Four envelopes leave the List this issue, two being sold, one under offer and one withdrawn from sale. Two big ‘rides’ baskets have quickly found homes too. No large items have entered the List for December although quite a number of smaller objects are for sale – instruments, a radio, framed pictures (from Nov Stop Press), V-bridle and cold air inflatable amongst them. Also a reminder that the selection of books in the Zebedee Box make good Christmas presents …. We are poised to post out quickly!
The first big UK event of 2019 is the Icicle Refrozen Meet at Newbury, Berkshire, 5th & 6th Jan. Entries & Saturday dinner tickets with speaker Petr Kubikec of Kubicek Balloons are available from the website at www.icicle-refrozen.com
We are very sad to report the death of David Liddiard, farmer, 1954 Monte Carlo rally driver, balloonist, councillor and unofficial architect. The first half of David’s life was a wartime education in Newbury, disrupted when his father called him suddenly to work on the family farm which he did until taking on the tenancy of Bradford’s Farm, Marsh Benham – where the second half started on 30.1.72. Following contact from the Dante Group’s Alec Jenkinson, G-AZIP “Dante” was flown from the farm as David & family watched. Thanks to his immediate generosity, Dante was given a shed to store the balloon and a loft to make into a clubhouse – and within a year David had become Dante’s 11th member and had a PPL (Balloons)! He quickly made everyone welcome at Bradfords, leading to the first (of 20) Icicle Meets being held there in 1973. Dante later operated a series of five British Airways balloons at worldwide promotional events and with no formal “leave book” was able, often at short notice to go on an incredible 71 trips in the period 1975-2001. He flew the first free flight in Grand Cayman in 1978, won the Great Philadelphia Balloon Race in 1979, and tethered ‘for the Queen’ in Abu Dhabi and Dubai also in 1979. He kept us amused on such trips, usually one step ahead of everyone else with his “What you want to do is …” catchphrase!. In between BA trips he flew “Beatrice” G-BAGY with Ken Messenger and hang glider suspended beneath to 20,000 feet over Dover so that Ken could make the first successful cross channel hang glider flight, resurrected the old Zanussi airship (and got his rating), became a local councillor then Mayor of Hungerford.
His other gift was seeing potential in refurbishment of old houses – no plans, all in his head. He applied the “DL treatment” to 3 for himself over the years, for sons Richard and James and Elaine and I at “Zebedee HQ”, for which we are eternally grateful. Add to all this to being a founder member of the BBM&L, Vice President of the BBAC and one can see how he squeezed a lot into his 89 years. We have lost a generous, likeable character and offer condolences to wife Jo, surviving son Richard, daughter Kate plus 9 grandchildren and 8 great grandchildren …
Finally we wish all our readers a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year – as usual hoping that in 2019 you will find that all time bargain purchase within these pages!