Howdy Holdfast,
First, a
very Happy Birthday to your Mum! I don't doubt for a second she's proud of you, as we are here at Armorama!!
Second, before I say HB to the glorious old lass, the Spitfire. I've got a very special Spitfire 'story' I'd like to share. In fact, I haven't told this story to more than 4 or 5 people since it happened. But I'll share it with you guys. It may not seem that significant now, but to me at the time it was a thrill.
Here's my ditty:
When I was a young lad, and fairly new to this country. I lived in a town called Kearny, N.J. Which wasn't that far from Washington D.C. Anyway, I was quite the hellion and a budding adventurer. All my life I had been brought up to appreciate Military History by my 'Da'. And since I was born in Great Britian, the 'Battle of Britian' favoured very highly in my personal appreciation of my own people's struggle against all odd's fighting Hitler's onslaught against my island.
So, being the 'sparkplug' that I was, I had a close friend who was of similar personality. We decided one day to cut school and catch the bus down to the Nation's capitol and 'see what we could see'. Now, being the aviation aficiaondo's that we were, the Smithsonian's Air & Space Museum was one of the first things on our list. We had brought my camera along (I was one of the contributing photographer's on the school paper) to take pictures of all the monument's and famous structures.
Well, we entered the museum and began looking at ALL the most amazing things you could imagine (I won't go into the details here, because you all kinda know what's there).
Anyway, we finally entered the 'Battle of Britian' display room, where they had several aircraft, including both an ME-109, and a Spitfire, both behind velvet ropes, and with open cockpit's. Now, since we had decided to 'cut' school on a mid-week day, the museum at the time was almost empty. I was so in love with the Spitfire in those days, that an idea began formulating in my head.............
(the rest of this story is at least half 'confession'
).
At this point I looked around, and saw nobody around. I told my friend Gerry to get ready to take a few pictures really quickly, he said to me "What are you doing?".....I said "Just watch!"
I took one last look around, saw nobody, and jumped over the velvet ropes, quickly and quietly ran over to the Spitfire, lightly jumped up on it's wing (trying not to make too much noise), and proceeded to jump up and slide into the cockpit!! :-)
:-)
I said to Gerry in a hussed tone "Quick take some pictures!" Which he did. I think we took around half a dozen or so, a couple with me in the cockpit, plus a couple standing on the wing root, and one finally when I was running back behind the rope.
Nobody ever came out to yell at us or anything, and the entire time I was thinking I was goiing to go to jail or something, but at the time......it felt
fantastic!!!Now...I know some of you will find this story a little irritating, and that I should have had my fanny spanked for it. But ya know what? This is one of those youthful memory 'jewels' that belong to me, and one that I personally enjoy on more levels than I can name here
So, hopefully that story irritated only a few of you, and bored even less.
Oh, and before I forget, A bloody great Happy Birthday! goes out to the fine flying lass who, accompanied by her ever-so-strong brother Merlin, fought back the horde's of the Luftwaffe!!
Tread.
President
I mean It's still the the best pane ever!! 
