RS Best of London and Duxford Flying Legends air show - wow!
Aug 8th, 2009, 06:13 AM
#41
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 1,619
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
thursdaysd, thanks for the links!
yk and irishface, yes the air show was awesome, not just as event but also if it could have personal meaning.
At least one other Fodorite was planning to attend, for the personal reason of seeing one of those American planes, irishface.
One odd moment for me .. as planes landed and passed where I seated the pilots would frequently wave and get waves/cheers from the crowd. Same happened when the Luftwaffe planes landed. I had to remind myself, okay, yes, it is a British (also used by the Yanks) airfield, but this is no longer WW2! It is okay to applaud!
yk and irishface, yes the air show was awesome, not just as event but also if it could have personal meaning.
At least one other Fodorite was planning to attend, for the personal reason of seeing one of those American planes, irishface.
One odd moment for me .. as planes landed and passed where I seated the pilots would frequently wave and get waves/cheers from the crowd. Same happened when the Luftwaffe planes landed. I had to remind myself, okay, yes, it is a British (also used by the Yanks) airfield, but this is no longer WW2! It is okay to applaud!
Aug 8th, 2009, 06:18 AM
#42
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 1,619
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
<b>Sunday, 12 July: Cambridge/Duxford to Crawley</b>
I turned in the key to St. Catherine's (the room is charged to your card at booking time, fyi) and went almost across the street to the 8 a.m. service at St. Botolph's (patron saint to travelers!), http://www.stbotolphs.net/. Most of the church was built in the 14th century, on the site of previous Norman and Saxon churches. Old and beautiful, just big enough, I liked it very much (especially as a traveler
Well, here is an embarrassing moment
I will share in the hope it helps someone else. Looking at the paperwork from the UniversityRooms booking, breakfast was included with my stay at St. Catherine's. I could have gone to church, back to breakfast, and Then turned in my key. When I checked in and when I left early on Sunday the person at the desk never mentioned breakfast. Oh well, next time I will know to ask. Though, the paperwork also mentions a clock radio and telephone; my room had neither.
After the service at St. Botolph's, I walked back to the rail station to catch a shuttle to the air show. The shuttles were numerous and efficient for going to and fro. Lots and lots of people were at the show on Saturday, perhaps not quite so many on Sunday, and from many countries: I know I could hear German, French, I think Italian, too.
I forgot to mention that I only had my Cafe bag with me, just brought pj's and toothbrush for the quick overnight. Just shook out my clothes, washed the undies, and went back on Sunday (I know, I know, sink washing gets some travelers' hackles up, to each traveler's preference, enjoy the trip!). I was able to leave the duffel in the Lime Tree's luggage storage closet, a courtesy service offered by the hotel.
The Sunday schedule was the same as Saturday's. The Imperial War Museum - Duxford covers a large area. You have plenty of buildings/hangers with displays to view any time you tire of the air show aircraft. You could also view a couple of WW2 reenactment displays, shop at the Many vendor booths or the museum's own gift shops, eat from the numerous food booths, take a tank ride, or fly in a biplane. Hmm, I spent my money on the Gold Pass; I could have easily bought regular tickets and spent an equivalent once I arrived ;-)
With a ways to go to reach my hotel for Sunday night, I left on the first shuttle beginning to carry people Back to the rail station, by 3:30 p.m. I had my ticket purchased on Saturday and just had to wait until the platform for the Express to King's Cross showed on the board.
So, train to London, Circle Line to Sloan Square (Victoria Line was closed for weekend), walk to the Lime Tree and get my bag, quick walk to Victoria, buy a ticket and be just in time for a leaving train to Crawley. When it works so slick, wonderful! I stayed at a hotel I discovered on a Fodor's post: Arora International - Gatwick, http://www.arorainternational.com/ga...a_Gatwick.html The cost was £55 including VAT (no breakfast, but That I knew).
The Arora has direct access from the train station on platform 2. I got off the train and not seeing any indication of the platform climbed the stairs to go across to the station. Walking down the stairs on the station side, I saw that I had just Left platform 2, so, back up the stairs, across the bridge, down the stairs, and walk to the end of the platform, lol.
