Popham Aerojumble Monday 7th May 2012

Well, what a sodden weekend! Sodden field, sodden weather, you get the picture, and made worse by my tragic error in failing to spot that The National Archives would be closed over a Bank Holiday weekend, resulting in an extra day out in the sodden wind and rain, arghh!

I’m still too weary to properly collect my thoughts but actually, I don’t need to. I just re-visited last year’s thread and here’s what I wrote then:

That said, I do feel the annual Popham event has lost its way and could do with a revamp of some kind. There should be a little encampment for the aerojumblers – it shouldn’t be too hard to arrange. This year, I was sited over 100 yds from the marquee, with a fellow aerojumbler to one side of me but with two ladies selling knitted toilet roll covers on the other side and facing me was a stall selling leather hats and belts, etc with one of those £1.50 for any item stalls next to him (£1.50 – that’s inflation for you). It felt more like a sunday market than an aerojumble.

Well down on attendance (of every kind), not many jumblers and not much jumble to root through. Apart from a box of instruments on one book seller’s stall I didn’t see any “proper” aerojumble in the marquee at all – if there was any more, it must have turned up after 9 a.m. when I decided I ought to open up.

Sadly, Popham must now join Brooklands and War And Peace on the “can I be bothered to do this one again?” list :(. Praps give it another chance next year but if it’s the same tired old formula, then it’ll probably be my last.

Professor Crump made me chuckle. We’d spent ten minutes chatting about life as he looked down on me from his cycle, then he spotted a straggler family, hundreds of yards away, in what was by then (4.30 p.m.) an almost deserted, muddy field.

“I might have done them already but I’d better give it another go. I’m booked ’til five. Always work to contract, old boy, Cheerio!”

http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?q=professor+crump&hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=zOk&sa=X&rls=org.mozilla:en-GB:official&channel=np&biw=1016&bih=597&tbm=isch&prmd=imvns&tbnid=oIbxLiRxutTODM:&imgrefurl=http://www.peterjohnson.co.uk/item~iid~195~ampitem_title~Professor%2520Crump.asp&docid=8H_d3giLVU1xZM&imgurl=http://www.peterjohnson.co.uk/images/uploaded/l/PROFESSOR%252520CRUMP%252520(3).jpg&w=554&h=700&ei=VUOqT9K1D7KM4gT7nsXJCA&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=93&vpy=119&dur=2136&hovh=252&hovw=200&tx=101&ty=148&sig=116633351116387631657&page=1&tbnh=132&tbnw=104&start=0&ndsp=23&ved=1t:429,r:0,s:0,i:72

Nice find Ian. So what other bargains did others find at Popham?

Popham was a good end to the bank holiday weekend, if a little moist and ‘chilly’. Some bargains to be had and the odd item to lust over. I’m hoping this flat bottom edged Meteor panel is a fighter version to sit next to the T7. Much grime to be moved looking for a serial, which is half the fun.

A lot of the U.K resembles a lakeside at the moment!

Talking of which…..

…………..put Saturday 6 April 2013 in your diaries for Shoreham.

(PS – just a hunch, but I strongly suspect Popham was miles better than Lakeside Ikea today with my three daughters in tow…..aaaaargh! :mad:)

Naaaa….

…..not a patch on Shoreham.:(

Bump.

Me neither! Aim for 8 or 9am? Hopefully someone here will know….

Doors Open…

Does anyone know the start time for this Popham 2012….? Can’t seem to see it mentioned anywhere….:p

Can’t find anything advertising this do with gate times

Don’t forget the classic cars too!!! Mine passed its MoT last weekend so may attend too.

Just to let you all know. The Popham microlight trade fair Aerojumble WILL be going ahead this weekend. The main part of the airfield is still pretty firm (all that ‘wrong sort of rain’ seems to have run off) and the tent is up aand ready for use. As I write this I can see someone setting up already.

What time do the gates open? Is there an earlybird option

Never been before, but hope to make it!

Im going if I can!!!!

POPHAM AERO/EVERYTHING BOOT

Why’s it called an `aero jumble` ?
Last time I went it seemed to be more car spares, washing machine bits, wooden ducks.

That’s what its become unfortunately but the aero bits that can surface are worth going for although the laughs we have make it one to go for just as much too – it was consistently good in the 90’s, loads of kit and dealers, Nev Martin, Mike Shaw etc with Staravia stuff along with many others selling good kit at good prices, and a good quantity of jet clobber with enough WW2 to keep people happy.

I bought a lovely painted 1A helmet off Nev for £40 one year and would like to go back now and have the second, had some good Harrier kit and Hunter too, while on the plus side of the ‘other’ goods on offer, you can have some good tools and things like cutting disks at 50p each which are impossible to beat in shops.

This was in the days of sensible prices though they’re still better than many dealers on e-bay today, before they put the wooden landing strip fencing up (think that happened 3-4 years ago) and I remember sleeping in the main marquee on a table one year with a mate under an old Wellington wheel cover after some beers.

