John York

Bad times. End of jungle swamp patrol during the Malayan 'Emergency' covered in leeches. Using cigarettes to touch the tips of their tails to make them withdraw their beaks so they could be brushed off. It was always a mystery to us how they got through our jungle clothing.

The Crazy Gang singing; 'My Old Mans a Dustman' at the London Palladium in the late 1940's.

Vera Lynn singing; 'Over The Rainbow' always brought me to tears.

Thinking she would enjoy it, I persuaded Sheila to join me when I had to do a three day business trip to the Channel Isles. Going was fine as we went by sea. Problem was, when we came to come home all sea trips were cancelled due to weather in the Channel so we were offered free tickets to travel back by air. Sheila was terrified of flying due to her previous wartime experiences but we had to get back so I managed to persuade her to very reluctantly get on the 'plane. The flight was a bit bumpy and she was holding my hand. Hard. Don't know why but it seemed to calm her. However, coming into land the pilot had to abort for some reason and 'go around'. Stupidly, he said; 'Oops, sorry folks we were coming in the wrong way round!'. That did it! When we finally got off the plane and I managed to prize her hand from mine, my hand was very sore and oozing blood! I've had many business flights since but for holidays, short breaks and so on, if we couldn't go by land or sea, we didn't go!

From the sound of it, I'm very glad we live in the South of England, apart from a fair share of wind and rain we don't get any dramatic weather conditions. Oops, sorry, we did get a few flakes of snow a couple of years ago!

At 88 years old and a worn out metal hip I can't really do much else but sit on my butt all day. I'm still active though. I've got the maximum stories to read in my Kindle Oasis and will stagger next door for coffee in about ten minutes time. That'll be the most active I'll be today. Exercise more than that would probably kill me!

Your spec is alright but I learned to my cost with fight simming you can't have too much. If you can up your spec' to the highest you can afford!

The mouse and Kindle keep me busy!

For some reason, when I was flying landing at Brisbane always presented a problem to me. Good luck with it anyway Condor. I see you live there so I suppose its natural you would want a decent representation of your home airport.

Our daughter and her bloke are coming today to celebrate our Wedding Anniversary which I forgot! So I'm not the most popular at the moment! Enjoy your holiday Lifejogger.

Brilliant Rodger. Nick deserves all the accolades he gets! So, I emphatically agree.

Never heard of the Bird Dog but for me if I was still flying it would be the Cessna 142. Easy to fly and can land practically anywhere where there are no obstacles.

That's brilliant. I think it will apply to a lot of us!

Keep it Rodger if you can. Apart from the fun we get it keeps those of us who don't fly any more in touch.

1. He's got a screw loose 2. She's a cracker 3. Greedy git 4. He was robbed 5. She don' arf go on! 6. He's a nutter!

'Mash' is made of boiled potatoes which are then mashed (squashed) up into a stiff creamy texture. If you're rich add a little butter (margarine if you're poor) to the mix and fry some sausages and there you have it; 'bangers and mash'. Funny thing about taste, I love 'spam'.

Keep it going mate. Its the only contact some of us have had with others who are or were flight simmers. Mind you, how you dream up the topics is a mystery to me!

We only ever drink 'Miles Tea'. Their blending factory is within a couple of miles (no pun intended) from us and they have a large Warehouse in our same little town. Their tea comes from up in the hills of India but I don't think they own any of the plantations.

Enjoy your birthday Martyn.

Our favourite is tinned 'Lychees in syrup' with ice cream....delicious. Cheap too!

'There is plenty of snow on the great divide in eastern Victoria and southern NSW' I'm 88 and that just shows you're never too old to learn something!

Blimey, I knew you have rain down under but always thought it was too warm to snow!

Apart from Rodger the scrounger so it doesn't count, I don't think I have ever had a compliment except from my Sheila who paid me the biggest compliment of all by marrying me!

For the fortunate, the biggest perk must be no longer needing to go to work for a living.

Because he knows he's got his owners on a piece of string!