Character

Veuve Clicquot…I’ll drink to that.

Mark

Ah, the merry widow…and my favourite Champagne as well.

Steve

DGH,

In my opinion you put it right

I enjoy this forum, long may it continue. Vivre le clique

tim

Veuve Clicquot…I’ll drink to that.

Mark

Dear all,

Thank you so very much for all your good thoughts and good wishes, I am so relieved to tell you all that the lump removed from Dad’s eye proved to be benign. Thus ends an extremely worrying three months for my family. I cannot tell you how much I appreciated the kinds words from my friends here, and Dad was very touched when I told him that my friends were all rooting for him, and he says thank you 🙂

Becka that’s great news mate, I’m delighted for you, your Dad, and the rest of your family. 🙂 And thanks for giving this thread some GOOD news, very uplifting! 🙂

Well said Merlin 70. Back to historic aviation for me now.

RESULT BECKA!!

Hi Becka,

What wonderful news, I am so happy for you and your Dad, and all your family. It must be such a relief. I’ll bet there are celebrations all around tonight. Have a drink on me. 🙂

I spent the afternoon and evening with Dad today, after he’d returned from the hospital. His first radiation treatment didn’t go well because after over an hour of consulting etc with several doctors, they were about to start and the entire hospital had a blackout. The power went off, and mum said it was quite funny because they were in a windowless room, and the doctor couldn’t find the door in the pitch black! Luckily the corridors had a few dim back-up lights, and mum sais everyone had torches and candles (!!). So Dad’s treatment was postponed till Monday. First they have to take some fluid off his lungs which means a huge needle through his back. He’s had it before, and depite how bad it sounds, he reckons it didn’t hurt!

Sadly, Dad is so unwell he said he’d never be able to drink the bottle of fancy English beer I’d given him a while ago, so now it’s in my fridge. 🙂

Thanks to everyone who has shown their support towards us. Especially to Andy too, yep, depression sucks bigtime. I hope I won’t have to call on ou, but I appreciate that mate. I am the guy in the group that usually handles everything thrown at me. I handle stress well, I deal with things with calm thought and always find a way through or a solution no matter what it is. And in the past I have always been the one who’s helped everyone else I know through their problems with calm, rational advice and whatever else it takes. But being in the position where I found myself where everyone was stunned into the same awful emotional state, and ten my stae was compelled by a second suicide whilst my friends were still coming to terms with the first, there was no-one who could say anything that made things seem better for me, that’s what really threw me. I learned a lot during that period. I learned how the mind works and it has made me stronger as a person, but also much more aware of certain emotions, etc. The greatest thing in life I have discovered – I was aware before but now it is so blatantly obvious – friends are so important. I have such an amazing group of mates who I would do anything for, and they would do anything for me. Losing one of our inner circle of friends was the catalyst to bringing the rest of us together so much more. It is like we’ve been to hell and back together and survived, and now we can face anything, and do anything for each other. I would definately take a bullet for any one of my close friends without a second’s thought. I hope it doesn’t take events as bad as mine for other people here to realise we have to make the most out of life and cherish the people we love.

Once again, thanks guys. Sorry for all this depressing nonsence. But really, I would never have thought a year ago I’d be a member of a forum where I’d bear my soul and still be welcomed. All you guys and gals here are great, even the slightly crazy ones. Cheers. 🙂

Cliques friendly on the inside hostile on the outside.

Cliques friendly on the inside hostile on the outside.

Cliques …Cliques …Cliques …Cliques …Cliques …Cliques …Cliques …Cliques ..

Ahhh…. medication taken feeling better. Now where were we.

Forum.

‘a home from home’.

Somewhere to go when there are jobs that need doing that you don’t wan’t to do’

a place to: [virtually]

meet up and discuss things with strangers

meet up with old friends

meet up with and make new friends

arrange to meet face to face and share historic aviation experiences

arrange to meet and have a beer whilst discussing favourite topics

and for some, aplace to visit to slag people off.

What matters is we are here and with a little tolerance and less gouging and spitting more people may feel inclined to join us.

The clique bit is semi-serious. Having been to a number of ‘meets’ both social and aviation based, I can see where people are coming from when they say that the band of 10 are a little intimidating.