The Arora was a nice hotel. The most different thing was how to use the key card. You have to use it to activate the elevator. You also have to use it to turn on the lights! It took me 5 or so minutes of wandering around the room, thinking what the heck to do to get the lights on, before I realized I had a sheet of paper with the key card envelope. It was a whole sheet of instructions: how to turn on the lights, how to start the shower stall, the tub, etc. The key card goes into a control panel and Then the lights will turn on. So, read the instructions and you will be set
I turned in the key to St. Catherine's (the room is charged to your card at booking time, fyi) and went almost across the street to the 8 a.m. service at St. Botolph's (patron saint to travelers!), http://www.stbotolphs.net/. Most of the church was built in the 14th century, on the site of previous Norman and Saxon churches. Old and beautiful, just big enough, I liked it very much (especially as a traveler
Well, here is an embarrassing moment
I will share in the hope it helps someone else. Looking at the paperwork from the UniversityRooms booking, breakfast was included with my stay at St. Catherine's. I could have gone to church, back to breakfast, and Then turned in my key. When I checked in and when I left early on Sunday the person at the desk never mentioned breakfast. Oh well, next time I will know to ask. Though, the paperwork also mentions a clock radio and telephone; my room had neither.After the service at St. Botolph's, I walked back to the rail station to catch a shuttle to the air show. The shuttles were numerous and efficient for going to and fro. Lots and lots of people were at the show on Saturday, perhaps not quite so many on Sunday, and from many countries: I know I could hear German, French, I think Italian, too.
I forgot to mention that I only had my Cafe bag with me, just brought pj's and toothbrush for the quick overnight. Just shook out my clothes, washed the undies, and went back on Sunday (I know, I know, sink washing gets some travelers' hackles up, to each traveler's preference, enjoy the trip!). I was able to leave the duffel in the Lime Tree's luggage storage closet, a courtesy service offered by the hotel.
The Sunday schedule was the same as Saturday's. The Imperial War Museum - Duxford covers a large area. You have plenty of buildings/hangers with displays to view any time you tire of the air show aircraft. You could also view a couple of WW2 reenactment displays, shop at the Many vendor booths or the museum's own gift shops, eat from the numerous food booths, take a tank ride, or fly in a biplane. Hmm, I spent my money on the Gold Pass; I could have easily bought regular tickets and spent an equivalent once I arrived ;-)
With a ways to go to reach my hotel for Sunday night, I left on the first shuttle beginning to carry people Back to the rail station, by 3:30 p.m. I had my ticket purchased on Saturday and just had to wait until the platform for the Express to King's Cross showed on the board.
So, train to London, Circle Line to Sloan Square (Victoria Line was closed for weekend), walk to the Lime Tree and get my bag, quick walk to Victoria, buy a ticket and be just in time for a leaving train to Crawley. When it works so slick, wonderful! I stayed at a hotel I discovered on a Fodor's post: Arora International - Gatwick, http://www.arorainternational.com/ga...a_Gatwick.html The cost was £55 including VAT (no breakfast, but That I knew).
The Arora has direct access from the train station on platform 2. I got off the train and not seeing any indication of the platform climbed the stairs to go across to the station. Walking down the stairs on the station side, I saw that I had just Left platform 2, so, back up the stairs, across the bridge, down the stairs, and walk to the end of the platform, lol.
The Arora was a nice hotel. The most different thing was how to use the key card. You have to use it to activate the elevator. You also have to use it to turn on the lights! It took me 5 or so minutes of wandering around the room, thinking what the heck to do to get the lights on, before I realized I had a sheet of paper with the key card envelope. It was a whole sheet of instructions: how to turn on the lights, how to start the shower stall, the tub, etc. The key card goes into a control panel and Then the lights will turn on. So, read the instructions and you will be set
Aug 8th, 2009, 07:00 AM
#43
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 1,619
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
<b>Monday, 13 July: Go home</b>
I spent my time at the Arora rearranging my things, throwing out some accumulated paper stuff no longer needed, getting what I hoped to be less than 13 pounds in the duffel and the rest in the Cafe bag and jacket pockets. Sleep did not really come: frequent looks at the clock and I gave up around 4 a.m. for final preparations and went down at 5 to check out. I went in to the train station to buy a £2.60 ticket to Gatwick airport from the machine, caught the 5:29 and was checking in at the Aer Lingus desk before 6 a.m. The area around the EasyJet desks was a madhouse of people and lines, but just three people were down in the area for Aer Lingus, sort of off to the side in "B."
