Boys and Machines!

Simon and Amos with the Dakota

Last week Amos and I had the enormous privilege of visiting the RAF Odiham Family Day. My brother is situated at the RAF base working on the amazing Chinook helicopters (described pretty accurately by a commentator as the dancing elephant of aircraft) and they have an annual celebration day where families and friends are invited to see what their boys and girls are up to.

Well, what a fantastic day it was. Amos and I were both very excited (Amos flew his little plastic plane throughout the whole train journey) and we were certainly not disappointed. Not only was there a air show with Chinook demonstrations, fly pasts, a formation team, the Falcons and more but there were also vintage aircraft to climb aboard, a fair ground, the Fire Fighting Crew and to top it all the Mother's Union were giving out free cakes - something for the girls!

At the jaws of the Chinook

Amos was in his element with so many machines to look at and even touch and climb aboard. For me, the most poignant part of the day was when my brother and I went on board a Dakota which was the aircraft our grandpa had worked on and been shot down in during World War 2. We are a family separated by large distances but there was a strange but wonderful feeling of fusion and togertherness as Simon, my brother, the grandson and Amos, the great grandson were pictured in front of the plane.

Boys just love machines,don't they? I thought it was the wheels on cars that did it for Amos but he took to the aircraft too and is now flying his cars Chitty Chitty Bang Bang style through the air! If you have a boy of any age I highly recommend finding out if there is a classic car show, steam rally or air show in your area - they are often plentiful at this time of year. Failing that a motor museum is a safe bet for a stay at home mum's full day out entertaining the sons (and don't forget the husband too).