Annual Photographic Competition

The traditional Annual Photographic Competition was held on Tuesday 10 November 2015 at the Group's meeting venue, The Rugby Hotel. The competition attracted 29 entries on a wide variety of aviation related topics. The quality standard increases every year and it was hard to choose a favourite image.

The winners this year were:

1. Classic Air Force Meteor T8 by Theo Claassen with 13 votes,
2. Grace Seafire LFIIIc by Theo Claassen with 10 votes,
3. Czech Air Force Mil-24 Hind (Smiling Hind) by Ray Ball                                               and the Aircraft Restoration Company's Bristol Blenheim I by Theo Claassen with 8 votes each.

Gloster Meteor T8 photographed at The Victory Show 2015 at Cosby

Seafire LFIIIc recorded at The Victory Show 2015 at Cosby

Mil-24 Hind caught on camera at RIAT 2015

Bristol Blenheim I pictured at The Victory Show 2015, Cosby

The evening was rounded off with a slide show of some old and some not so old black & white images of aircraft of varying kinds, which was thoroughly enjoyed by all present.

The David George Photographic Trophy  will be presented to the winner at the Annual Christmas Dinner, to be held on Wednesday 16 December 2015 at the Cherry Tree at Catthorpe, Leicestershire. 

15 November 2015

Theo Claassen

We Will Remember Them

Remembrance Sunday is the day on which we traditionally remember and honour those who gave their lives for their country in wars and conflicts, past and present.

For the Rugby Aviation Group this means we especially remember the crew, mainly Canadian, that perished when their Handley Page Halifax crashed between Dunchurch and the airfield at Lawford Heath, just to the south of Rugby. 

This year, as he has done in previous years, Roger Higgerson had cleaned up the memorial on the green in Dunchurch and trimmed the grass around it for it to look presentable for the occasion. The Group is very grateful to Roger and his wife Janet for looking after the memorial.

Following the Remembrance Service at the Dunchurch Cenotaph, we made our way to the memorial, a couple of hundred yards from the Cenotaph to find waiting at the memorial our dear friends Denise and Peter Bilson and Paul Waller, who kindly took the photographs that accompany this post.

Rugby Aviation Group Wreath Laying Party from left to right Roger Higgerson, Barry Jones, Janet Higgerson, Peter Bilson, Denise Bilson and Theo Claassen

Rugby Aviation Group's Chairman laying the wreath under the watchful eye of Roger Higgerson

The Rugby Aviation Group Memorial for the crew of Halifax MZ920 that tragically crashed between Dunchurch and Lawford Heath

In conclusion, I would like to thank Roger and Janet Higgerson for their devotion to the memorial and its upkeep, to Paul Waller for his photographs of the precedings and to Peter and Denis Bilson for their support on this chilly and windy day.

15 November 2015
Theo Claassen