Chridens's Book featuring Lightnings

http://www.randomhouse.co.uk/catalog/author.htm?authorID=104479
http://www.davidhigham.co.uk/html/Clients/Mark

Personally, I’d never heard of the book before now – but apparently it won the Carnegie Medal.

Jan Marks novells have won two Carnegie Medals.

Now I’m going to have to find a copy,

Available here http://www.tomfolio.com/bookdetailsmem.asp?book=3831&mem=814

Sequal to MG was full fathom five.

cracking read that was..remember borrowing it from school library many times…
Arm Waver,if you can lay hands on your copy would like to re-read it,maybe bring it down to the quiz if you can(p.s. also need your new address to snail-mail newsletter)

Thunder and Lightnings

A great book – glad so many others remember it so fondly. Very uncliched description of friendship. Jan Mark has written many other good books about children. I have never read an interview with her though where she discusses the writing of T and L. A very unusual subject for her to choose for a children’s book. Does anyone know how she can be contacted?

I think I still have a copy as well… Great book.
Read Machine gunners a few times too (think I’ve a copy of that too!). I think there was either a prequal or a sequal to the MG but I can’t recall if this is right or my mind just playing tricks on me…

I think she also mentions a pink pub near the airfield which would be The Three Horseshoes at Scotow I think – used to have a prop on the outside wall and was a watering hole for 262 Sqn during WW2. Someone mentioned that the flying memorabilia and the prop have gone – landlord didn’t see them as relevant! Probably wants to change the place into a fun pub 🙁

I remember that on Jackanory! And I grew up under Coltishall’s Lightnings… And the Machine Gunners was read at Junior school (recommended by Mr Osbourne, an ex Lancaster Navigator). From such miriad influences, obsessions may grow 🙂

JC
Nostalgia ain’t what it used to be…

I remember that too! I learnt to swim at Coltishall and it was always poignant. Must try and get a copy – thought of it a few weeks back.

This sounds like my life.
Yes I really did miss the Lightnings out of Colt.
I was 12 in 1974.
The other things were Shackletons at Honington.
Happy days
Andy 🙂 🙂 🙂

The book is indeed based on RAF Coltishall and deals with the replacement of 226 OCU’s Lightnings by Jaguars in 1974. Also mentioned are the Lanc and Spits of the BBMF that were there at the time as well as the humble Chippy! The boys like to go and watch from ‘ Firegate Four’.

I’ve often wondered, the boys visit a cemetry on the outside of the airfield full of ex-airmen, many from different countries ( including Germany ) is that actually there?

A little bit from the book, ( hope I’m not breaking any copyright and remeber this was 1974 )

‘You know what?’ he said. ‘When the Jaguars come I bet they scrap all the Lightnings. People will forget what great planes they were and they’ll all be broken up.’

‘But you said there were lots of them in other countries,’ said Andrew. ‘They might be around for years yet.’

‘They won’t be here,’ said Victor. ‘ I shan’t see them. That’s just like the end of the war. When the fighting planes were finished with, they scrapped them, because they weren’t needed anymore. That wasn’t till afterwards they realized there weren’t any left and they had to go round looking for bits to put together again.’

‘Perhaps when the war was ended they just wanted to forget about it. They like remembering now, because we won anyway, it’s been over for years. I bet people wouldn’t be so keen on that old Lancaster if it wasn’t the only one left,’ said Andrew.

Lightnings never won any wars,’ said Victor.’There won’t be anything to remeber them for. When I’m grown up and I tell people that I can remember when Lightnings flew over every day, no one will care. They won’t know what I’m talking about.’

‘They might not all be scrapped,’ said Andrew. ‘You might be wrong.’

‘I might be,’ said Victor. ‘Where have all the Hawker Hunters gone?’ he shouted. Andrew blinked. ‘I don’t know. Where have they gone?’

‘I don’t know either,’ said Victor. ‘But there don’t seem to be any left. Not long ago there were still a couple flying around here. I haven’t seen them in months.’

Just a taster – know go out and buy it!!!!

I think the local base in the book was Coltishall and it even mentions a certain Lancaster that would have been based there at the time.

one of the first ‘grown-up’ (i.e. non-reading books) I ever read! got rid of my copy when moving house this summer……Another one I have from when I was younger is roald dahls ‘going solo’ what are peoples opinions on that? not exactly childrens fiction I know…but good I think nonetheless…..I got into eating rice and banana’s through that…not bad!

coanda

Thunder and Lightnings – WHAT A BOOK!!

I read this so many times when I was young and I have loads of copies, hard back, soft back. No other book sum’s up the feelings of what it’s like when ” the things you like best, go “.

Best book I have, even if it is a kids book 😀

It was indeed made into a BBC TV mini series. Brilliant story, lots of aviation mentioned in it too!

Machine Gunners is still available and in print HERE

… and used copies of Thunder and Lightnings!!! HERE

Speaking of classic children’s aviation-themed books, my favourite was The Machine Gunners by Robert Westall. Classic. Must have read it 20 times!

I loved that one too. Wasn’t it also made into a childrens TV drama?

I read loads of Robert Westall books actually…..

Cracking book. I wonder if it would feel the same reading it again so many years after reading it.

Phil 🙂

I was wondering that…. Planning on phoning my mum tonight to see if she can find it anywhere……

Speaking of classic children’s aviation-themed books, my favourite was The Machine Gunners by Robert Westall. Classic. Must have read it 20 times!

Thunder and Lightnings by Jan Mark.

Cracking book. I wonder if it would feel the same reading it again so many years after reading it.

Phil 🙂

Try www.abebooks.com. Always worth a go for anything out of print!

Adrian

“When Andrew’s family moves house, he strikes up a friendship with his neighbour, Victor. There isn’t a thing Victor doesn’t know about the RAF planes flying overhead and the two boys are soon busy tracking their movements. Then they learn that Victor’s beloved Lightnings are to be scrapped. “