back. On a fascinating trip, we got to pass through Checkpoint Charlie and spend a morning in the East, and then to fly over the whole City at 1500 feet, with the ramp and door open so that the Staff College students could look down on one of the likely flashpoints of the Cold War. On both occasions, the Wall looked suitably sinister. The attached picture of Checkpoint Charlie now makes it look more benign, unless you think the enemy is cholesterol!
10 September 2016 - My three talks at the Barry At War Weekend seemed to go down well, although the weather on the Saturday was foul and few visitors ventured onto a wet and windy Barry Island. The Sunday was much better, and busier. As you can see from the attached photograph, I put my uniform on for the first time in 11 years. Considering it had been in the attic all that time, after a dry clean, it looked as good as new, and it still fits; in fact, it was a little big! I'm not sure if and when I'll wear it again, but it was fun to do the Battle of Britain talks wearing the right 'rig'.
The event was saddened by the loss of Eileen Younghusband, another local author and public speaker who had died at the age of 95. Eileen was a WAAF officer during the Second World War and had worked in the Filter Room of the Fighter Command Headquarters at Bentley Priory, and on the teams plotting the locations of V2 rocket launch sites so that they could be attacked before they were dismantled and moved. A fascinating lady.
The event was saddened by the loss of Eileen Younghusband, another local author and public speaker who had died at the age of 95. Eileen was a WAAF officer during the Second World War and had worked in the Filter Room of the Fighter Command Headquarters at Bentley Priory, and on the teams plotting the locations of V2 rocket launch sites so that they could be attacked before they were dismantled and moved. A fascinating lady.
20 August 2016 - Wings Over Malta has just passed 1,000 sales. As mentioned in several earlier posts, its sales are slower than those of Wings Over Summer, but given that I wasn't sure whether anyone would want to read any of my books, I'm delighted that nearly 20,000 have now done so, and that the reviews have been overwhelmingly positive. I'm delighted to be doing another book signing in Ludlow's Castle Book Shop between 11.00 and 12.30 on Saturday 27th August.
One of my short stories, Courting Disaster, has one third prize in the Writers' Forum monthly short story competition. First prize still eludes me, but one day... The story will appear in Issue 181 of the magazine in November, after which I'll post it on my Writing -Short Story page.
Elsewhere, I've just completed my first restaurant review for the Cardiff Food and Drink Guide for some while. We had a lovely meal in a 16th Century malthouse that is now a quirky restaurant in Llantwit Major, called Illtud's 216 - Illtud after the Welsh saint and 216 after the number of gallons of beer that filled the wagons leaving the malthouse. In preparing for the review, I was surprised to see how many of my old reviews survive in Food and Drink Guide booklets and on their website.
One of my short stories, Courting Disaster, has one third prize in the Writers' Forum monthly short story competition. First prize still eludes me, but one day... The story will appear in Issue 181 of the magazine in November, after which I'll post it on my Writing -Short Story page.
Elsewhere, I've just completed my first restaurant review for the Cardiff Food and Drink Guide for some while. We had a lovely meal in a 16th Century malthouse that is now a quirky restaurant in Llantwit Major, called Illtud's 216 - Illtud after the Welsh saint and 216 after the number of gallons of beer that filled the wagons leaving the malthouse. In preparing for the review, I was surprised to see how many of my old reviews survive in Food and Drink Guide booklets and on their website.
10 August 2016 - It hardly seems possible, but yesterday I competed my 150th and 151st public speaking engagements, giving Shropshire to the Falklands to the Parkinson's UK Cardiff branch, and Extreme Everest to the Powerhouse Friendship Group in Llanedeyrn, Cardiff. Over the next few weeks, I intend to add a couple more talks to my list: Return to Ascension Island, and The Battle for Malta; and I'm excited at the prospect of giving 30-minute talks on the Battle of Britain and Pilots of the Battle of Britain on both days of the Barry Wartime Weekend (Barry Island Station on 3rd and 4th September). I'm also looking forward to giving a talk at the MOD Corsham Battle of Britain Anniversary Ball.
1 August 2016 - We've just spent a very enjoyable weekend in Manchester with our son. One of the highlights was an unexpected afternoon and evening in the Rebellion Bar, an alternative music venue that was hosting a free festival of metal bands. The highlight of that for us was a fantastic performance by a local band, Impavidus, who play melodic death metal. Their set was performed with tremendous energy and provided a real shot in the arm. I loved it and their EP has already enlivened a couple of otherwise dull car journeys. Another very enjoyable band was A Clockwork Opera.
12 June 2016 - This was a week with several items of news to pass on, by far the most important being the birth of our first grandchild, Lara Holly, weighing in at 7lb 4oz at 2.12pm on 7th June, the 39th anniversary of the day my wife and I met - although I'm not sure that has any bearing on anything. When it comes to newborn babies, I tend not to see what all the fuss is about. But, in the case of Lara, I have to make an exception: she's perfect, and soooo beautiful...
