We would like to thank Lord and Lady Carnarvon for including us in the inaugural Heroes at Highclere day yesterday. There is much to thank them for as not only did they invite us but also donated some of the days proceeds. The day was efficiently organised by Lady Carnarvon’s PA, Candice Bauval, and we would also like to thank her for her help with the organisation.
The event took place in the stunning setting in the parkland of Highclere Castle, which is as beautiful as it is in ITV1′s Downton Abbey. On the whole we were blessed with good weather and it was a huge success.
We were amongst a host of celebrities and the several thousand people attended to watch anongst other things; military hardware such as the Apache and Chinook (photo below); King’s Troop, Royal Horse Artillery; flypasts by a Spitfire and Vulcan bomber; as well the finale of The Blades aerobatics team.
We were scheduled to be in the arena at 1.30PM for 15 minutes. However, Damian, who was commentating managed to squeeze us into the Battlefield arena for a second time. This time with both Mick Foulds and Matt Wilson on board with Jacks. It was quite a sight seeing the ambulance and horses with Highclere Castle in the background.
A number of people gave up their time to help us with the day and we would also like to thank them – Matt Wilson, Mick and Sue Foulds, Vince and Jane, Phil Scott and his family to name a few. We would particularly like to thank Guy Parry who pulled both the trailer and the merchandising trailer to Highclere; and Lesley Smith who as always worked extremely hard running the merchandising trailer so efficiently.
The final photograph was taken as the Chinook was heading home. The Chinook is the modern day equivalent of the WW1 horse drawn ambulance. The Chinook’s brave aircrews, who are drawn from the RAF, fly into the middle of battlefields in danger of being hit by bullets and RPGs to collect British soldiers, men and women who have either been injured or made the ultimate sacrifice.
