ME & PETER PAN

I don't know about you, but Hubby and I are findng it increasingly difficult every Christmas to come up with surprise gifts. He always buys me clothes, at least one Lilliput Lane cottage, at least one collectible teddy and at least one DVD. I always buy him at least one pack of socks, one bottle of after shave, one diecast vehicle for his massive collection and one CD. He usually gets a sweatshirt too. Last year we really really struggled. I suppose being together for twenty-five years and married for almost ten of those, there isn't much we need anymore. During the chaotic run-up to Christmas (see previous blogs), we each finally found something the other would not be expecting. And the funny thing is that they both turned out to be Gift experiences. You know the kind of thing - white water rafting, a day at a spa, theatre packages. And we didn't realise until Christmas Day that we had both been thinking along the same lines - even without knowing it. I bought him a Red Letter Day Rock Tour - this is a trip around all London's famous Rock spots - Abbey Road, a recording studio, and famous spots like Freddie Mercury's memorial wall and the London pads of the rich and famous. He bought me a helicopter ride.



Now don't snort! When he gave it to me, he insisted I had mentioned several times that I'd never been in a helicopter. I think I mentioned it once in passing. Anyway, being Hubby, he decided last year that he would give me a helicopter tour over London and on the Saturday before last, it finally took place. We had to get all the way to Upminster first, then take a cab to the Damyn Aerodrome which is just outside town. I don't know what I was expecting of the place - a miniature version of Gatwick maybe. What we found was a large open airfield with a small Helicopter centre, a small flying club and a cafeteria. I had to wait for almost an hour for my scheduled flight but what an experience it turned out to be. Hubby took photos from his viewing spot on the field as I boarded, got settled then turned and waved through the window. There were only four of us altogether and one of those was the pilot.

I felt almost Biggles-ish as I put on my headphones and microphone and strapped myself in. Taking off was amazing and the dip forward once we were in the air would have been a bit of a shock if Hubby hadn't warned me about it and the other strange sensation was when we banked right and I found myself looking vertically at the ground as it fell away. Once we were up though - well. No words are truly fitting! Essex sank below us and what took its place was a panarama of fields and villages and hamlets and cars the size of ants. I was amazed at how many people have swimming pools in their back gardens! We had to stop at a small local airport for refuelling so we had to disembark. I took several photos of small aircraft and a large hangar featuring the phrase 'Area 51' (to anyone not in the know that's the American airforce's worst kept secret where there have been all kind of links wih UFOs and other strange aerial phenomena). Then we were back in and on our way to London.

One of the stories my mother read to me as a child was Peter Pan and I loved the bit near the beginning where Peter shows Wendy and her brothers how to fly. Many years later, when we were in Paris on our honeymoon, Hubby took me to Disneyland Paris where we went on the Peter Pan ride - which included flying over a tiny simulation of London. Well you can forget all that - this was the Real Macoy! As we reached London and gazed at it as it sparkled in the sun so far below, I felt as if I too were flying, unaided, over the greatest and most historic city in the world and I was awe-struck! There was Old Father Thames - winding and whirling its way through the city like a gigantic serpent. There was the Millenium dome (now the O2 Centre of course). There was St Paul's looking truly ravishing. There was Westminster Abbey and the Houses of Parliament and Tower Bridge - open - a spell-binding sight from above! There was Canary Wharf and the Gherkin.

Every so often, the earphones would emit a crackle and the pilot would point out some familiar landmark from this totally unfamiliar viewpoint, or one of we three passengers would gasp and point and a rushed exchange of comments would pass between us - four strangers united in this one powerful moment. It was probably the most amazing experience of my entire life. We were in the air for almost an hour! When we go back to the aerodrome, Hubby was there, taking photos as I dismbaked and ran into his arms - snapping away with is camera like a photographer possessed. I took lots of photos too which I showed him via the digital camera as we had lunch in the cafeteria. I kept saying "That was amazing!" and every time I did, his face lit up with that lovely sunny smile of his. He had given me another thing I'd never had before and I once again thanked my lucky stars for him.

The Rock & Roll tour is next and I hope he enjoys that as much as I enjoyed seeing London from the sky.

And - if I ever learn how to do it, I will post photos of both on here for you to share!

The whole experience still astonishes me even as I tap away at my laptop and write this blog. I can't think of a single funny thing to say! I just want to go back and do it all again!!!!!!! It was absoluely incredible.