FLYING ADVENTURE

Next stop France…

Martin Ferid takes a trip to Lydd, in the Garden of England, which is full of history and charm – and only a hop and a skip away from the Continent…

As this year comes to a close, thoughts will be turning optimistically to next year and the season ahead. As a launch point to the Continent, Lydd is ideally situated, and it has the benefit of the fuel duty being deducted at source, which easily offsets the £22 landing fee. I guess you could say that for me this is very wishful speaking for 2022 as I recall that Sian and I once dropped into Lydd to refuel around lunchtime and arrived in Switzerland in time for dinner. After two long seasons with precious little overseas touring, I am desperately hoping next year we can get back to something like ‘normal’.

Whatever way you look at it, the self-proclaimed London-Ashford Airport remains in the middle of nowhere and is primarily used as a stopping off point, on the way to or from somewhere else. The wacky marketing is naturally aimed at the corporate market and requires imagination on an epic scale, as Lydd is a good 1½ hours away from London by public transport, and is actually far closer to France than London.

That said, I’ve always found the reception staff and refuellers friendly and helpful, and Lydd Aero Club, under the directorship of Roy Panniers and Bill Vidal, is always welcoming to all who pass through their doors. Lydd Air Above Lydd Airport is on the coast, so relatively easy to spot. continues to offer its charter service, albeit that the Le Touquet shuttle is on a more ‘on demand’ basis these days. And TG Aviation and the Search and Rescue Helicopter also relocated to Lydd with the closure of Manston. Until recently, most visitors ate at The Biggles Café but it has since closed and the management is actively in search of a new operator. It was always adequate, but more of a cafeteria than a restaurant, with a popular Sunday carvery.

I hope that the new incumbent has a vision and a flair for food to create a ‘proper’ restaurant, making it a desirable destination in its own right. French airfields fill their restaurants by providing good food for people to enjoy while watching the aircraft come and go, both inside and on the terraces. Little known is that the airport actually owns the adjacent golf club, making it a good choice, not only for a round of golf but also a pub-style lunch. 01797 320808; www.lyddgolfclub.co.uk.

Due to its coastal location, it should be easy to spot, as the green fields of Romney Marsh transition into the blue of the Channel. But, apart from frequently being windy in hazy conditions, the runway can prove to be more than a tad elusive in the reduced visibility.

As a tip, locate the Dungeness power station and look for what is locally known as ‘the pepper pot’ that sits near one end of the runway.

One of the things that I particularly like is the nonstandard join, as it feels intuitive, simple, and mitigates the risk of collision. (1,500ft in the overhead, then a diagonal to 1,000ft to intersect the join between the crosswind and the downwind legs and, Bob’s your uncle!).

Unfortunately, if you need to land as a result of a weather diversion, it still remains one of only four airfields that refuse to sign up to the Strasser Scheme, although I can attest to the fee being of little importance after a fraught Channel crossing when your mettle is being tested and terra firma beckons. At the rate that we are losing airfields, we have a vested interest in Lydd’s success, although they should do all they can to make GA welcome, which hasn’t always been the case. Lower landing and parking fees would surely attract more weekenders, generating more income in real terms, while creating a buzz at the same time. After a recent meeting with the new manager David Hainsworth, I was told that there are plans afoot, but no details were forthcoming. There is no way of knowing whether those plans will be geared towards attracting GA or continuing to chase other forms of revenue. rich and famous, as they could simply motor onto the aircraft, get whisked off to France and motor off again in the blink of an eye.

In the original book version of Ian Fleming’s Goldfinger, Auric Goldfinger and his car travelled from Ferryfield to Le Touquet aboard a Bristol Freighter, although in the screen version that was altered, and he went from Southend to Geneva in an Aviation Traders ATL-98 Carvair.

Dreaded drones

In the last couple of years, Tekever AR5 Evolution Mk2 drones have been based and operated from the airport, with at least one reported incident in an approach to land. Their introduction created some pretty draconian crossChannel airspace restrictions, initially up to 3,000ft and later to a more reasonable 1,500ft.

Channel crossings can be pretty strenuous for pilots at the best of times and whoever designed the confounding segmented restrictions to accommodate unmanned drones should try a little VFR cross-Channel flying. Whatever the perceived benefits may be to somebody sitting in a warm office, let it be known that drones and aircraft don’t mix, and they should be kept low-down and well out of our way and not the other way around.

Silver City

The airport opened in 1956 as Lydd Ferryfield when the Lympne based Silver City Airways expanded its aerial car ferry services. It provided links to Le Touquet, Calais, Ostend, Cherbourg and Southampton throughout the 1950s and 1960s. By the 1970s, unprecedented competition from the roll-on, roll-off ferries made operations unviable. It must have been a spectacular period for the Above Lydd village has the usual services for sustenance and a bed for the night. Below Silver City operated Bristol Freighter car ‘ferry’ services in the fifties and early sixties.