A few days ago, I completed an interview with fellow writer, Jan Marsh, which now appears on her website as a blog. Jan is the author of books in the Foxwood series, about a group of people co-living in a large country house. Her books, Living Space, and Foxwood - Another Year, are available on Amazon.
Another member of the Tiny Writers of Penarth, Iona Jenkins, has published her first book, The Unicorn Gate, on Amazon. A magical fantasy aimed at 9-13 year olds, it is already doing very well in the Sword and Sorcery category.
Wings Over Malta has also had a plug on another website, that belonging to 249 (Gold Coast) Squadron, the squadron Jack joins when he arrives in Malta. I sent them a piece about Wings Over Malta and it appeared on their website the same evening. So many thanks to 249 Squadron Association.
A few days ago, I completed an interview with fellow writer, Jan Marsh, which now appears on her website as a blog. Jan is the author of books in the Foxwood series, about a group of people co-living in a large country house. Her books, Living Space, and Foxwood - Another Year, are available on Amazon.
Another member of the Tiny Writers of Penarth, Iona Jenkins, has published her first book, The Unicorn Gate, on Amazon. A magical fantasy aimed at 9-13 year olds, it is already doing very well in the Sword and Sorcery category.
Wings Over Malta has also had a plug on another website, that belonging to 249 (Gold Coast) Squadron, the squadron Jack joins when he arrives in Malta. I sent them a piece about Wings Over Malta and it appeared on their website the same evening. So many thanks to 249 Squadron Association.
9 May 2016 - I am delighted to announce that, after almost three years of research and writing, I have just published my second aviation novel, Wings Over Malta, on Amazon. After a few weeks trying to get publicity in the local press in south Wales and Shropshire, I will start thinking about writing the second volume of my memoir, Shropshire Blue.
And in an embarrassment of riches, this Wednesday evening at 8pm, my prize-winning story, A Scrap of Hope, will be broadcast on Dave Carrington's show, Squaring the Circle, on Celtica internet radio station. It will then be available for about a month on their archive.
And in an embarrassment of riches, this Wednesday evening at 8pm, my prize-winning story, A Scrap of Hope, will be broadcast on Dave Carrington's show, Squaring the Circle, on Celtica internet radio station. It will then be available for about a month on their archive.
28 February 2016 – Geraldine and I have just returned from nine days on Ascension Island, a tiny lump of volcanic rock in the middle of the South Atlantic 4,200 miles from the UK. The Island was the staging post for the recapture of the Falklands in April/May 1982. As a C-130 Hercules co-pilot, I flew in 17 times between April 1982 and January 1985, initially for little more than a few hours as freight bound for the Task Force or the Falklands was unloaded, but later, when I became a Hercules tanker co-pilot, for periods of two weeks, during which we flew halfway to the Falklands to give fuel to the Airbridge Hercules that flew on to the Islands. I was a keen walker and, on my days off, I loved walking Ascension’s volcanic landscape. I’d always wanted to go back, and when I found out there was an Ascension Island Travel Agency, I decided to go ahead and book. My only concern arose out of the knowledge that memory is a strange thing. Had I over-romanticized the place in the last 30 years or so? And if so, would Geraldine like it?
We flew out overnight on an RAF Voyager, the Airbus 330 tanker-cum-freighter. When the aircraft doors opened at 8.15 am, we stepped out under bright blue skies and a temperature already in the high 20s Celsius. This was the weather for the whole 9 days, a little warm for walking at times, but no other complaints. The Island seemed hotter and greener than I remembered, and the hotel driver confirmed that it had become, warmer, wetter and greener over the last 30 years.
To cut a long story short, Geraldine loved the place and we walked every day, retreating to the cooler paths on Green Mountain when those on the coast or the lower volcanic craters became too hot. We saw all the Island’s contrasting scenery and much of its wildlife, including green turtles laying their eggs and making their way back to the sea. It is a magical place.
To cut a long story short, Geraldine loved the place and we walked every day, retreating to the cooler paths on Green Mountain when those on the coast or the lower volcanic craters became too hot. We saw all the Island’s contrasting scenery and much of its wildlife, including green turtles laying their eggs and making their way back to the sea. It is a magical place.
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25 November 2015 - On Saturday, I attended a reunion dinner of the Ex-Members Association of the University of London Air Squadron, the unit on which I was a flying instructor from 1985 to 88, and went on to command from 1996 to 98. It was great to meet ex-members from the 1940s upwards, but the highlight for me was the attendance of seven students from my time as an instructor. I had a great time chewing the fat with them.
