Grandma's England Journal - Day Six

4/5/92:

Gordy is 43 today. Thinking of you, Gord. Up about 6:30 a.m. Coffee on patio. A nip in the air but clear. After a big breakfast, Doug mowed the lawn and edged it. I trimmed on one of the huge mounds of lavendar. We prepared for a day at the Bazaar at Alconbury RAF base. It filled two hangars: antiques, collectibles and crafts. Got lots of neat things. Lots of opportunities to learn the British coin. Doug bought a large oil painting from the artist. A village scene from Herefordshire, very old England, excellent detail. The girls spent a lot of time in inflated castle with a slide and inflated room full of nerf balls to bounce around in. Lynne's big purchase was a handmade Nottingham lace tablecloth 96"x72". Beautiful. Phyl bought a jogging suit. (After we got home discovered it didn't fit properly.)

Leaving the bazaar we went to a regular monthly antiques sale at King's Abbey. Got a 3-leg oak stool. Ben Setter stamped on the bottom and noted on the price tag, so must be recognized by the Brits. I got a silver cigarette case for myself. Came home for a brief bit to unload.

Then, (while Lynne & Phyl went to exchange the jogging suit) Doug and the girls and I drove to Upwood to the area behind their school and the clinic where the glider club were enjoying the bright dry day. At the far end of the field two heavy-duty trucks with winches on the back were parked. A tractor hooked onto the two hooked cables and drove with them to the near end of the field, where 3 gliders and a mobile control tower were located. They hook one of the cables to a glider, the cable pulled taut by the drum winch on a truck. It shifted into high and the glider was lifted into the air. When they reached a max, the glider pilot released the cable that dropped back to the ground with its own little parachute! NEAT! Took some pictures. Back at Doug's Lynne had an excellent pot roast dinner with a very good wine, good talk and another busy and interesting day is ending. Maybe Cambridge tomorrow.