When I was a little lad and had a Saturday job at my local flying club, I was whisked down to St.Merryn in a Cessna 172 and taken to a somewhat rundown hangar on the edge of the airfield.

Thinking it contain a Rallye or something similar, I was rather astonished to find sat in the middle on its undercarriage and almost touching the roof, was the Firefly mentioned above and around it, as far as I remember two Irish Air Force Provosts, a Stampe and in the corner on rebuild, the Spitfire.

Wow, this wasnt something that you expected in Cornwall and I remember Nick Grace asking me if I knew what it was and back came the stammered reply ‘a Firefly’. I was given a tour of the hangar and even a price was made for a 20 minute ride in the Spitfire.

So from that day on, it was cutting neighbours grass, painting walls etc etc, until I had the money. By then the Spitfire moved to Goodwood and as I was too young to drive and Dad wasnt that keen to take me, I spent the money on my first stereo which lasted me more than 20 minutes, much to the disgust of my parents – ‘call that music?’ – think Dad wishes he had taken me to Goodwood!!

Martin