Another productive day at the club! Robert Batty was flying, young Alex Phillips had just arrived, his mother drove him from their home at Sibford. And I had picked up Danny Earl, also nearly 14 now. We bought a nice can of paint at Homebase, I had TOLD (by email, so there is a record!) the kid's families that they would be doing some painting ...so bring old clothes.....
First all the lads flew. Both Danny and Alex flew with Bruno, Gordon flew with Robert Batty, boys were pleased. Then I took Alex and Danny to the NEW BLUE LOO and we located rollers, brushes, paint, I made Alex change his shirt, which was a souvenir of Russia from his holiday there last weekend! And left them to it - Alex is so tall that he doesn't need a ladder to paint the ceiling! An hour later they arrived back at the launchpoint, telling me the job was finished! so everybody flew some more. A young girl arrived with her mother; she is, I think, 16, and is making splendid progress. Her mother and I had a good conversation...she is American, from New York City, they have a home near Shenners! so I said to the mum, why don't YOU have a go? So she did! And loved it.
So amazingly, the median age of the gliding club has just moved down significantly! Juniors galore! And more women! (My lodger Leslie is now thoroughly hooked, she is dreaming about flying. She sent the photo from the website flying blog to her mother in France, and it is her facebook photo as well!)
Bruno took me aside to tell me he was worried that the boys had paint on their clothing....I told him that I had emailed the Mums to send them with old clothes. Alex changed his shirt when I told him, but still had on his best new school trousers! Said he, "My Mum is going to kill me!"
When Mum came to pick him up, with his little brother and a friend, at first she was a bit upset, but then she watched him attaching the cable, and launching a glider, and she was delighted, and so pleased that he is happy at the gliding club - paint on pants didn't matter so much.
Little brother and other kid were impressed too!
First all the lads flew. Both Danny and Alex flew with Bruno, Gordon flew with Robert Batty, boys were pleased. Then I took Alex and Danny to the NEW BLUE LOO and we located rollers, brushes, paint, I made Alex change his shirt, which was a souvenir of Russia from his holiday there last weekend! And left them to it - Alex is so tall that he doesn't need a ladder to paint the ceiling! An hour later they arrived back at the launchpoint, telling me the job was finished! so everybody flew some more. A young girl arrived with her mother; she is, I think, 16, and is making splendid progress. Her mother and I had a good conversation...she is American, from New York City, they have a home near Shenners! so I said to the mum, why don't YOU have a go? So she did! And loved it.
So amazingly, the median age of the gliding club has just moved down significantly! Juniors galore! And more women! (My lodger Leslie is now thoroughly hooked, she is dreaming about flying. She sent the photo from the website flying blog to her mother in France, and it is her facebook photo as well!)
Bruno took me aside to tell me he was worried that the boys had paint on their clothing....I told him that I had emailed the Mums to send them with old clothes. Alex changed his shirt when I told him, but still had on his best new school trousers! Said he, "My Mum is going to kill me!"
When Mum came to pick him up, with his little brother and a friend, at first she was a bit upset, but then she watched him attaching the cable, and launching a glider, and she was delighted, and so pleased that he is happy at the gliding club - paint on pants didn't matter so much.
Little brother and other kid were impressed too!
Mary