Even with skin that is half inch thick there are times when I have deleted posts after submitting them so as not to receive a virtual pasting. Whilst many on here are anonymous, we all have feelings and no one likes to go too far outside their comfort zone.

I enjoy a lot of the banter, but tend to lurk rather than post when the threads become cliquey.

My heart goes out to those who are having life traumas. Unfortunately they happen all too often and with a forum as large as this there will always be someone contending with adversity of some sort.

I normally stick to historic aviation punctuated with occassional light heartedness, but today felt moved to say a little more than normal.

Since joining last year I have met a number of people inside and outside of the clique all of whom make a tremendous contribution to the forum. I have enjoyed new opportunities as a result and been able to make opportunities for others.

I enjoy this forum, long may it continue. Vivre le clique

tim

Dear all,

Thank you so very much for all your good thoughts and good wishes, I am so relieved to tell you all that the lump removed from Dad’s eye proved to be benign. Thus ends an extremely worrying three months for my family. I cannot tell you how much I appreciated the kinds words from my friends here, and Dad was very touched when I told him that my friends were all rooting for him, and he says thank you 🙂

Steve and Dave, my heart aches for you both. My Dad is one of the lucky ones, and I cannot begin to comprehend what you and your loved ones are going through at the moment. I know that feeling of fear all too well, and to have that fear made reality, well…In times like this we all too often hear the words “I’m so sorry”, because other words can fail us…but I truly am sorry that your beloved are going through this, it is something that no one should have to face.

There have been times with these forums that I have felt like saying “oh stuff it” and slipping away, but when the going gets tough, people here have been for me. The forums to me, are a place where friendships are formed, and then furthered and strengthened off-line. In one of my darkest hours just over a year ago, two forum members here were a tower of strength to me (you know who you are boys ;)) and I cannot tell you how much even a virtual {{{{{HUG}}}}} from some of my other friends here meant to me then.

Thank you all again from the bottom of my heart,
Becka xxxxx

My five pence worth –

When I first came across this forum it took me ages to make my first post mainly because there seemed to be an ‘in’ crowd. I didn’t want to be rejected by them or asked who I thought I was ‘walking in’ on their party. On top of this my spelling and sometimes my English is not the best and every little mistake seemed to be picked up on and people lambasted for. Once I did make my first post I found it’s nowhere near as bad as I thought it might be!

I think the problem lies in the fact that people use this forum for different purposes. Alot of people ( like me ) use it for information and expanding our knowledge base while others use it for socializing as well. I don’t necessarily think thats a bad thing it just annoies the hell out of people who are looking for data relevant to the thread and who have to wade through loads of social talking to get to what they want to know, especially as a couple of people just want to be obnoxious all the time ( although this seems to have calmed down ). I’m glad people on here have become firm friends and I look forward to meeting more of you, certainly the few I have met seem to be really good blokes. There needs to be light hearted banter in every walk of life and this forum is no exception, its just a case of finding a happy medium – and no I dont have the answer. A little tolerance from everyone is I guess all it takes and the exceptance that we are all intitled to an opinon wether it is widely held or not.

My heart felt sympathies to all those people on hear who are experiancing trauma and problems at the moment. I wish you the best of luck.

From the Dutch side:

I personally don’t think there is something like a clique on this forum, the recent trips by Steve P and John P (is this a pattern?) have proved that as well as the many forum meets. I wish that I could attend some of these meets but there is a little canal in the way, but I will try to make Cockpitfest, Shoreham will be a no-show unfortunately (again 😮 ). Even when you haven’t met the forumites you know you have been friends for years. A privilege that hopefully continue for a long time……

Cheers

Cees

Dave
I can tell you exactly what depression feels like.
Because I’ve suffered from a fair portion of it in recent years.
I won’t go into all the gory details (there are friends here who know more than I would have ever thought I could have told) but it’s bl**dy awful.
I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy.

Contact me anytime if you need to know about how to deal with it.
Later
Andy

It is more common than most know. 2003 was my annus mega horriblus and the fall out is still around me. Life does go on and it has to be said that friendships made thru the forum have helped. I am a big advocate of forum meets and am looking forward to meeting more people this year. I spend quite a bit of time chatting things over and giving advice to those who have also unfortunately been in my position….I feel it is my duty to try and return some of the sound advice, friendship and help I have received.

