We haven’t been able to see a great deal this year.  Whether the wind was in the wrong direction, or maybe yesterday afternoon, the cloud cover prevented us from seeing the main attractions.  Sadly, our usual vantage point for the Fairford Air Tattoo hasn’t proved to be the best this time round.  As you can see, one of us (not me) was taking the opportunity to lubricate the tree lopper and tackle some rather determined brambles which have been bothering us last week.  But I settled down with the paper and a drink, and waited for the flypast.

 

 

I got a shout from my hero just before I made my way into the garden to come and look, quick!  Apparently, the first time these three flew over, the two smaller planes were being refuelled mid air, one from each wing I am told.  But by the time I got there, I’d missed the main event so grabbed my camera and settled for second best.  Looking at the photographs, it’s hard to imagine that the sky had been so blue only hours before, but really, for much of the afternoon, it was overcast but warm.

But that was it, for ages.  I even resorted to getting my iphone, to look up the schedule where I read that at 2.30 the British Airways A380 was going to muster with the Red Arrows for a flyover Royal Wootton Bassett on their way to the show.  No sooner had I read that, than I heard a distant rumble and looked out over the horizon to see this

 

 

Hmm.  Maybe we were going to get a flypast after all?

 

 

Twenty minutes later, this was as good as it got.

Never mind, we enjoyed a peaceful afternoon with gliders swooping in the thermals above us.  We read the paper and relaxed before going indoors to cool off.  Today, we’ve been surveying the horizon from a little further along the ridge, in the garden of our sweet friends who were celebrating with a lovely drinks party.  Though we heard a rumble and looked out into the blue from time to time, we saw nothing apart from the usual 747s and so on, en route from Heathrow to the USA.

It’s a pretty good way to spend a sunny Sunday afternoon, though.  I could get used to it!