15/06/2015 Back to News
BBAC 50th Anniversary celebrated at Henge Hoppers
Friday 12th June to Sunday 14th June 2015 saw a band of lovely people join together to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the BBAC alongside our third Henge Hoppers meet.

Held at the fabulous Camp Hill Estate, Kirklington, DL8 2LS (N. Yorkshire) - just off the A1 - very easy to reach. Lovely countryside, easy retrieving, plus our maps are not full of SA's either, so relax!
Friday was a beautiful day and the evening didn't disappoint either.

Mike Bellamy and Alex Smith flew in Springtime (G-BVDB) and amazingly flew an almost perfect box to land approx 10m from their launch position. Both of them engaged the 'smug' mode on landing too!

Also flying was G-ROXI with Neil Beckwith, Brian Trowbridge and Phil Traviss, G-LIMP with Terry Chamberlain, Malc Skilbeck and Graham Hill, G-CHAU with Graham Cannon, Maggie Cannon and Rowan (from the onsite equestrian centre), and G-COSY with Emily Read and Judy Wetters.

Rowan was over the moon to get the chance to go flying and even apologised for being a nuisance and one very over excited person! Not at all!

Saturday wasn't quite as amenable to flying but nevertheless we had a good day, we trialled the new club event shelter with our own version of the Great British Bake Off which we are calling the Great British (Balloon and Airship Club) Bake Off.

Beautiful cakes, buns and brownies emerged from caravans, tents and car boots to fight it out for the best decorated prize - with Mary Bellamy's cake of the club sweatshirt logo winning, but very close on her heels was Rita Marshall's fabulous blue and white balloon sporting the BBAC 50th logo AND real burners! (candles really!). The junior title went to Emily Read for her gorgeous cup cakes. Everyone present had a vote so it was a true democratic process.

Then it was the taste test. Everyone tasted the cakes - some with huge piles of cake on their plate and why not?! Lots of mmmm's and oooo's followed and the voting started again, this time Maggie Cannon's 'Night Glow' carrot cake won the taste test, with Rita's cake just one vote behind, again. Emily took the prize for her cup cakes again in the under 16's.

Tom Stacey of Camp Hill kindly presented the medals to the winners of each category along with other bits and pieces, and all the entrants won a priceless little cup to treasure!

Two cakes by proxy were also entered - one from John Hartley and one from Devon Clarke, we did think they were virtual cakes but John quite rightly pointed out that they were indeed real, just not present.

The BBAC have promised a trophy to award so the gathered throng decided that the cake with the most votes overall should be the winner, and that went to Rita. So despite coming second in both categories, her accumulated score won the day!

......oh and did someone mention a booby prize? Well yes, one very poor effort arrived on the table, obviously shop bought, and indistinguishable from 'Maryland' cookies, laid out in a very vague balloon shape. Tut tut! So that entrant was awarded the booby prize of a Cake ready mix (must try harder). (Won't tell you who it was as I am too embarrassed to admit it!)

No more flying on Saturday evening as Alex called the forecast down to the minute with rain coming in, never mind though, we were all full of cake!

Sunday was also a bit too miserable and drizzled all morning. The midday get together was a nice round up of the weekend; Graham Cannon won the Henge Hoppers trophy and this was awarded to Mike Ball in his absence to pass on, the quiz winners were Wendy and Graham Hill with a very respectable 28 out of 30. Mike and Mary Bellamy received the booby prize for their 'lame' attempt with 8 out of 30.....an inflatable walking stick!

So, same time same place next year? 'Oh Yus' (as one of the quiz answers would have said), book it in your diary.

As usual, lots of nice people, nice times and CAKE!

See you at the next one, Elaine (also known as 'Can't cook, won't cook')
   
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