I have a lot of rather bizarre hobbies although I am not a complete loony.
Making model WW1 aircraft
Standing up for the rights of the oppressed minority - left-handers
Supporting Crystal Palace F.C. ( not bizarre in the slightest ! )
I also have a budgie named Billy who is very well trained. He is perfectly capable of saying a wide range of words, as taught by me, and is generally very sweet. His current favourite perch is on my CD player, mainly because of the warmth, but partly because he admires my superior taste in music, especially dc talk.
My favourite World War 1 aircraft is the Sopwith Camel ( of Biggles and Snoopy fame ) closely followed by the Sopwith Triplane, one of the most under-rated aircraft ever. I think that at this point, I should recommend my favourite aviation books of all time, in no particular order -
Pure Luck - Sopwith's biography, I couldn't put it down!
The Dambusters - I would hum the tune but my musical talents are zero!
Reach for the Sky - How anyone can't read it is beyond me!
Tumult in the Clouds - I love this book!
Jane's Fighting Aircraft of WW1 - Perfect for anyone wanting details of the Brazilian airforce at the time, including a photo of its dozen or so pilots!
To contact me e-mail my brother at
Steve_Gray@cumbriauk.freeserve.co.uk
I would let you have my e-mail address, but frankly, I am sceptical about putting it on the Internet and as my brother's is plastered everywhere, you might as well upset him by sending him annoying messages instead !!!