Sunday, Part 1,

as usual I took way too many photographs,

so I have split Sunday's post into two parts, glad rags on,

and we were off to the tram stop in Beckenham, our tram was coming in,

so Diana almost ran as she was in the station topping up her Oyster card,

all set,

and we were soon in Croydon,

over the tram lines,

and into East Croydon station, we were going to Eastbourne for the air show, we had been there before our last visit in the same hotel was in January of 2020, back then we had a comfortable journey, but this time the train was packed, for the 1 hour and ten minute journey, no seats, we stood almost all of the way, again I am amazed at how the green tree huggers say do not take your car, but when a annual event like this takes place do not put on extra trains, and the rail strikers somehow think that striking as well as making passengers stand for long journeys is going to help their cause!

we arrived a little the worse for the journey at Eastbourne,

and started our walk through the town,

looking  back at Eastbourne station,

time for shopping

whilst Diana was inside I had a look,

 a Wimpy and a McDonald's right next door to each other, and over the road there was a KFC, takeaways galore!

Diana soon emerged from shopping,

so we made our way past the tents of the Sunday market,

lots on offer,

the stalls with all manner of goods,

like this one,

with kids colouring sets,

we walked to the cry of seagulls on the front,

passing a store that specialises in local hand made goods,

I am not sure if the cinema still going, it looks kind of boarded up,

making our way up pedestrianized streets,

with many colourful shops on them,

our first view of the pier,

and the entrance to it,

we we do!

we both remember Harry Ramsdens from when we hired a beach hut for 6 months in Bournemouth, in December 2020, it was our nearest takeaway!

we walked parallel to the shore past the flowered gardens,

and towards the hotel that had burnt down some years ago,

then down to the beach, we could not book into our hotel until 3.00 in afternoon, 

so walk along the front it was,

looking back towards the pier,

we will be visiting it today,

already many were bagging the best spots for the air show,

under the pier,

and out the other side,

before a coke and a iced latte coffee,

we made our way to the hotel, we had a cunning plan, 

we went past the ruin next door and into the hotel where we asked if we could leave our bags, 

not a problem, so back over the road,

and onto the pier, which today for the air show was free, unlike Bournemouth where everyday is charged,

looking along the beach, it was filling up,

looking back at the ruin,

a panorama of the beach,

one,

or two for the album,

and I could not leave Diana out,

a new shop soon to open on the pier,

looking towards the grandstand,

it is where the Union Jack is flying, Diana had bought us 2 seats in the grandstand for a first class view of the show,

we had walked the pier a little further,

just before the Victorian Tea Room on the right,

a glass blowing shop,

with so many ornaments for sale,

when I saw these I thought of Steve,

Diana takes the pose,

before continuing to the end of the pier,

looking back to the shore,

Diana popped into the penny arcade, well that was what it was called in my time!

I continued to the end of the pier,

a panorama of the shore line,

the end of the pier,

I turned and started my way back,

and no guessing who was waiting!

what a beautiful day, it was so hot,

back past the tea rooms,

and along the shoreline,

Diana was making a video,

I just took photographs,

of the shops on the front,

and our hotel, The Pier Hotel,

the beach was filling up,

we passed the gardens,

where we both spotted this bumble bee, 

it was huge, 

the flower he was on was a canna lily, 

looking down on some of the beachside attractions,

and on the same level we were on stalls,

a few water attractions, 

these looked like fun, 

there were plenty of food stalls,

thinking about it, it must have been quite hot inside one of these spheres after a time in the sun,

now wait a second we have seen this chap before,

I think he was here on our last visit,

a garland for Diana?

passing the stars of the show, the Red Arrows stall,

more food stalls,

we arrived at the grandstand,

and these were our front row seats,

to the left the grandstand,

our view from our seats,

and a panorama from our seats,

looking towards the pier,

the show started,

these I believe,

are the Strikemaster Pair,

they are acrobatic daredevils,

flying towards each other at breakneck speeds,

like this pass,

you can not get much closer than this!

what a display of flying skills,

next are a real treat,

a Pitts Special, 

flown by Rich Goodwin who flew this plane in dizzying spins,

both up and down,

what a skilful display of aerobatics,

next the noisy one,

the RAF Typhoon,

thundered past,

showing the crowd its colours,

I actually went to buy some sunscreen, I was burning up in the sun, so not wishing to interrupt fellow spectators views I took photographs form the back of the stand until the Typhoon had finished,

what a truly impressive display,

and a cropped photograph of its colours, 

when I zoomed in this is the photograph from the camera, I really must somehow treat myself to a longer focal length lens for events like this, 

the aircraft made a turn,

and came back again to thrill the crowds,

I then noticed this,

what looks like clouds forming on its wing surfaces, water vapour perhaps?

one more fly past,

then off home,

back to base,

under the air show some kayakers were having a fun time,

next Team Raven, 

took to the skies,

the day could not have been better than today,

for display like this,

switching on their smoke,

the team performed flawlessly,

the smoke trails not breaking up in any wind,

they came racing from left to right,

one of the tram barrel rolling,

around the others,

the team reformed,

and hurtled towards space, 

before bursting like a opening flower,

but they were not finished yet, 

a real crowd pleaser, a love heart with a arrow going through it,

and coming out of the other side,

next triple rolls,

after which the flight reformed,

and passing parallel to the shore,

all of the flight took part in a barrel roll,

the display ended, 

and made way for,

this aircraft whose name I have regrettably forgotten, which is a shame as underneath it the aircraft carries a special message for all below, can you see it?

it is a love heart,

and near to my heart, the Spitfire, 

although it as to be said this one did not have the iconic Merlin engine, this particular aircraft had the later Rolls-Royce Griffon engine,

although not flying flat out, aircraft of this age have to be preserved for future generations to enjoy, the pilot did put it though its paces including being inverted,

looking toward the pier,

the ice cream van doing a brisk trade,

during the course of the afternoon I took a few photographs of the bandstand, with its ornate columns,

and the seagulls on it,

as the show progressed,

 more and more seemed to alight on it, 

next a De Havilland Vampire, 

amongst its many claims to fame, 

it was the first jet aircraft to take off and land from an aircraft carrier,

the seagulls had now reached the numbers of which Hitchcock and his birds would have envied, well they knew the big one was arriving, the Red Arrows, if you would like to see the other half of our day and a video of it including the firework display please hit the 'Older Posts' button on the bottom right of the page.