September issue - Magazine - Page 13
Glenside
News
GlensideNews@mail.com
COMMUNITY
Letters to the Editor
YOUR FOOD BANK NEEDS YOU!
Dear Editor,
Little Bytham Parochial Church Council would like to
remind everyone that Little Bytham Church is a collecting
point for the Food Bank.
Donations of tinned and packeted foods, detergents and
bathroom essentials are all appreciated. Thank you.
Fiona Baldwin, Little Bytham PCC
Rose Bakker’s article in the July issue continues to spark
people’s memories of VIPs they have met.
A RIGHT ROYAL MISTAKE
Dear Editor,
The subject of embarrassing meetings with VIPs has been a
feature of my life over the years I was in the RAF. I once
stood on the Duke of Kent's foot. When introduced to the
late Queen Mother as the Mess Committee 'Wines' member
she remarked that she hoped we would enjoy some good
wine with lunch. To which I could only reply, “So do I,
ma'am” – as if anyone would trust me to choose the wine!
You get the drift.
But perhaps my most embarrassing meeting with royalty
involved a visit to the UN HQ in Sarajevo at the height of
the war in Bosnia. Visits by very senior military officers,
UN and national ministerial level people, were a major
security challenge and a bit of drain on our very limited
resources. We all worked seven days a week, with 16 to 18
hour days the norm. Being in the middle of a war is very
noisy, and uninterrupted sleep a rarity.
So when I was told we would be visited by the Crown
Prince of Denmark (who we immediately nicknamed
Hamlet) and that I would be required to brief him on our
operation, I was apprehensive. On the day, my small team
was dealing with an incident that involved directing NATO
fighter bombers, in case it escalated and we would have to
attack the 'bad guys'. While I was on the phone to the NATO
HQ in Italy, the door into my little empire opened and in
walked a spotty teenage army lieutenant. I directed him to
stand at the back of the ops room, expecting him to be
followed by the expected VIP. Instead, five senior military
officers, led by a 6ft 5in Viking came in.
I then noticed that these generals and colonels had
crammed into a corner, giving the teenage lieutenant several
feet of clear space, and that he was wearing two rows of
medals. It finally dawned on me that the 'youngster' was in
fact Hamlet! I promptly stood to attention, bowed and said,
“Your Royal Highness, may I begin the briefing?”
Off to one side, my French Air Force colleague was
desperately trying not to laugh out loud at my obvious faux
pas. Nevertheless, I delivered my set piece, but it wasn't
enough. It was clear that both the Prince and his attendant
escorts wanted more. Fortunately, a map in our ops room
depicted a recent incident involving a number of Danish
Army tanks that had engaged a Serbian force when it fired
on a UN site. It was probably the only ever tank 'battle' in
the history of the Danish Army, but it had been a credit to
their professionalism.
When the visit was over, I did get thanks from the
Viking, who turned out to the Commander in Chief of the
entire Danish military, and my unintended slight of the
prince was thankfully not mentioned.
A young Peter
Hinton on the
right with, er,
some other
young bloke...
In 2003 Crown Prince Frederik (by then King Frederik)
married an Australian, Mary Donaldson. I guess my
invitation to the wedding got lost in the post?
Peter Hinton, Castle Bytham
BUTTERFLIES AND BIRDS
Dear Editor,
Now is the time of year that butterflies hibernate and my
workshop is much favoured by them. In the late Spring I
spend quite some time catching them in the workshop
window, which doesn't open but they mistake it as the road
to freedom. This year I decided to keep count of them but
when reaching some 45, I stopped counting.
In the depths of winter, I am often visited by wrens
which fly through the open door and disappear up into the
roof space. After a little while there will be the odd butterfly
wing that floats gently down onto the workbench, telling me
the birds have found lunch. But given the amount of insects
I set free, and the fact that the wren is my favourite bird, this
is a good compromise.
If you have an old shed, try propping some pieces of
wood or ply in the darkest corners and you may be surprised
in the winter if you carefully pull the top of the wood
towards you, that butterflies are on the back waiting for the
summer to come.
If you are very lucky you could also see Britain's
smallest bird looking for lunch.
N J A, Castle Bytham