Photo: Wiki. Lydd Village

Unless you plan to spend a few days in the area, Lydd village is where you’re likely to spend the night, especially after a diversion. The walk takes around 40 minutes, where you’ll find a hotel, Airbnbs, a couple of pubs, a curry house, a kebab shop, a Chinese and fish & chips. Don’t expect luxury, but given the circumstances, a roof over your head and any food will seem welcome. As they say, any port in a storm. Lydd Town Museum documents the area’s history and is open in the afternoon with no formal entry fee, although donations are welcomed. Guided walks around the village are available for £2. 01797 366566, The Old Fire Station, Queen’s Rd, Lydd, Romney Marsh TN29 9HL theromneymarsh.net/lyddtownmuseum.

The village has a carnival held on the third Saturday of June. It was established in 1868 and, apart from the war years, has taken place annually.

Due to the ever-constant threat of invasion, there has always been a military presence in the area. The garrison was extended in WWI with the construction of metal huts, giving it the name of Tin Town, by the locals.

A bed for the night

The George Hotel is probably the most convenient place to stay in the village. Rooms cost around £50 per night and they have their own reasonably priced restaurant with live music on Sunday afternoons. 11 High St, Lydd, Romney Marsh TN29 9AJ 01797 321710 thegeorgehotel-lydd.co.uk/

Out and about

Brenzett Aeronautical Museum is a small museum at nearby Ivychurch. Although it’s only 10 minutes in a taxi, the colubrine route by Nos 11 bus takes an hour.

Ivychurch Rd, Brenzett, Romney Marsh TN29 0EE 01797 344747 www.rmwcollection.co.uk/ New Romney is the headquarters of the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch steam railway line that runs from Dungeness through to Hythe. 01797 362 353 rhdr.org.uk/

Above right Rye’s St Mary’s Church Tower with its reputedly oldest working clock in the country.

Below Delightful Rye, an unspoilt gem of a town and well worth a visit. See also The Romney Marsh Wartime Collection rmwcollection.co.uk/

For bed, food and drink, try The Ship Hotel around £85 for a double room, 83 High St, New Romney TN28 8AZ 01797 362776 the-ship-hotel.co.uk/ Dymchurch is about 20 minutes by car and 40 minutes by bus (103). The high Street houses Tower No 24, the best surviving example of a Martello Tower built to greet the anticipated arrival of Napoleon and the French. A total of 74 were built between 1805 and 1812, although only three are open to the public. This particular example has been restored to its original state, complete with 24 pounder muzzle-loading cannon, fireplaces, window openings etc. Hythe is about an hour away on the same 103 bus with a creepy and rather macabre attraction within the Crypt of St. Leonard. The medieval church houses an ossuary, with the UK’s largest collection of human bones and skulls stored in a 13th-century extension. Camber Sands, with over two miles of beach and dunes, is less than 20 minutes away in the other direction, buses 102 or 11. It’s very popular with Londoners during the summer months. Another means of getting around is E-bike Hire Camber Sands, which costs £30 for half a day, rising to £48 for a full day. 123 Lydd Rd, Camber, Rye TN31 7RS 07960 587482 ebike-hire.com/ Rye is Lydd’s best-kept secret and the jewel in the crown, situated just over the county border in East Sussex. If you haven’t visited yet, it is ideal for two couples or a small group of friends, as it ranks as one of England’s prettiest and unspoilt towns. It retains much of the vestiges of its medieval charm, with narrow cobbled streets, halftimbered houses and historic architecture.

Parking meters have just been introduced, although traffic lights are seen as a touch radical and at present a step too far. Its name is thought to have come from the old word ‘rie’, meaning ‘embankment’ and medieval maps show the town as an island on a large embayment, providing a safe anchorage and harbour. It was made one of the Cinque ports by Edward the Confessor, giving it special concessions and privileges in return for supplying ships and men in defence of the realm.

The other side of its close proximity to France was the lucrative smuggling of wool to the Continent and contraband in the form of tea, lace, tobacco and alcohol into England. The smuggling cabal had bootlegging off to a fine art as, with the setting sun, the vespertine light signified the start of clandestine activities on an industrial scale. If you have trouble tracking their steps, fear not as there have been numerous sightings of revenant, shadowy figures from the past in the local alehouses and dwellings, and they may well pay you a visit themselves.

