30 April 2009

where's woody?

Last seen making rash purchases at the BARCS AGM and on the VIP list for 'Gatecrasher' he's yet to put in an appearance on the hallowed turf this year.

As such he is conspicuous by his absence. Have you seen this man? Any sightings should be posted in the comments section below......

26 April 2009

hangin' at holly

Mellow times at Holly, who'd have guessed it was still spring as a select group enjoy the sun and breeze again!

Gary gets evidence of Paul indulging in his very particular brand of hill side fetish




much fun with Multifun




fossin' hell that was close!




as seen on Friday, I'll stick with me Sullivan Golden Rods thank you!


25 April 2009

spring saturday


A lovely day at Thurnham, the wind didn't swing SW as forecast so the majority of the day had a boot full of south in it.

Didn't stop a good crowd having a jolly splendid time and giving the epidermis a hefty dose of UV rays.


Jac practices his 'Jake the peg' routine while
Deryck dreams of coming back as a black backed gull



pre-maiden




nice streets


hangie gets a no fly airing



yo bad boy! dat yo hound bout da cane da Zagi init?




.....and relax!


holly comes alive

It's Friday afternoon and just like the old days Holly is thronged with men twiddling their sticks. The trees are bursting into life and the vipers are catching some rays.




Simon's Mini Ellipse pretends to have landed in a bush so as not
to feel left out


The Gravesend Club put up a fur ball to be proud of. Most of the fly-aways don't even bother with the trees, they just plough straight through in to the road.

green




happiness is a hill called Holly


Even Ray pays his first visit to Holly. He talks himself out of flying, more worried about landing out than dodging the bushes. At a loose end, Ray and Paul undertake litter duty which results in a slight soiling of the pants when Paul nearly picks up an adder.

Holly Short 2 "Sudden Impact- A Combat Special" to follow later this year....

11 April 2009

10 April 2009

a good, good friday



The hawthorn is in blossom, the trees are budding and the sun is warm. The Met Office get it together and after a week of the forecast changing hour by hour, they present us with a slot suitable for the long pounded chalk of Holly Hill.




It's been a while since many of the usual suspects have given it a go here, and Mother Nature hasn't been idle. The greenery is pressing hard on the ever decreasing patch and Paul laments his lack of Napalm. He does have the next best thing though- a barbecue! however by the time we're all fed and watered it's lost too much heat to start a wide swept bush fire. Shame really as 4 planes end up in the flora.


The morning is a mixture of sun and clouds, but Holly doesn't hold back on her renowned thermal activity. Paul and Deryck staff the pre-lunch shift, but are joined by Mike, John, Ollie, Henry and Mother of Ollie and Henry (I think that's right). We also get another John and Rob, oh and a couple of buzzards.



There's a regular nesting of models in trees, but they all get retrieved safely and with little angst. amazingly they even find the 'fly away' (lucky chaps!).

The forecast is spot on, and by 3.30 we all decide that rain stops play. What a splendid day, and beautifully timed to start the holiday weekend. Having refreshed ourselves with the niceties of Holly I'm sure we'll all be back soon.

04 April 2009

oh the horror!



who's the daddy?


Mist, murk and drizzle start Saturday off, but on a positive note it's brought in on a sou' wester! This means there's a few optimists staring into the gloom as white gliders drift in and out of visibility up on the hill.


the air bitch project


Phil is convinced that by 12.30 things will improve. At 12.29 the clouds part, the ground spews forth a plethora of thermal activity and the sky instantly fills with paragliders.



Soon the warmth reaches far-off burrows and blinking, squinting aeromodellers shuffle onto the hill side to bask in the rays and throw stuff into wind.






It's all going jolly well and then what'd know...another midair! It's a meeting of the big mouldies as Alan and Phil do the kind of damage that makes grown men cry. What more can I say?


the tree looked even less climbable in reality


'see... just a bit of tape and you're good to go!'


direct hit!


spring has sprung