Taken from our November/December Machanalia Newsletter
I don’t know how many of you took up my suggestion to watch the free track practice for the Goodwood Revival, without any entry charge, but I didn’t see anyone there I recognised. There were hardly any onlookers in fact, and it was a novel experience to stand beside the deserted pits exit and chat to the drivers waiting to be released out on to the track. Most of them were very willing to talk about their precious machinery; among the “specials” there were several references to the “Short block Chevy” – apparently the easiest way to cram a useful 350 horse-power under a limited bonnet!
We had visitors from Norway staying with us at the time – my wife’s sister and her partner Dag, who was really excited to be close to many priceless cars. Dag used to race in a national Speedway team in his youth, then he set up a thriving Ducati dealership from which he has just retired. Now he enjoys international touring on both two and four wheels.
When the eleventh hour came around I felt the need for my usual morning coffee, so we all visited the adjacent flying club’s excellent café. While sitting outside, I thought I spotted through my binoculars two Spitfires outside a distant hangar. Asking one of the members whether they were likely to take off, he said he thought that they would if I waited for half an hour or so; so we walked across and took some close-up photos of the splendid aircraft while waiting for something to happen.
Suddenly, out from the hangar beside us walked several men wearing overalls, one of them a confident-looking ginger-head young man carrying a pilot’s helmet. I thought no more about it, but it was my wife who said “do you know, I think that’s Prince Harry”. And so it was! They all fussed over him a great deal, strapping him into the nearest aircraft. Eventually both the Merlin engines were started up with a tremendous roar and blast of air; after a while the two aircraft started taxiing on to the runway and immediately took off. Needless to say my trigger finger was snapping like mad, even though I only had a little pocket camera with me.
It must have been the 30th birthday experience that Harry had always promised himself, a purely private visit and hence no press in attendance. When he landed, half an hour later, he taxied back past me with the aircraft canopy pulled back; with a beaming smile he gave me a wave before coming to a stop. What a great guy he is.
After I returned home, I emailed various newspapers and eventually received an enthusiastic call back from The Sun, who printed two of my pictures the following day. They then asked me if they could act as my agent, and now I am told that three of them have also appeared in Hello! Magazine. It all goes to show how important it is to carry a little camera (or a mobile with camera if you have one) at all times – you never know what may happen right in front of you!
Alec Fry