Some of the residences were designed with penumbral underground passages linking one another, providing secret hiding places and escape routes, making it more of a way of life. Given enough time, try one of the guided walks ryehistorywalks.co.uk. The 102 bus will get you there in a little over an hour and a taxi in about 20 minutes. St Mary’s Church Tower is said to have the oldest working clock in the country on its turret. If you’re fit enough, climb the stairs to the top for some lovely views of the Kent and Sussex countryside. Lamb House is a National Trust property and known as the ‘writer’s house’, which included writers like Henry James and EF Benson. West St, Rye TN31 7ES 01797 222909 nationaltrust.org.uk/lamb-house Jazz Festival There is a week-long jazz festival in the summer, a fun time around every street corner and a must for jazz lovers. ryejazz.com/

A bite to eat…

Mermaid Inn, hotel and restaurant was rebuilt in 1420 and is regarded as one of the best symbols of Rye.

Serving traditional English fayre, it's expensive but a must-visit, if only for a drink. 01797 223065 mermaidinn.com/

Webbe’s at The Fish Café, for the best seafood in the area 01797 222226. Tower St, Rye TN31 7AT www.webbesrestaurants.co.uk

Rye Waterworks Micropub is a quirky converted ex-public toilet serving local ales, ciders and food etc. Tower Street, Rye TN31 7AT ryewaterworks.co.uk/

Ypres Tower / Rye Castle Museum contains local weapons and artefacts dating back to the times of William the Conqueror. Rye TN31 7HE 01797 226728 ryemuseum. co.uk/ypres-tower. You can sit in the Gun Garden below and have a picnic or lunch in the adjacent pub, The Ypres Castle Inn yprescastleinn.co.uk Newenden is a small hamlet not far from Rye and sits on the River Rother. It’s a truly picturesque place where rowboats can be hired, and camping is available. It also has its own restaurant and a regular boat service along the river to Bodiam Castle 01797 253838. bodiamboatingstation.co.uk/.

For a drink, food or a room, just walk across the medieval style sandstone bridge, built-in 1706, to the White Hart, a lovely olde worlde pub thewhitehartnewenden.co.uk/.

The place is enchanting in itself but a must for cricket lovers, many of whom follow the sport with religious fervour. According to legend, and duly corroborated by Wisden Cricketer’s Almanack, it is accepted as the birthplace of cricket or ‘creag’. The first known reference to the game was on 10 March 1301 whilst King Edward I was visiting the then-thriving port. His accounts show a sum of money drawn for his son, the Prince of Wales (later Edward II), to play at Newenden, the next mention not appearing for another 250 years. The Newenden Cricket ground is opposite the pub and the club were unbeaten league champions in 2021.

All in all, the remote location of the airport and lack of easy access have always been Lydd’s nemesis. Buses are intermittent and just the walk from the terminal to the bus stop takes 20/25 minutes. The best value taxi found locally was Lee’s Taxi’s 07824 171778. For an idea of costs, it’s about £8-10 to New Romney and £20-25 to Rye.

Nowadays, Lydd is in a position to forge its own destiny as there is plenty to do and see in the area, although it really needs a reasonably priced car hire service, its own shuttle bus and a decent restaurant to make it a more convenient place to visit. Then, who knows, it may well thrive once again.

Finally, for the concluding issue of yet another bizarre year, I’d like to wish those who follow this monthly rendition a very Happy Christmas and, given the current conditions, a healthy and prosperous New Year for 2022.

l Just in case you’ve missed it, this is Brian Hope’s last issue as editor after 20 years in the job. He’s going into semi-retirement and getting involved with the training courses side of things within the LAA. Cut his veins and he’ll likely bleed W80, and my guess is that his pulse rate works on the Otto cycle.

I’m sure that he has inspired countless people over the years, including myself.

I’d like to wish him luck and an enjoyable semiretirement, not only on my own behalf but on behalf of the whole readership and look forward to seeing him and his Jodel on our fly-outs throughout Europe and the UK.

Good luck and best wishes, Brian! n

Above Picturesque Newenden, home of cricket and a pleasant boat trip to classic Bodiam Castle.

Touring with Martin…

Martin Ferid is a Class Rating Instructor / Revalidation Examiner, specialising in advanced tuition and confidence-building flights in your aircraft throughout Europe and the UK. These adventures can be taken as simple day trips or a few days at a time.

Browsing through the ‘favourite destinations’ on the website below should inspire tyro and experienced pilots alike. For amusement, try the ‘bit of fun’ section on the ‘contacts’ tab. For a confidence boost, a biennial flight, or for some long-distance flying, we can make it fun too! Email: lightaircrafttraining@yahoo.com Tel: 07598 880178 Website: lightaircrafttraining.co.uk