I found security and eventually made my way through. It was in no way as long as Heathrow in April, but took longer from the family ahead of me who could not seem to remember how many metallic items really were in various pockets. Security: "Is everything out?" Family member (pretty much each one): "Yes." Metal detector: "Beep." Repeat.
Like Heathrow, once past security there was a shopping/waiting area. You wait (assumably to shop and share a few more funds) until the gate is released to the sign. Gatwick also had very helpful staff walking around, both before and after security, look the least uncertain and you would likely be approached.
The remainder of my trip:
I board to go to Dublin, arrive at Dublin, go through a passport control, past the baggage claim (just carry on!), through Dublin security, find the gate, fly to Shannon, get off the plane with all my stuff, walk around a long ways to US immigration/passport control, a baggage check from Shannon staff, re-board the plane, fly to Boston, go directly to customs, wait for the bus, 2 hrs to Maine, and the last hour home with family. Whew! We drove in the yard at 7 p.m. Eastern, 20 hours since getting up at the Arora. The head was certainly buzzing when I crashed within the hour.
A week or so of sharing souvenirs, pictures, and adjusting to the time change and the trip ends.
If I have opportunity to go to another Flying Legends I would certainly make for more time in the area. I did not stay to the very end of flying on Saturday (too tired) and could not on Sunday, either. Plus you have lots more to see in the area, eh? Oh, and happy birthday to Cambridge University, 800 years young
Cheers!
I spent my time at the Arora rearranging my things, throwing out some accumulated paper stuff no longer needed, getting what I hoped to be less than 13 pounds in the duffel and the rest in the Cafe bag and jacket pockets. Sleep did not really come: frequent looks at the clock and I gave up around 4 a.m. for final preparations and went down at 5 to check out. I went in to the train station to buy a £2.60 ticket to Gatwick airport from the machine, caught the 5:29 and was checking in at the Aer Lingus desk before 6 a.m. The area around the EasyJet desks was a madhouse of people and lines, but just three people were down in the area for Aer Lingus, sort of off to the side in "B."
I found security and eventually made my way through. It was in no way as long as Heathrow in April, but took longer from the family ahead of me who could not seem to remember how many metallic items really were in various pockets. Security: "Is everything out?" Family member (pretty much each one): "Yes." Metal detector: "Beep." Repeat.
Like Heathrow, once past security there was a shopping/waiting area. You wait (assumably to shop and share a few more funds) until the gate is released to the sign. Gatwick also had very helpful staff walking around, both before and after security, look the least uncertain and you would likely be approached.
The remainder of my trip:
I board to go to Dublin, arrive at Dublin, go through a passport control, past the baggage claim (just carry on!), through Dublin security, find the gate, fly to Shannon, get off the plane with all my stuff, walk around a long ways to US immigration/passport control, a baggage check from Shannon staff, re-board the plane, fly to Boston, go directly to customs, wait for the bus, 2 hrs to Maine, and the last hour home with family. Whew! We drove in the yard at 7 p.m. Eastern, 20 hours since getting up at the Arora. The head was certainly buzzing when I crashed within the hour.
A week or so of sharing souvenirs, pictures, and adjusting to the time change and the trip ends.
If I have opportunity to go to another Flying Legends I would certainly make for more time in the area. I did not stay to the very end of flying on Saturday (too tired) and could not on Sunday, either. Plus you have lots more to see in the area, eh? Oh, and happy birthday to Cambridge University, 800 years young
Cheers!
Aug 8th, 2009, 07:16 AM
#44
Thanks for a great report scotlib! (Where to next, lol!)
And thanks for the Gatwick hotel link. I usually stay here - www.springwoodguesthouse.co.uk - for Gatwick, with free airport pickup/dropoff and walking distance to the Old Six Bells pub, but for an early flight the Arora would be even more convenient.