The day before, Geraldine and I completed a circular walk taking in many of the waterfalls in Glyn Neath. After several days of heavy rain, they were suitably spectacular. The highlight was walking behind the waterfall pictured, Sgwd Eira. We got soaked, but it was worth it. |
21 September 2015 - A contact in Canada has constructed a marvellous website giving details of all Spitfire pilots (allspitfirepilots.org) and their aircraft. I'd encourage anyone with an interest to have a look or, better still, add to the site, which is likely to expand to include other aircraft types, such as the Hurricane. The site is very simple to use and I've added details of Laurie Whitbread, the pilot from my home town to whom Wings Over Summer is dedicated. The developer is now interested in contacting individuals or organisations who might be interested in acting as curators to take the project forward.
14 August 2015 - I'm happy to report another second prize in the Writers' Forum short story competition. A Scrap of Hope imagines events at Peenemunde leading up to Operation Hydra, the RAF attack on the V2 terror weapon site on the night of 17/18 August 1943. The story will appear in Issue 169 of Writers' Forum, after which I will put a copy on my Writing/Short Story page.
Another example of the pleasantries that divert me from writing is my 60th birthday present from my son. We've just spent 4 days at a metal music festival - Bloodstock at Catton Park in the English Midlands. The weather couldn't have been better, and if I didn't get all the bands, some were magical. And what could be better than spending 4 days with your son, listening to music and drinking beer?
Another example of the pleasantries that divert me from writing is my 60th birthday present from my son. We've just spent 4 days at a metal music festival - Bloodstock at Catton Park in the English Midlands. The weather couldn't have been better, and if I didn't get all the bands, some were magical. And what could be better than spending 4 days with your son, listening to music and drinking beer?
Flying above Ethiopia's Great Rift Valley
11 July 2015 - During the month of July 2015, another of my short stories, Band Aid, is airing on Dave Carrington's show, Squaring The Circle, on Celtica internet radio station. Based on the true story of an eventful flight out of Ethiopia by an RAF C-130 Hercules on which I was the co-pilot, it is set in the time of the Ethiopian famine in 1984. You may or may not remember that a few days after Michael Buerk made his memorable 'biblical famine' report, two RAF Hercules were shuttling grain from Addis Ababa to rough strips in the north of the country close to feeding stations in the famine areas. The operation went on for several months. Band Aid can be read on my Writing - short story - page.
15 May 2015 - I'm still working away at Wings Over Malta, but life continues to intervene, and luckily for me, usually in the most pleasant fashion. The latest interruption was as pleasant as they come: our daughter's wedding. She and her fiancé chose the venue, The Bear Hotel in Cowbridge, many months ago and it turned out to be an inspired choice. The staff were really helpful throughout the process, from the big things, like menus, timings and room layouts, to the smaller but important things such as booking guest rooms. The couple (and Geraldine) had put so much effort into the day - making the floral displays and decorations for the wedding and reception rooms, etc - that I dreaded anything going wrong. But it all went off brilliantly, and not least because the staff of the hotel could not have been more positive, smiling and helpful.
And, as I think you can see from this picture, the couple looked radiant throughout. It was a great day.
And, as I think you can see from this picture, the couple looked radiant throughout. It was a great day.
22 March 2015 - This morning, Geraldine and I walked up Corn Ddu and Pen Y Fan with the BBC Wales weather-man, Derek Brockway, and 50 other hardy souls. As you can see from the picture of us with Derek on Corn Ddu, it was a bit cold and dreary at first. But, by the time we'd reached the top of Pen Y Fan (the summit in the background), the weather had cleared and we had beautiful views on the descent. Between us, Geraldine and I raised £416 for Velindre, the charity cancer hospital in Cardiff.
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10 December 2014 - This Monday, I went into the BBC Wales studios in Llandaff, Cardiff, to record an interview with Phil Rickman, the presenter of the BBC Radio Wales book programme, Phil The Shelf. (The sound quality of the interview he did on his phone in the Castle Book Shop in Ludlow a month ago wasn't good enough.) The interview will provide an update on the progress of Wings Over Summer (which has now sold over 12,500 copies), as it is two years since I received the good review on the Shelfstarters section of the programme which led me (eventually) to self-publish on Amazon. Phil The Shelf will air on BBC Radio Wales at 1.30pm on Saturday 20th December - repeated at 6.05pm on Sunday the 21st.
29 August 2014 - One of my prize-winning short stories, The End of the Line, a tale of loss and revenge, can be heard on Dave Carrington's, Squaring The Circle, show on Celtica internet radio station for the rest of August and most of September, when it moves to his archive page for a month.
