On the last Saturday in March 2009, over 20 club members arrived at the crack of dawn at the field to begin the erection of new fencing to guard the pits. All this required was the digging of over 15 1M deep pits; the fixing of over 15 3M high fence posts to some long concrete spurs; the locating of those fence posts into the holes so that they were perfectly vertical and in a dead straight line. Then concreting them into place.

Since it's quite difficult  to dig a 1M deep hole in solid clay by hand - we tried lowering John Williams in to throw the clay out, but he was too wide to fit! - the Committee had decided to hire a mechanical hole borer for the day. The Chairman, taking his role very seriously, took on the role of driving the hole borer - the only job on the project which required someone to sit down!

After some interesting teamwork, the members sat down to a well-deserved lunch, prepared by Brian and Andy. The lunch was only interrupted by having to go outside to have the team's photograph taken by the club's official photographer.

All that remains to be done now is to fix the brackets to the posts to stop them falling over, stringing wire between the posts and hanging the chain-link fencing on the wire. Nothing much, but lots of the members will be volunteering, if only to partake of the cordon bleu fare after their exercise.

Click on "Read more" for more photos of the day.

The 2009 Extravaganza was held on March 26 and attracted its usual array of models.

Les Townsend won the Open class with his Harvard.

The prize winners in the classes were: 

•  Open - Les Townsend, Dick Whitehead and Phil Day
• 50/50 - Martin Harris, Brian Hillard and Steve Edge
• ARTF - Paul Carne, Mick Eames and Mick Edge

 Gary Travers won the "Best Novice" award.

 Click on "Read more" for more photos of the winners and models. Click on any of the pictures for an enlarged view.

The Christmas Party in 2008, on the last Friday before Christmas, was celebrated by the usual suspects, after a morning's outing to the flying field. Anyone who didn't fly in the morning was required, according to the log-standing tradition, to tell a funny story (or 2) at the party. Some managed it more readily than others.

Click on "read more" for some photos of the session.

The Extravagaza in 2007 produced lots of models. The winner was Brian Hilliard's Warhawk, with Les Townsend, Steve Edge, John Dent, Brian Lawrence, Mick Eames and Andy Smith all taking prizes.

The Extravagaza in 2006 produced lots of models. The winner was Martin Harris's 1/3 scale Miles and Atwood Special, an impressive piece of engineering and construction. Second place was awarded to Brian Hilliard for his Stuka, with Chris Jackson taking 3rd place with a Percival Provost.