13 minute read
FLYING ADVENTURE
Home and away…
Martin Ferid stays a bit closer to home with a trip to the East of England, visiting Cambridgeshire and Lincolnshire…
The earliest form of what is known as the English language was brought to these shores by the Anglo-Saxons and, in Old English, the month of February was known as ‘Kale-monath’ (cabbage month) or ‘Solmonath’ (mud month). It was, however, the Latin name ‘Februa’ that finally won through, so-called after the Roman ‘festival of purification’.
Being that the month is always so cold, there are still some things to look forward to, although being honest not so much for the aviator. It can, of course, be used as an opportunity to accumulate those valuable Brownie points with a significant other. The month not only contains Valentine’s Day, for the romantically inclined it starts on 7 February with Rose Day and only culminates on the 14th after a different ‘day of love’ each day in between – Propose Day, Chocolate Day, Teddy Day, Promise Day, Hug Day and Kiss Day.
At this time of year, when days are still short, runways are wet and the time needed to clean the aeroplane can almost be as long as the flight itself, it’s good to make productive use of the time. Many consider themselves a bit of a whizz with the spanners, so it may be a good time to get the toolbox out and deal with those jobs that go hand in hand with this avocation. Simple jobs like charging the battery, gapping plugs and a little grease Main Wansford Bridge, as featured in a 17th century poem by Richard Braithwaite, and built from 1577. here and there are routinely taken care of, but if more involved jobs that need doing get neglected, they can eat into that all too valuable flying-time.
As I actively seek out less prosaic and the more interesting places, discovering Stamford is no great surprise, although I have to admit, that it came about due to a set of circumstances and not by any great design.
With the winter weather showing no sign of abating, the idea was to drive somewhere for a couple of days, within a three-hour radius. With laptop in hand, Sian was making suggestions whilst I attempted to watch John Wayne taking on the bad guys. There he was on the back of a horse, a gun in each hand, with reins in his teeth while Sian continued the conversation. Her complaint was that I wasn’t listening as she talked, although in my defence I’d put forward the argument that she kept talking when she knew I wasn’t listening. The net result was that she’d booked what she called a ‘superb’ offer in Cambridgeshire in a village called Wansford.
As the date drew closer, more out of habit than anything else, a look at the synoptic charts showed a period of high pressure on the horizon, which prompted a check to see if there was an airfield nearby for tea and a chat. To my surprise, Peterborough-Sibson was less than a five-minute car ride away.
The day before departure, the forecast good weather had arrived and in an almost knee-jerk reaction, I called Sibson to check their status after all the wet weather. They were a bit soggy, had parachuting in progress, but were operational and suggested a look at their website, as there are no ‘overhead’ or ‘dead side’ joins. (www. peterboroughflyingschool.com/visiting). The questions I wasn’t quite prepared for were, what was the aircraft registration and how many people were on board? Not having exactly rung up for PPR, it seemed that I now had it and was booked in for the following day. There then followed a delicate discussion while I attempted to concinnate the revised plans with Sian, and after some modification to the packing arrangements we were all set to go by aeroplane!
Clear, cold winter sky
The Jodel literally leapt into the clear, cold winter sky on one of those crisp, calm, wintery days that had us touching down on Sibson’s Runway 24 a little over an hour later. Airborne excursions for a couple of days away are usually restricted to the summer months, although I did harbour secret concerns that the weather may not hold for our return. The walk from the airfield takes about 45 minutes, although when it’s not so wet if you ask ATC nicely, they Above The rear courtyard of the Haycock Hotel at Wansford, a former post house on the Great North Road that dates back to 1632, with al fresco dining in the summer no doubt. may let you cross the runway to cut across the fields. Our accommodation for the weekend was The Haycock Hotel, and was not what I was expecting, as generally speaking when we fly we tend to book ‘cheap and cheerful’.
Located adjacent to the Great North Road, it started life as The Swan Inn, a post house, in 1632 and is said to be haunted. Mary Queen of Scots and her entourage are reputed to have been guests on her way to imprisonment at Fotheringhay Castle and her eventual execution. Our room overlooked the courtyard, where you could almost sense the frenetic activity that took place as carriages arrived, horses were changed, refreshments had, and passengers prepared for the onward journey. Those with a passion for literature and the English language will no doubt know of the poet and writer Richard Brathwaite (1588-1673) a Royalist Officer during the English Civil War, whose books The English Gentleman and The English Gentlewoman were definitive guides of etiquette for the times. Interestingly, especially for the techies, is that he is also the first person accredited to have used the word ‘computer’, in his 1613 book, The Yong Man’s Gleanings. The hostelry’s name change was due to Brathwaite’s writings under his pseudonym Corymbaeus used in writing Barnabæ Itinerarium (Barnabee’s Journal), a
Below A typical Stamford street. The town is considered the most complete of the Georgian period in the UK. series of rhyming verse, written in Latin much like limericks.
