Well we did eventually find the venue although the scale of the map left much to be desired.

Once in the grounds we were directed to where Laurie, Peter and Tony were beginning to unload their car I parked up along side and unloaded a large ground sheet, which we laid out to put our model displays on Peter brought out the bags containing the engines and wadding ready for the days fights.

My wife Pat wandered off for a look round the many stalls and displays for any early bargains The sky was already crowding with kites as the first display was beginning, synchronised flying to a semi classical Ruby Tuesday meanwhile we busied ourselves priming engines and loading wadding, parachutes or streamers for the first models we would display All these were to fly on relatively small motors, to get the field weighed up and see just how the wind would affect our flights.

Laurie did a run through with us to get the Launch order and just what rockets exactly were going to be used It was not long before we were called to do our first turn Geoff from Wham had issued Laurie with a radio microphone from which he and Laurie held a commentary, while Peter, Tony and myself launched to order The crowd got into the spirit of the thing very quickly and each launch was preceded with a mass count down and cheer as the rocket took flight. Most landed in the site field but one of mine landed out side by an adjacent farm, several children helped me recover it, but not before I had got a boot full of water from one of the many deep reed filled boarder ditches.

During our display Pat had been looking after our stand and she had been swamped with inquiries about the club, kits, engines etc., she was glad when we returned to get things sorted she had even sold some of the clubs kits at a fiver each. One query came from the Ely rocket club who asked us if we would do their show in late August There were now kites of all shapes and sizes aloft from small birds and bats to giant sharks, caterpillars, frogs and even a rainbow made up of at least a hundred small kites

For our second stint Tony primed his beautiful model Thunderbird 3 which had been repaired from a recent disaster and it looked good. Laurie was launching his Voodoo and a customised version of a Fatboy, Peter opted for his Phoenix and I decided to go with a Sandhawk Terrier combination, we also had an array of smaller kits all to be flown on more powerful engines than on our first stint I did manage to launch and recover both halves of my Mongoose Tony’s Thunderbird 3 did a perfect lift off but the veered toward the car parking area, a car windscreen looked on the cards but the parachutes deployed and the quite heavy nose cone and model landed safe with only minor damage to a strut We also had to contend with malfunctioning launch boxes to the ooo’s and ahhh’s of the crowd, they loved it

Back at the cars we took turns to go for a wander to look, or just to get food, Peter and myself had a near miss with a falcon which was demonstrating in the ring when it dived down at us during a recovery manoeuver, it was really shifting

By now the sun was beginning to burn so it was liberal doses of sun tan lotion Tony asked me about my two stage D rocket with a first stage recovery system that had yet to be tested He asked what I needed to make it work ? I told him about eight inches of quick match

This he produced and with the help and advice from the others I prepared it for the final launch of the day, it was to be the finale. When we took to the field for the last session, the request was for more of the big stuff and that’s exactly what they got, Thunderbird 1 needed three of us to launch it, Pete and I set the smokes of at the start of the communal countdown then Tony fired the main engine, an excellent flight, Laurie was trying hard to steady a six foot long monster on the launch rod as well as giving his commentary then it was discovered that it had a faulty igniter Peter and I changed it double quick while Tony launched something else then one of the boxes played up again Peter took stick from Geoff over past dud launches but he won in the end and got his rocket off. Laurie now told the audience that we were going to attempt to get my proto-type to work, but that it was un-tried or tested. I placed it on the rod and made the necessary electrical connections The countdown started Five Four.. Three Two One as I pressed the button I felt a tinge of apprehension, there was a spurt of smoke and flame and my creation was airborne There was a unanimous eeeeeew from the crowd as it shot higher and higher the first stage was now spent but it was still climbing fast I waited for the second stage to kick in but it never happened Instead the rocket gently at first arched over until it was earth bound it looked as if it might hit the farm building but then appeared to land in the adjacent field Despite a thorough search it was lost, I believe it landed in one of the water filled ditches well down in the reeds still I had proved that the first stage recovery system worked so all was not lost We all agreed the day had gone exceptionally well and we all had a great time The sun had blessed us there was enough wind for kites but not too much for rockets A good day and a pleasant run home. Ken