The Fenland Gent

Odd day – went to the cinema to see the excellent “Black Narcissus” (part of the Cambridge Film Festival Jack Cardiff tribute) and as I was walking back past the quarries on the edge of town a Vulcan Bomber flew low over my head. Then another jet (a Mirage I think) did the same and then a Lancaster Bomber.

I was walking under an airshow, obviously, but as to what airshow I was not sure – but Twitter soon turned up the answer. Apparently it’s the centenary of Marshall Airfield and the airshow was for that. Marshall Airfield is minutes from my house and when a neighbour told us that the Red Arrows were flying at 6 we gathered a few kids (ours and neighbours) and took to the high land (all overgrown landfill) that overlooks the airfield and found we probably had the best seats for a fantastic show. The noise as the jets, only 150 yards in front of us, started their engines, (their afterburners maybe ?) was massive, as was the sound of them all banking low over our heads. All really really thrilling.

I don’t think I’m too nerdy about planes. I just get a bit of a thrill seeing them. It’s a bit like Cathedrals. I don’t know much about them but I like them. Don’t know why? Just do.

(All these pics are thumbnails so click on them to see the big pictures- and the last one is obviously not a Red Arrow. It’s a Flying Fortress I think. It was also rumbling low over our heads).
It was a good day.