Bit too cold now for that now, though I also remember one September event (they don’t do two now unfortunately) when we were freezing in the van trying to sleep and the rain was hammering down on the roof, besides the infamous patch of land that used to get water on and if you stopped when requested by a warden, you couldn’t as you knew you’d be stuck in the mud-
a few cries were made but what could you do, you had to keep moving!

One year I kept the Bluebird in 2nd as I was leaving gingerly on very wet ground and I just let it crawl along on tickover and didn’t stop for anyone as I was well loaded up and I knew if I stopped I wouldn’t be out of the main gates for some time to come, I just made it.

They eventually hardened up the problem ground near the aircraft corral, but the rain can be such that the event can be cancelled due to general waterlogging, which sadly happened 4-5 years ago if I remember rightly, a real disaster for regular goers then, and those that didn’t know about it until they turned up on the day, but that’s rain for you. When I say ‘regular goers’ I mean…., oh it dosen’t matter, I’d better not go go there. Rick & James probably will tho…

Come on A.M., you must have plenty of tall stories of beer-infused nights or of being called ‘chavs’ by more petite campers when playing some rock a little too loudly for their more discerning ears…:rolleyes:

Eve’nin’ campers…. :rolleyes:G1

Anyone else going this year?

I’m not expecting much from the weather according to the latest forecasts, and I doubt the weekend’s Microlight Trade Fair will get the weather it deserves either, but here’s hoping!

I notice Dick’s put the prices up too. First time in many years but with the rising cost of fuel, it puts pressure on everyone. I’m using the same tactic as I did for the Shoreham ‘jumble, so I’ll arrive at Popham after a few days at The National Archives – more bang for the fuel buck.

Lots of goodies, thermals, weather proof gear and booze – yep, just about ready for the off.

See y’all down there I hope!

Why’s it called an `aero jumble` ?
Last time I went it seemed to be more car spares, washing machine bits, wooden ducks.

RE POPHAM PRICE HIKE/ V-FORCE REUNION

Anyone else going this year?

I notice Dick’s put the prices up too. First time in many years but with the rising cost of fuel, it puts pressure on everyone. I’m using the same tactic as I did for the Shoreham ‘jumble, so I’ll arrive at Popham after a few days at The National Archives – more bang for the fuel buck.

Lots of goodies, thermals, weather proof gear and booze – yep, just about ready for the off.

See y’all down there I hope!

====================================

Course we are! Got to try this amazing cider of yours – not too much though – although we could try and get the infamous TIM MCSPLURGLE bladdered on it and have a ‘repeat’ performance as per last year!

Limited choice of beer this year due to the testing times but have done OK courtesy of Lidls, its good stuff and affordable – and on that subject a mate who’s been going for years is also wondering with other sellers why the pitch price has been hiked so drastically while the M’Bike Rally later has apparently been left as is.

Part of the fact of its ‘Pop’-ularity is that its been obviously well-priced and that has encouraged attendance over many years, and none more so than in these cash-strapped times, in which none of us feel that ‘us’ and our political masters/bas—– are ‘all in it together’ 🙁

My contact feels it will discourage the occasional sellers who want to clear something out of the loft or just get rid of some bits that are no good to them, but which may prove very handy for buyers.

It will only reduce sellers in general I think due to the fuel situation as you say as some don’t sell a lot due to the nature of what they’ve dug out or stand to sell at such an event, so the hiked fee along with fuel may well put a good number off.

Its already lost too much of its aviation content over the years and if this reduces further due to the increase then some regular buyers may start not to bother, not a nice thought as we’ve supported it since 1993 (I think).

If its down to higher running costs then none of us know what has caused such an escalation of fees since last year but we’ll see what happens over the holiday and lets hope we get some sun at least – had an excellent show at the V Force Reunion at the weekend, over 450 people I’m told and three film crews with a flyover (sadly muted and gentle as ever) of ‘558, though nice to see she can still fly.

It fell down though yesterday and didn’t stop all day, I was glad to leave though only to lose the rain and cold behind! Got some nice atmospheric shots before sleeping in the van on Sat night with the Flogger etc in background and the sun and coloured clouds floating by – bitter wind tho.

Apart from that everyone had a great time and great too to talk to some of the pilots with some of the kit on display (like the ASR and dinghy display) prompting some excellent stories from pilots and groundcrew alike.

Excellent displays all round plus models as ever and another Victor nosewheel door appeared for signing after I took mine last time (and this) along with some other bits of metal for V fans to stick on the wall – and cheer up the wife/girlfriend.

Time to save up for the diesel, and put some away probably too if any more strike rumours start again – started by…..?

A couple of nights in Lyme Regis then Popham wards. Dinner at Heston Blumethal’s Little Thief then a shamefully early morning to see people walking around with even earlier bargains. And admiring your stuff of course, AM. The perfect bank holiday weekend.