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Christchurch and District Model Flying Club |
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Chairman’s chatter by Terry Antell |
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Chairman’s Chatter I received a call from a chap who used to be a member and had just taken a look at our club website. The reason he rang me was to query our 52 years as a club. I replied that was when I knew we were registered with Christchurch Borough Council and therefore written proof establish. He went on to tell me about (according to him) when the 1st Chairman was around. (This chap was 10 years old at the time and he’s now just 70.) We are talking 60 years ago when he used to attend monthly club meetings at Stanpit Village Hall and there met Charles Ripon who often was seen sitting with no other member present! Of course, there wasn’t any easy form of communication back then, just telephone and many didn’t even have one of those! This chap (don’t ask me his name. He had a cold and it was difficult to understand him) stated that Charles Ripon made full size wooden propellers as a living. Charles Ripon met a chap called Max Coot who was an electronics engineer. Both keen aeromodellers. They eventually started Ripmax, one being involved on the model aircraft side, the other starting to produce transmitters & receivers. One other notable early member was Phil Smith. Phil was VERON models. No, he didn’t own the company but he was the designer/kit builder. The shop where all this happened was in Southbourne. Apparently the name Veron was an abbreviation of the owners wife name. I remember visiting this shop on a few occasions when I was in my early teenage years with my father who was also an aeromodeller. He drove from Staines, Middx to visit this shop!! No mean feat in those days in the 1950’s in an Austin A30. As far as C&DMFC, it’s unlikely that much paperwork was produced as it would have to be hand written or typed on a typewriter. The field owner of Strawberry Field has purchased a new lock for the entrance gate. I emailed all 2019 members with the new number. The number was chosen by the owner, not your committee! At a recent committee meeting we discussed holding an indoor Chuckie Comp at one of our monthly club meetings. Members would have to make a balsa wood chuck glider using one sheet of 1/16 x 3” x 36” (or one metre). No plan allowed or marking out in advance. Use super glue to stick together. You would have to bring a newspaper, or similar, to do the cutting of the wood on and of course a scalpel. Two tasks, distance and then duration using the same glider and a few rounds. The other new type evening will be a photo competition. Full size aircraft, model aircraft and members having fun. Details have been published on the Club website. We are talking August & October meetings. Cheers, Terry |
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