Last Day 7

7 of 12 in the ‘Last Day 23’ series

Twenty-three progressing fast
with July gone and here the last
day of that month complete and gone
full of the summer sun that shone

I've worked some days and had some time
of holiday that I called mine
I've met with friends and family too
and had some fun, more to accrue

But best of all, took to the skies
to prove an old man really flies
Memorable was this July past
as I have truly had a blast

©Jemverse

Photo – Perryair (Shoreham)

[On 21st July 2023 I had the inimitable pleasure of a flight in this vintage de Havilland Tiger Moth biplane out of Shoreham Airport, West Sussex, UK] 

Another level day (aka ‘Tiger Moth’)

In what started out as quite a surprise
On Friday just gone I took to the skies
In a Tiger Moth biplane from Perry Air
full of excitement, aplomb and some flair

This was a day on another level
forging memories strong in which I'll long revel
And with icing on cake, I took the controls
and laughed and whooped through two barrel rolls

An hour sublime, this was simply the best
from an open cockpit flying with zest
A time I will treasure for many a day
to relive the moments in every which way

©Jemverse

The 1934 de Havilland Tiger Moth biplane is owned and run by Perry Air, based at Shoreham Airport in West Sussex. The pic is with me in it (front seat) taxiing to take off. I took the controls for all of half a minute and the pilot (Cedric) performed the barrel rolls! 

Gull

And high above I climb into the blue
from down below from whence I flew
admiring the unspoilt view
white clouds above me now

My wingspan wide I'll hover there
spiralling down without a care
humans they'd be best aware
as they below me bow

My name is Gull and I am proud
synonymous my cry aloud
heard above the throng and crowd
my presence to endow

©Jemverse

Photo – Jempics

Angel of the sky

16 of 16 in the Jemverse ‘Venetian Vistas’ series

Holidays are exciting
in lots of different days
For when you’ve finished cruising
then you take to the airwaves

And our Tui flight this morning
is the ‘Angel of the Sky’
From Dubrovnik in Croatia
to London Gatwick we will fly

It’s been a lovely holiday
but no regrets we’re homeward bound
as we have all the memories
of new places we have found

©Jemverse

‘Angel of the sky’ completes the Jemverse ‘Venetian Vistas’ series. Here are trackbacks to the others in case you’ve missed them. ‘Dubrovnik‘ (2/9), ‘Adriatic Sunset‘ (3/9), ‘Bar’s absent castle‘ (4/9), ‘Into Gold‘ (5/9), ‘Korcula‘ (6/9), ‘Through the Porthole‘ (7/9), ‘The Sea Organ‘ (8/9), ‘Zadar‘ (9/9), ‘Sailing into Venice‘ (10/9), ‘Gondolier‘ (11/9), ‘Of Venetian Diamonds’ (12/9), ‘Trieste‘ (13/9), ‘Split‘ (14/9), ‘A split down the middle‘ (15/9) and ‘Eyebrow of the sun‘ (16/9).

Leaving Blighty

Part 1 of 20 in ‘The Aegean Shores’ series

It’s getting quite exciting
watching big planes come and go
Sitting in Departures
and going with the flow
It’s quite warm here but warmer still
in Corfu where we’ll be
Waiting for our flight to board
My wife here (Sal) and me

Leaving Blighty for a week
for a cruise the Grecian way
Island hopping in the sun
on our summer holiday

©Jemverse

[Today marks the start of a 20-part series charting a seven-day cruise with Tui travelling from London to Corfu, then Kalamata (Greece), Santorini, Rhodes, Crete, Piraeus (Greece), Kefalonia, Corfu and London]

Like snow

Up here at thirty thousand feet
the clouds look just like snow
and I can see for miles and miles
when looking down below

We’re high above mid-England’s green
and the sky is tinged with blue
The sun is out there somewhere
but it’s not within my view

And I’m content to sit and watch
as we continue on our flight
For this really is a special treat
and the view’s a lovely sight

©Jemverse

 

Excited

I’m on my way to Gatwick
to board a big jet plane
which’ll take me up to Glasgow
on my travels once again

It’s quite a way, four hundred miles
and sixty-six point two
so I’m pleased that I am flying
from home to my venue

And I’m really quite excited
as flying is a treat
First come first served at check-in
Hope I get a window seat

I’ve never been to Glasgow
so I’ll be writing there for sure
the experience to share with you
when I’m at home once more

©Jemverse

 

Sometimes I can fly

Sometimes I can fly
High above like a bird I soar
and look down to the sea
and the rolling waves
and the white horses galloping there
And I sing

Sometimes I can fly
High above like a bird I soar
and look down to the earth
and the rolling hills
and the green of undulating downland
And I smile

Sometimes I can fly
High above like a bird on the wing
and look down from a mind’s eye
and a different world
and a peace born of contentment
And I am

©Jemverse

Malaga I

Boarding our Dreamliner
Thompson did us proud
For we had extra legroom
and the engines weren’t too loud
The outbound flight as always
thrilled us to the core
England disappearing
through the window there we saw
And just two hours later
as we woke up from a snooze
The wheels touched down in Malaga
for our Iberian Treasures cruise

©Jemverse

 

[‘Malaga I’ is 2 of 14 in the Jemverse ‘Iberian Treasures’ series]

1. Departures (29/8/16)
2. Malaga I (30/8/16)
3. Gibraltar (31/8/16)
4. Gibraltar II (1/9/16)
5. All at sea (2/9/16)
6. Lounging (3/9/16)
7. Three sixty degree sea (4/9/16)
8. Vigo (5/9/16)
9. Atlantic Surge (6/9/16)
10. In from the fog (7/9/16)
11. Terracotta Rooftiles (8/9/16)
12. Lisbon 36 (9/9/16)
13. Seville (10/9/16)
14. Malaga II (11/9/16)

Departures

We’re sitting in Departures
waiting for our flight
We’re feeling quite excited
just like we were last night

We’ve sprayed expensive fragrance
from the duty-free display
and have had a lovely breakfast
to tide us on our way

We’ve even brought some presents
in case the gift shops when abroad
don’t have what we’re looking for
or are too pricey when on board

We have about an hour to fill
before we get on board our plane
then just over two hours flying time
before we land in sunny Spain

©Jemverse

Photo – our Thompson Dreamliner at Gate 33, Gatwick Airport – Jempics
[‘Departures’ is 1 of 14 in the Jemverse ‘Iberian Treasures’ series]

1. Departures (29/8/16)
2. Malaga I (30/8/16)
3. Gibraltar (31/8/16)
4. Gibraltar II (1/9/16)
5. All at sea (2/9/16)
6. Lounging (3/9/16)
7. Three sixty degree sea (4/9/16)
8. Vigo (5/9/16)
9. Atlantic Surge (6/9/16)
10. In from the fog (7/9/16)
11. Terracotta Rooftiles (8/9/16)
12. Lisbon 36 (9/9/16)
13. Seville (10/9/16)
14. Malaga II (11/9/16)