Tuesday 23 August 2011

Shuttleworth Air show

On Saturday, my family went to a Air show in old Warden. The Shuttleworth collection contains some of the oldest and rarest air craft in the world that are still flying today. It was my husbands dream field trip:) In addition to walking around the air plane hangers, we enjoyed a wonderful air show, concert by the National Symphony Orchestra and a fire work display. We brought our own picnic but soon found out that our idea of a simple picnic is not quite the same as the British.

This is our way of having a picnic, blanket on the ground small cooler, sandwiches, cookies and fruit. Nothing fancy. But after watching the other families come in we began to feel out of place!







I watched this family carry a wooden table into place add a table cloth, set up their chairs and lay out real plates, glasses and silverware. I know this because I was so curious I walked by them several times as they were unloading their 5 wicker basket. They must have made 6 trips to the car. I was amazed at what they brought with them to have a simple picnic at the air show.




Another example, the British love their privacy. They had a privacy screen around them. Yes I know it can be used for wind break but honestly this day had very little wind. This was early in the day there were many of these privacy screens




Nearly every picnic site had these little lanterns or real candles either on the table, or on hooks placed in the ground. Once it got dark all the lanterns where lite up. One table I saw even had a vase of flowers on it. There were British, English, Wales, Scottish and one lone USA flags every where you looked.









I was feeling very bad for my family when I watch the type of food come out of these baskets, no sandwiches here, these were full meals being served up often on real plates. My husband and I felt so out of place surrounded by such luxury picnickers.

Some spectators arrived in Ultra lights









Wearing Tuxes!!! We saw several ladies in complete evening dresses. They had hired tent gazebos and had a little party going on during the air show.




My husband was able to ride a Tiger Moth. The kids were very disappointed that they could not ride the plane too.
He had about 20 minutes in the air and the pilot even let him take control for a few minutes since my husband has done a little flying. He was grinning ear to ear when he got off his flight. Happy hubby!!!




There were many planes that flew and I am afraid I don't know the names of them all.















These were my favorite to watch fly. It was like looking back in time


This one is the called the Bristol Boxkite 1910 (replica)







This one is the Avro Triplane 1910 (replica)







Throughout the show the National Symphony played and I was very please my kids recognized many of the tunes:)





After the air show there was a fire work display, of which for some reason I have no pictures:( It was at this point I realized there was one advantage to bringing so very little to our picnic we had little to pack up and where able to beat the crowds to the car! YAY!!!!

I am linking up to the Field Trip Hop, if you haven't been by you should check it out!



Also join in the NOBH lots of categories to link up too and spread the word about your blog!




















12 comments:

  1. Oh my goodness, I was laughing out loud about the luxurious picnics going on around you. When we went to Europe a few years ago, we experienced the same thing- us with our sandwiches and drinks, and everyone else with their "five star" set ups! So funny... We don't even eat like that in our home, lol. Thank you so much for sharing!

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  2. Wow! I guess they really know how to do it up across the Atlantic!! That is picnicking with style. What an amazing field trip! My guys would go crazy for that.

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  3. Very cool!!!
    And my picnic would have looked like yours, lol. Probably PB&J sandwiches & juice boxes :)

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  4. My goodness, what a ritzy crowd! Perhaps this was a subset of the population. (-:

    I enjoyed this post very much! Thank you for letting us live the air show through you. My family would have been next to you on our blanket, with sandwiches, too.

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  5. What a neat field trip! I am with you and everyone else...our picnics are very simple. I can't believe how fancy those others were!!

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  6. Napkins? Who needs napkins? We got pants and t-shirts, don't we!

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  7. Loved this post too! That is too funny about the picnics! Wow so much work and we don't even eat like those fancy picnic people at home! Privacy screens? That's wild! Looks like alot of fun with all the activities around you! I think I would have been so consumed watching the picnics I would have missed the air show! That must have been a great feeling to pack up and go before the crowds! That's my kind of picnic! Clicked a vote for you! Have a great day!

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  8. That is too funny! That will make a great memory for your family.

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  9. I love the picnickers, lol. That's the best part of field trips sometimes, the unexpected! =) I'm here via the field trip hop, and now follow you. Can't wait to see more of your adventures!

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  10. Wow! What a neat air show! We have been to one at an Air Force Base a year or more ago with the boys, and they loved it! Thanks for linking up!!

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  11. So, so, so envious! My husband and I went to Old Warden and saw some demonstrations a few years ago, but not for the Air Show. What a fabulous day! I won't tell him about your husband's experience. He would be SO envious! Thank you for sharing your adventure!

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  12. How funny! My kids and I loved reading about the British-style picnics! They may have been fancier, but at least you didn't have to carry a bunch of dishes, lanterns, and a wood table home!

    We went to an air show over the weekend, Rocky Mountain style! No picnic, but lots of cool planes and aerobatic tricks!

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