Which aerobatics team was that Roderic? As you may know, we used to have a great Airshow at Jurby which included the Schneider Trophy air race. Stella, who has had a second hand shop at the airfield for over 30 years, called "Jurby Junk", her father Howard Pixton, was an pioneer aviator and a friend of A V Roe! He won the 1914 Schneider Trophy in Monaco in a Sopwith Tabloid seaplane.
Phil, I too have flown Over the IoM, for two years I was on an aerobatic team great fun BIG buzz, and I'm sorry Carol but the point of the training is that low flying has to be practiced. If you were impressed by the film Top Gun you should be very proud because it was started by British pilots, and unfortunatly for the aamericans they are restricted to above 500ft, the Empire Test Pilots School, great name, flies below 500ft as do most European Airforces. I remeber ex Red Flag in Nevada the Americans just couldn't believe that the old Buccaneer could fly so low and fast. And I'm really sorry the biggest thrill of watching an aircraft flying is it's low level performance, still feel like a big kid when I see them in the Lakes or over our village, I just never grew up I suppose
Good point Roderic, as I say, I don't mind the Airforce in France at all. In fact we used to have a practice bombing range off Jurby Head on the North West coast of the IoM and there is still a wartime airfield at Jurby. It is used now for circuit Motorcycle racing, and the old nissen huts and hangers are used for light industry, the National Transport Museum and one is used to house our Spacecraft, honestly. The Excalibur Almaz Spacestation, I kid you not!!
I love the Red Arrows during TT week and we have regular landings at the commercial airport, Ronalsdway, of fighter jets.
Quite happy for them to fly Roderic...just less thrilled it has to be so low. Was at a local lake beach earlier this week...and the plane was so low it really hurt most people's ears..never seen a plane so low. That is just unneccessary.
Yes I've noticed the recurring theme about the Airforce, strange thing that, because whenever there is any kind of conflict eg. Iraq where a no fly zone is enforced or any other kind of security is required eg. the Olympics. What is the cry, where is the Airforce, but, people seem to think that pilots don't need to train. Oh yes I'm ex RAF and used to be proud of my ex calling until of course the modern goverments deciced that such a force is no longer required, so be pleased in France you still have a viable defence. That's it had my rant
One recurring theme seems to be the French Airforce on low flying sorties. I forgot that we too get them across the Minervois plain. Doesn't actually bother me much though, even with them, the Minervois is so peaceful compared to the Isle of Man!! Can't believe I'm saying that, but with the traffic out front and the TT and Manx GP motorcycle races, plus the planes dropping into Ronaldsway Airport, the IoM is not so quiet!!
Mark, have you looked into your family history of the Cubbon's in detail? Have you been over to the Isle of Man? You'd be surprised just how many Cubbon's there are over here!!
One mile from town...up a country lane...usually you can hear birdsong...except in the heat of the day...bees, a very occasional tractor...maybe a cow if they have been moved to a nearby field...only have one neighbour and they work full time. The road ends at our neighbours, so no passing traffic....silence pervades and its very lovely, my one sadness when leaving France will be we will never manage to find anywhere half so quiet in the UK. ah...I forgot...we have the occasional plane....from Bordeaux...the French air force....attempting to break the sound barrier whilst flying 200 metres above local houses!
Chouette - in both meanings. It's quite quiet here after living on a main road next to a set of traffic lights - which many ignore; even had one fatal moto accident at about 120mph (nearly 200kmph) just 100mtrs from us at 2.30 in the morning.
Now, as a complete contrast, we get silence followed by more silence punctuated, only occasionally, by the odd tractor, the sound of kittens moaning for more food - and the cry of an owl.
Time to plug in a guitar and let rip. ;-)
Here in the depths of the southern Correze, you can hear a pin drop most of the time (apart from the 'natural' noises, like animals, wind and rain, birds, annoying dogs and the ruddy French Air Force).
Generally very tranquil, just how I like it. Rarely see anyone, let alone vehicles. Lovely.