My thoughts are with you Steve, Becka and Dave.

Nothing more to say.

JC

A special thanks to Stve Patterson and John Parker especially who showed me such a great time recently when they were in Auckland, that is what this forum is about. Meeting amazing people.

“Bringing the forum together…one trip at a time”

Steve

Steve,

Thanks mate. I’m sorry to hear about Julie’s mum.

It seems we all have these things going on outside the forum that other posters are not aware of. I guess that is why sometimes people get feisty or moody, we forget the real world exists.

It takes real trust and friendship of others to bring real world problems in and share them here. But I think that proves this is not an exclusive group, a million people could read what I’m about to write in the next week or so if they wanted.

It is great to have a network of friends in the virtual community – a communitythat takes you outside of your real life sometimes. This forum community unwittingly did me a great deal of good last year, and none of you know it. I had the worst year of my life in 2004- two very good mates, one of whom was a very close best friend indeed – committed suicide within two months of each other. I went absolutely to pieces. It all went downhill and my studies at uni went pearshaped because I lost motivation and the ability to concentrate. I became terribly depressed. I used to wonder about depression, why people got it – it is a terrible thing. I can usually handle things fine, I’m not taken to depression, but this threw me over that huge cliff into it. Everything seemed depressing around me, because all my mates were feeling the same thing as me, all of us were mourning and trying to understand (though they never knew the second guy, only I did, which made it harder for me too). A whole lot of other crap started happening too, other friends dying (naturally, old age), the cat died, money problems, etc. and life became a blur of one bad thing after another.

I guess I just didn’t want to focus on realities for a while. I turned to the virtual world to take my mind off it all.

The creation of my website and the work that went along with the research of it really helped keep my mind active, but it was this forum that was one of the few refuges I had where things seemed better. The people were all nice, many made me smile or laugh, and it took me away from the bad reality happening around me. I

didn’t have to think about those things. If I went out and saw my mates, we’d always get drunk and end up depressed, and dwell on the what ifs, etc. It’s natural and part of the healing, but it is very hard. But stepping into the virtual pub with you lot made me happy. It truly helped me through a rough time. Somehow all that stuff didn’t matter a jot in the world of the forum.

Last year was bad, and I had hoped that this year would be a turning point. But Dad got sick around Christmas time and was diagnosed with cancer in late January. My first thought was, there goes the better year I’d hoped for out the window. But the thing is, I am finding that my personal character has really built up over the past year. I feel normal again, able to take the stresses of these things life shats on you. I know things are bound to get worse now that Dad is starting his treatment, but hopefully it’ll turn out for the good. I know one thing, I doubt I could feel as bad again as I did last year, and I have a lot of you guys and girls to thank for unwittingly pulling me through a very tough time. Cheers, thanks to you all.

A special thanks to Stve Patterson and John Parker especially who showed me such a great time recently when they were in Auckland, that is what this forum is about. Meeting amazing people.

Dave
I can tell you exactly what depression feels like.
Because I’ve suffered from a fair portion of it in recent years.
I won’t go into all the gory details (there are friends here who know more than I would have ever thought I could have told) but it’s bl**dy awful.
I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy.

Contact me anytime if you need to know about how to deal with it.
Later
Andy

I can appreciate the emotions that you are feeling.

I’m glad someone can. I truly haven’t got a f’king clue what I’m feeling right now. 🙁

But thanks anyway Ian, and everyone else. It’s greatly appreciated.

Steve, Becka and Dave – I’d also just like to offer my best wishes to all of you at this difficult time.

😮 🙂 🙂

As someone who has recently vented his anger on the GD forum, I feel belittled by your situations Steve, Becka and Dave.

Our spats pale into insignificance.

My heart goes out to you all, having been through the same trauma over the past few years ourselves on several occassions, I can appreciate the emotions that you are feeling.

I have not posted here for quite some time now, but who can fail to be moved by such sad events? To Steve (who I have met), and all the others suffering in this way, may I offer my heartfelt good wishes.

Steve

Thats new sucks to put it mildly. All you can do is be there for her lots of hugs and flowers. We’ll be here for you.