And thanks for the Gatwick hotel link. I usually stay here - www.springwoodguesthouse.co.uk - for Gatwick, with free airport pickup/dropoff and walking distance to the Old Six Bells pub, but for an early flight the Arora would be even more convenient.
Aug 8th, 2009, 08:10 AM
#45
Join Date: Oct 2004
Posts: 9,737
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I'm glad you decided to do this report, Scotlib! I really enjoyed it. And I'm very glad to hear that you enjoyed the trip. Sounds like the air show was a wonderful experience.
As for the keycard controlling the lights, the Holiday Inn Express Earls Court was that way too (it also controlled the A/C). We've actually run across that in the US too though, offhand, I can't remember where.
As for the keycard controlling the lights, the Holiday Inn Express Earls Court was that way too (it also controlled the A/C). We've actually run across that in the US too though, offhand, I can't remember where.
Aug 8th, 2009, 09:21 AM
#46
What a great report scotlib! I'm going to have to schedule a trip during the airshow some time.
Back in the 70's/early 80's I went to the Greenham Common airshow several times. Not so much historic planes but more Red Arrows, Tricolore, Blue Angels and such. Met Sir Douglas Bader twice - truly an amazing story/life.
Just FYI "<i>Tom had mentioned that we should have the hotel call a taxi to be available at departure time, that it would be cheaper. The desk clerk said her boss has told her to just grab a taxi from the street, that it would be cheaper. Who was right? Anyone have a tip for the future?</i> . . . . If the hotel called a black cab it would cost more, if they booked a mini-cab service it would (usually) cost less . . . . .
Back in the 70's/early 80's I went to the Greenham Common airshow several times. Not so much historic planes but more Red Arrows, Tricolore, Blue Angels and such. Met Sir Douglas Bader twice - truly an amazing story/life.
Just FYI "<i>Tom had mentioned that we should have the hotel call a taxi to be available at departure time, that it would be cheaper. The desk clerk said her boss has told her to just grab a taxi from the street, that it would be cheaper. Who was right? Anyone have a tip for the future?</i> . . . . If the hotel called a black cab it would cost more, if they booked a mini-cab service it would (usually) cost less . . . . .
Aug 8th, 2009, 05:49 PM
#47
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 1,619
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
thursdaysd .. maybe Ireland next April, if I have a chance to use the Aer Lingus credit, but it depends if my usual fall/winter second job comes through, no word as yet if I am needed
CAPH52 .. glad you found the trip report .. I am looking forward to your days in Edinburgh! After 2 years of April trips to Edinburgh, maybe I'd rather go back, if I get the chance!
janisj .. thanks for reading and the black cab/mini-cab svc info .. I have so much more to learn about traveling.
CAPH52 .. glad you found the trip report .. I am looking forward to your days in Edinburgh! After 2 years of April trips to Edinburgh, maybe I'd rather go back, if I get the chance!
janisj .. thanks for reading and the black cab/mini-cab svc info .. I have so much more to learn about traveling.
Aug 8th, 2009, 06:00 PM
#48
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 1,619
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I posted a short video of clips and pictures I took at Duxford:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcJmwnt3Gl4
No, I cannot tell you which plane is which, a couple maybe. A fellow near me on Saturday sure could have. He could identify just about anything as it took off!
The camera is not really a video camera, but you will hopefully get some sense of the excitement of the flying. It was weird to see the camera makes it possible to see each individual propeller.
You will see a few seconds of the grasshopper clock, too. Cheers.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcJmwnt3Gl4
No, I cannot tell you which plane is which, a couple maybe. A fellow near me on Saturday sure could have. He could identify just about anything as it took off!
The camera is not really a video camera, but you will hopefully get some sense of the excitement of the flying. It was weird to see the camera makes it possible to see each individual propeller.
You will see a few seconds of the grasshopper clock, too. Cheers.
Aug 9th, 2009, 04:06 AM
#49
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 12,582
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
In a previous life I worked for a housing association. They named a street "Douglas Bader Close" on the grounds that "young people needed to look up to someone".
It's true. Mind you it was in Reading and they're all thick there.
It's true. Mind you it was in Reading and they're all thick there.