Remote in the winter, I suppose, but you can't have it all ways, can you?
Chris
Here in Brugg (German part of Switzerland) it's normally very quiet but........they've knocked down a beautiful old house behind ours and are now building ANOTHER concrete monstrosity in its place. (How DO they get away with it?!) Consequently, all I can hear at the moment is the sound of scaffolding being put up, hammers and the non-too-quiet shouting of the foreman.
I honestly can't wait to move into our lovely house in Le Dorat in a few weeks time. I just know that the building work is going to get MUCH louder before it stops. Looking forward to joining you all.
I always boast to family about how lovely and quiet it is here. I seem to forget that if I wake for whatever reason at 4 in the morrning, I can never get back to sleep with the big trucks passing. Winter is worse with the all night snow dozers and salters going all night.
Still, the mountains and forest in the landscape VISUALLY block out the audible noise when I look out the window.
Down in the rural Loiret it is very quiet. No traffic at all. I am always surprised when I go back to the UK at the amount of traffic on the roads, all the motorways are full and even small country roads in Devon and Somerset have alot more traffic than here. Just the usual farm noises, and various dogs barking, although at the moment my neighbours have got the builders in so can hear the cement mixer going.
Stan - I used to live in Harpenden when I was a child and went to school in St Albans, but that was before they built all the shopping arcades.
My middle name, & those of my forefathers, is Cubbon. His sister married Nathaniel Rimmer, naming her son Mark Cubbon Rimmer & all first born sons since have that name. I am the last, as I have no offspring.
Nick, I just love Cantal cheese, either Cantal jeune or entre-deux!!
I am Mark, born in Maughold, the son of the local Vicar. He was an army man, particularly as an officer with the East India Compnay. He bacame the British High Commissioner in Mysore, India.
Any connection yourself?
In rural Cantal it's very tranquil. In 5 years I've never heard of any crime within 40 kilometres of our village. The only breaking of the peace is by the Salers cattle and their bells ! Although I've just remembered we do occasionally get some low-flying military aircraft. The traffic in summer is a bit busier with a noticeable increase in Dutch and Belgian visitors over the past couple of years. Overall we live in a very quiet corner of France - and love it.
Noisy? I can hear a few cows mooing at the moment from a field the other side of the valley. Our farmer neighbour who works alone has gone out on his tractor with a bowser. Evening is the noisiest part of the day at the moment with the filling of the bowsers. Our elderly neighbours have been out and about from 8pm onwards due to the heat. One has been tidying up his woodpile this week, and another couple have been entertaining their parents and grandchild (who are spending the vacances with them) in the garden for the past couple of weeks. Sure beats St Albans where we lived on a busy rat run...
I'm a country boy at heart, and lived at Ham, nr Sandwich, Kent, a row of 5 farm cottages surrounded by fields, for many years. When things went pear-shaped I moved here to a little village which was not quite what I was looking for, but with a mere £14000 to my name (the result of selling my only remaining asset, a WW11 Dukw) I did not have much choice. No regrets, though, a very "together" village where I became someone. Then my mother's house became available - more land, outbuildings & bigger but owned by her four children so I only had to pay 3/4 of the price! The down side is that it is on the main road with cars & trucks passing at 90 kms an hour +, but it is not like a main road in the UK as there are large gaps between vehicles & the evenings maybe one every 1/2 hour until 8, then very little. I am only 3 kms from my old village so still included in their events.
By the way, Phil, are you familiar with Sir Mark Cubbon?
Strange you should post this Phil, I was commenting about this to my wife the other day. We currently live in what you could say is rural North Yorkshire, the lane we live on is 1&1/2 cars wide, when we first moved here 11 years ago I could walk the dogs for an hour and see perhaps one vehicle, (car tractor van), over the past couple of years I can't walk for 10 minutes without being overtaken by a vehicle, mostly cars, and more distressing they hardly slow down these days. No wonder there are more deaths on rural roads in Britain. Not as peaceful as it used to be. ! !