If, like the mails we sometimes get, you are looking for inflatable balloons then sadly we are unable to help but if you want to use our services as an EASA Part M Subpart F&G Organisation (and you have any idea what that means as it is a bit of a mouthful) to help keep your hot air balloon in the air then that is what this site is about. Well you’d think so but we are not just into hot air balloons, in fact we, like our lovely customers, are a very eclectic bunch so there are articles and news on almost any subject you can think of somewhere on this site. Its therefore more likely that you have arrived looking for information on playing cards or the difference between Swallows and House Martins in which case still a very warm welcome to you. In the News this time is the sad news that our good friend Jack Klein died on October 22nd in Hawaii our sincerest condolences to his wife Carol, family and friends worldwide. On a happier note the Met Office have moved winter and the new CAA pilot licences don’t fit into the folder and you can’t read them anyway as the print is like the Terms and Conditions on a Ryanair ticket. Talking of the weather it seems wind and rain has put paid to flying anything but a small waterproof kite at the moment but there have been the odd slot if you were ready and waiting. Unfortunately the One Man Meet suffered but they still had a fine time and as I type this with the wind howling round the battlements the popular Exclusive Cup, already postponed from earlier in the year, looks likely to be a no-go. This edition’s cover photo comes courtesy of Paul Crook, landlord of our local, and features Brill Windmill, more of which laters.
Couple of fine articles up this time and one that crept in unannounced mind! Following a rebuild of a Cameron Sirocco burner the other week and staggering about with it in an attempt to get it on the ‘work done’ rack we were prompted to have a rant about the ever increasing weight of ballooning stuff and so in a fit of peak ‘Lighter than Air-You’re having a right Giraffe’ was scribbled out and we felt a whole lot better for getting it off our chests. More, no doubt, on the subject will follow. The lovely Jack Klein was a devotee of the lightweight balloon so we have dedicated it to him. Also up is the first on what we hope will be further notes from Rob the Rambler this time about the first Chiltern Train service into the new Chinnor station for many a year and a report from those ever enthusiastic Pennine Region Balloon Association lot about the recent Naburn Lock event. Check out their forthcoming events in 2014 in the Balloon Meets & Events page they are working on having a meet or gathering every month next year. In the process of being finished is a thing on trailer brakes. I’ve been meaning to get it published ever since we did the bit on replacing brake dampers but for one reason or another never got it finished so….
Over the yard the projects shed is filling up while we fight to get Barry’s Colorado running again. It’s a long story which we will never tell here but it is finally all back together and hopefully will fire up very soon so we will have to find somewhere else for people to leave their cylinders as my rather battle-scared VW Golf has actually passed an MOT so that will be back in use soon as well. John came in the other day with a new kettle, £6 from Tescos, which turns off automatically. He was getting rather fed up with the kitchen filling with steam. We’ve put the old kettle on the shelf just in case the Tesco special doesn’t last. We are going to have a big clear up over the winter so if we have to flee in front of an ever faster approaching HS2 we’ll have half a chance to move. Quite where we’ll be off to hasn’t been decided yet but it hopefully it won’t be for a while even though those wise and learned politicians have voted to open the country’s purse and start spending even more on their trainset. As always thanks for visiting, if we can be of help please give us a call and if you are passing please call in for a cuppa you will be welcome. We hope you enjoy the site best regards from Jane, John, Alice and Chris.