On a haycock sleeping soundly, Th’river rose and tooke me roundly; Downe the currente, people cryed, Sleeping, down the streame I hyed, ’Where away,‘ quoth they, ’from Greenland?‘ ’No, from Wansford Brigs in England.‘
It tells the story of Barnaby who, in escaping the plague, has a bit too much to drink and falls asleep on a bale of hay (haycock). As the river floods, the hay bale floats away only to get stuck on the bridge at Wansford. On waking-up, a little worse for wear and unsure of his position, ‘what land be I in’, asks he. To which the response was Wansford, Wansford in England. The sobriquet stuck and the village has since been known as Wansford in England, similar to the way Hove in East Sussex is referred to as ‘Hove Actually’. The quaint stone-built village is small, pretty and straddles the River Nene.
Food-wise, apart from Orchards the hotel restaurant, there are a couple of pubs and an upmarket café. The Paper Mills (www.paper-mills.com), The Cross Keys (01780 782266) and The Wansford Country Lounge (www.countryloungewansfordcafebar.co.uk). There are reasons enough just to stay in and around the village for a little R&R, but being perfectly honest, that has never been my strong suit. The obvious choice for a bit of a mooch around would have been Peterborough, with its Cathedral, steam railway and museum, but I generally prefer less oppidan places, with some history and a little charm. On asking around, the hotel staff unanimously suggested, Stamford on the 205-bus route that runs from Peterborough, stopping at Wansford and taking about 30 minutes.
Stamford sits on the River Welland, with a population of around 20,000, and was once a walled town, although little of the fortifications remain today. The whole of
Eastern England was subject to raids from Viking raiders and as far back as 793 AD, Alcuin of York wrote of his concerns to Ethelred, King of Northumbria and Higbald, the bishop of Lindisfarne in anticipation of impending invasion and the inevitable spread further south. In 894 AD, West Saxon Ealdorman Aethelnoth invaded the town, but despite the anti-immigration policy of the time, the Danes continued to rule and many of the locals are likely descendants of the aggressors. The Great Northern Railway connecting London and York was originally planned to route through the town but, as often happens, head honcho the third Marquess of Exeter didn’t like the idea and used his influence for Peterborough to be chosen instead. Subsequently, Stamford has remained a pretty place, with a charming Historic Town Centre boasting five medieval churches, lots of old timber-framed houses and an abundance of 17th and 18th century stone buildings. Several period TV dramas have been filmed on its streets as the entire place lends itself to a film set. Once in the centre, your first port of call should be the Tourist Office, located at the Stamford Arts Centre, 27 St Mary’s St, 01780 763203. There you’ll be given a map of the town as an aid to discover a little about Stamford’s history and highlights. As the name of the Centre suggests, there’s heaps of info regarding up and coming events, concerts and things of interest throughout the year. (www.stamfordartscentre.com).
Two markets
Friday is Stamford’s market day and in fact, every other week there are two markets. The weekly traditional one is on Broad and Ironmonger Streets, with a farmers’ market on the High Street every second week.
Walking around you soon get the idea as to why Stamford is regarded as the prettiest stone-built town in England, the place is small enough to wander in any direction and end up back where you started from. There’s an abundance of rather expensive boutique shops, restricting our souvenir shopping to the charity shops and whichever direction you go in you’ll come across one of the umpteen churches dotted around the town. Ducking and diving through St Mary’s Passage or Goldsmiths Lane, the tiny ancient passageways add considerably to the historic feel and by the time you reach the river, you’ll feel like a local. The Albert Bridge that crosses the River Welland is a relatively new addition, having been built in 1881 to replace the one washed away by floods a year previously. About a 30-minute walk out of town in a southeasterly direction is Burghley House and Deer Park. A seriously imposing building, the house and gardens are still owned by descendants of the same family. To get the picture, think big, think Downton Abbey. The Tudor mansion was designed and built by Sir William Cecil, Queen Elizabeth’s Lord High Treasurer and chief spymaster in the 16th century. The gardens we see today were a later development, designed in the 18th Top Majestic Burghley House, home of the horse trials of the same name, has been in the same family for generations and features gardens by Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown.
