BoB Dinner, Norwich Airport, 15th Sept 2006

As previously advised by my post on here 17th August, Anglia Flight staged a sell out public evening with both a Spitfire and Hurricane last night (Friday) evening..

After a top class, two course dinner, with some particularly illustrious aviators, in the restaurant, we retired to the hangar where we were entertained by a most interesting talk on the Merlin’s to Malta trip by Clive Denney who had flown the HAC Hurricane in to Norwich earlier in the day. We were flanked by the aforementioned Hurricane and a Spitfire Mark 9.

After Clive’s talk we watched the Merlin’s Over Malta dvd projected on to a large screen, made all the more authentic by a sophisticated surround sound audio system (it sounded like the two aircraft next to us were living and breathing!!)

The whole event was brilliantly presented and the atmosphere as the Spitfire and Hurricane roared, low level, into Malta’s Valletta Harbour, on screen, whilst sittting between the two aircraft was something to be savoured.

Earlier in the day Clive had shown children from local schools around the two aircraft and told them about the Battle of Britain.

I found the whole evening incredibly evocative and moving, the sights, sounds and smells – I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.
All in all a fine way to commemorate Sept 15th, Battle of Britain Day.

Sincere thanks, of course, must go to Andrea and her staff for the haute cuisine (particularly mine!), to Dale for organising the whole day/evening (and for managing to bring the Mk 9 in..), to Clive for the captivating talk and to the ‘other’ famous faces from the display circuit who were present but who would prefer to remain nameless on this particular domain.