I have also become a contributor to a quarterly free paper in my home town, The Ludlow Ledger. This month, they have included an extract from Shropshire Blue about the Powell family's annual, one day, summer holiday in Borth, a seaside resort on the west Wales coast above Aberystwyth (recently featured in the BBC Wales thriller, Hinterland). I dug out the picture opposite to accompany the piece. It shows mum, dad, younger brother, Brian, and me at a cousin's wedding in the early 1960s. I was surprised to see my dad holding a cigarette, as I only ever remember him smoking a pipe. Future editions of the Ledger may include some of my short stories.
I have also become a contributor to a quarterly free paper in my home town, The Ludlow Ledger. This month, they have included an extract from Shropshire Blue about the Powell family's annual, one day, summer holiday in Borth, a seaside resort on the west Wales coast above Aberystwyth (recently featured in the BBC Wales thriller, Hinterland). I dug out the picture opposite to accompany the piece. It shows mum, dad, younger brother, Brian, and me at a cousin's wedding in the early 1960s. I was surprised to see my dad holding a cigarette, as I only ever remember him smoking a pipe. Future editions of the Ledger may include some of my short stories.
20 July 2014 - Last night, sales of Wings Over Summer passed the 10,000 mark, with just under 6,000 in the US, a small, but seemingly growing, number in Australia and Canada, and a few in most other Amazon markets. I'm delighted and wish to pass on my thanks to all those who have bought my books, especially those that have taken the time to write such positive and encouraging reviews. Given that I published the book hoping sales would take off in the run up to the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain next year, I'm not sure now whether I've published too early (and that it has peaked), or whether it will still be selling then. I guess only time will tell.
I'm also very pleased that Shropshire Blue has passed 1400 sales, but believe the review with an excellent narrative but only one star has continued to hamper sales in the States. A Royal Australian Air Force veteran who read and enjoyed it, and saw parallels with his own training at the RAAF Radio School, put a piece in his very vibrant and entertaining association magazine (radschool.org.au). The wonders of the internet.
I'm also very pleased that Shropshire Blue has passed 1400 sales, but believe the review with an excellent narrative but only one star has continued to hamper sales in the States. A Royal Australian Air Force veteran who read and enjoyed it, and saw parallels with his own training at the RAAF Radio School, put a piece in his very vibrant and entertaining association magazine (radschool.org.au). The wonders of the internet.
An RAF headstone at Ta Qali Cemetery
March 2014 On a recent visit to Malta, I found all the Second World War museums and sites fascinating, but was particularly impressed with the Lascaris War Rooms in Valletta and the Malta Aviation Museum at Ta Qali, near Mdina. The Aviation Museum is largely run by volunteers and tends to suffer from the fact that tour guides earn more from taking their parties to the nearby Craft Village. If you're on a tour that's given time at the Craft Village, I'd suggest nipping the 50 yards across the road to the Aviation Museum. It is well worth the effort. There is a Commonwealth War Cemetery nearby, although most of the RAF graves are in the Capuccini Naval Cemetery at Kalkara - on the Three Cities side of the Grand Harbour, across from Valletta (on the way to Fort Rinella).
November 2013 - Death of Tony Iveson Sadly, the Battle of Britain veteran I interviewed during my research, Squadron Leader Tony Iveson DFC, died on 5th November 2013. I hope Wings Over Summer will stand as a fitting tribute to him and others like him.
August 2013 - Progress of Wings Over Summer
Book signing in my home town of Ludlow
Since June 2013, when Wings Over Summer became available as an e-book and paperback on Amazon, I've been amazed at its progress. I obviously hoped for a few sales, but I was aiming at it starting to arouse interest in the run-up to the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain in 2015 - a two year lead time. That it is already selling in the thousands and has received such positive reviews, both in the UK and the US, has been a source of great delight.
Book Signing I've just done a book signing in Ludlow, the town on the English/Welsh border where I grew up. There, I met Delme Whitbread, the nephew of the pilot to whom I dedicated the book. His uncle, Pilot Officer Laurie Whitbread, was killed when shot down by a Messerschmitt 109 over Rochester in Kent on 20th September 1940. Delme presented me with the photograph of Laurie you can see on the desk at the book signing. It was a very special moment for me, especially as he reiterated how delighted the family were at the dedication of Wings Over Summer. The picture now sits on my desk at home.
Book Signing I've just done a book signing in Ludlow, the town on the English/Welsh border where I grew up. There, I met Delme Whitbread, the nephew of the pilot to whom I dedicated the book. His uncle, Pilot Officer Laurie Whitbread, was killed when shot down by a Messerschmitt 109 over Rochester in Kent on 20th September 1940. Delme presented me with the photograph of Laurie you can see on the desk at the book signing. It was a very special moment for me, especially as he reiterated how delighted the family were at the dedication of Wings Over Summer. The picture now sits on my desk at home.