Above Peterborough-Sibson is within easy striking distance of both Wansford and Stamford.
century by Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown, parts of which get closed off for the annual Burghley Horse Trials. (www.burghley.co.uk).
Going further in the same direction, a weekday bus service 201/202 runs to the Barnack Hills and Holes National Nature Reserve, 20 minutes away. Originally the site of rubble from a mediaeval quarry, it has become an important area for wildlife, littered with butterflies and around 300 kinds of wild plants. (https:// langdyke.org.uk). Tolethorpe Hall is about a 50-minute walk to the North, or a little over five minutes by car, and is home to the Stamford Shakespeare Company, it’s a wonderful setting for the open-air theatre, with some superb productions. (https://stamfordshakespeare.co.uk). Years ago, the Browne family were powerful and influential in the area and lived at Tolethorpe Hall. As you meander the streets of Stamford, you’ll notice the mention of them here and there throughout the town. In 1485 William Browne founded Browne’s Hospital as a
house of prayer and home for two poor women and 10 poor men. Amazingly the alms-house is still in existence today, the statutes of which require attendance at chapel twice daily to pray for the original founder. (www. stamfordcivicsociety.org.uk).
As far as places to stay, the centre is not going to be cheap and the best choice is likely to be an Airbnb, unless you’re prepared to pay upwards of £150 per night. (www.airbnb.co.uk/s/Stamford).
Sensible option
Although nothing about the trip was pre-planned, I found staying out of town and visiting the more sensible option, as the supply and demand conundrum seemed to push prices up to an unacceptable level, even out of season.
For something comestible, there are lots of reasonably priced cafés, pizza outlets and American diners, which are the more usual haunts of most aviators, although I found the local pubs had a far nicer atmosphere for a comparable cost. If you’re feeling flush and want a proper restaurant, two of the nicer ones are: Zada Turkish Restaurant, 13 St. Marys Hill (01780 766848) www.zadarestaurant.co.uk and the George Hotel of Stamford, 71 St Martins (01780 750750) www. georgehotelofstamford.com. The George has two restaurants: The Garden Room is very pleasant with outside seating and comes into its own in the summer, where you can watch the world go by. But it’s the Oak Room that is better value, with a three-course lunch costing £32, except on Sundays.
If you’re prepared to spend that much and you can get there, a 30-minute drive to the west is Hambleton Hall with food prepared by its Michelin-starred chef, Below The river Welland is navigable from Stamford to the east and provides lovely riverside walks. Aaron Patterson. The views overlooking Rutland Water make a lovely setting, with a three-course lunch menu for £40. (01572 756 991) (www.hambletonhall.com). Alternatively, you could fly to the strip at Shacklewell (N52°39.15 W000°34.250), where 13 aircraft are based, making Hambleton Hall or Stamford a 15-minute taxi ride away. Give Richard a call for PPR, 07801 585480.
Now whether it’s as a simple lunch trip or a weekend away, both Wansford and Stamford are worthy contenders, but I doubt very much that they feature much on the ‘usual suspects’ list for most aviators. Unfortunately, the bus from Wansford to Stamford only runs Monday-Friday, although if there are a few of you a taxi works, and would have you from the airfield into Stamford itself in a little over 15 minutes.
As for the journey home, there was a bit of a breeze, but Sibson does have a cross runway but the promised clear skies didn’t materialise. The return proved to be the exact opposite of the outbound leg, with low cloud and turbulent conditions, although we did manage to get home.
Our afternoon departure was probably a little too relaxed and leisurely and had we been 10 minutes later we would have needed an en route diversion as we managed to land at the strip just before the arrival of a front and had pouring rain by the time we got the Jodel into the hangar, which I guess is classed as a result – just!
Over the next few days, conditions proved why the original Old English name of ‘Solmonath’ for February made such good sense. ■
Next month we start venturing across water again and go to Waterford (EIWF) in the Republic of Ireland.
Get touring with the author!
Martin Ferid is a Class Rating Instructor and Revalidation Examiner and specialises in helping qualified pilots expand their horizons into Europe, by flying with them in their aircraft both as day trips or a few days at a time.
A browse through the ‘favourite destinations’ should help with a little inspiration, as it provides a selection of places we’ve visited, giving a snapshot of what to expect, cruising at a relatively sedate 90kt. The ‘touring’ pages contain a useful amount of info with regards to formalities, radio procedures, flight plans etc. Or for a little amusement on rainy days try the ‘bit of fun’.
Email: lightaircrafttraining@yahoo.com Tel: 07598 880 178 www.lightaircrafttraining.co.uk
