Christchurch and District Model Flying Club
Sloping Off - our newsletter

Diary of a flyer, by B Leonard Wise

You will recall that at a club committee meeting, we all fell asleep: the Air Marshall's wife thought that we were dead and called the police. I and my friend John escaped when the lights went out. Read all the sordid details in the September magazine.

John and I escaped from the house, we crept away and decided to go home which we did. I was sound asleep about two o'clock when there was a ring of the doorbell.

I put on my dressing gown and went to see who it could be.

It was two policemen. I asked them in and they asked me if I had been at the house of the Air Marshall that evening. I said I had and told them what happened.

They asked if we all went to sleep. I said I thought that I must have. I noticed that two other members had nodded off during a long tale from the Air Marshall . They asked if I smelled Gas. No I replied, why should I. The policemen said there was a mystery, Sometimes clever criminals send sleeping gas into a house, and then burgle it. They did not think that had happened here but it could.

I told them they were making a mountain out of a molehill, we went to sleep, someone phoned the police. They both looked at each other and one said I wish it were that simple. Lady Air Marshall is missing we think she may have been kidnapped. By then Clarissa had emerged and gave them a welcome cup of tea. They told us the helicopter had been up and they had put out some road blocks. The House had been searched but there was no sign of her. Clarissa offered to help look for her but the offer was turned down. The Air Marshall, Colonel and the others had been kept at the station for their own protection, the policemen told us.

Meanwhile at the house. Lady Air Marshall we last left under the bed asleep  She was awaked by the door (which she had locked) being smashed open. Voices called for her torches scanned the room. Having been  shot at and had the door smashed in she was not keen to be found, so she shunted up to the wall and became invisible.  Eventually the voices went away. She could not see any point in moving and as she was tired she went to sleep.

In the morning she awoke to find herself under the bed. She is not at her best in the mornings. And could not remember why she was there. and went into the kitchen to find that the electricity and the water was off.  Her husband was not  there so she rang her son, who lived miles away. He suggested that she should go next door and ask them for help. She put  on her coat and stepped outside the front door to be met by a large policeman.  They were both shocked. She,  because she had never seen a policeman in their road, and had hardly seen one anywhere for years. He because he thought she was missing and a full scale search was underway.

I will not write down all the explanations. In the end the committee was told to keep quiet and give no interviews. The Police had done a good job in daft circumstances and did not want to arrest people for wasting their time. That would have looked bad for all of them. They gave a statement that a suspected terrorist attack had been foiled some shots were fired.  For security reasons no more would be said.

The Air Marshall and the Colonel have both been relieved of their posts. They were thanked for their service and asked to be joint presidents of the Club, a ruse which they fell for with great pleasure. I expected to be asked to resign but have been approached to be treasurer. I am considering it.

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