scout tether

This event was a tether for the 1st Lymington and Pennington Scout Group at Lymington, Hampshire, at 1800 hours.

The crew were Wayne, Kerrie, her mother and father Jacky and Roy, and John and Michael. This was to be the last meeting for some time of the Cubs as they were moving on the Scouts. John Rosser and his son Michael have flown and crewed with us and Michael was one of the Cubs. The plan was to tether the balloon and those Cubs leaving would take their Scout Oath of allegiance in the basket.

The weather was pitiful, windy with threatening black clouds. We did our best but couldn't complete the inflation because of very strong gusts. After ripping out, the rain began. Wayne towed the basket and burner to the Cub Hut - the Cubs jumped in while we opened the burners for photographs and to keep the rain off himself and the Cubs, and to keep dry and warm. Muggins, with John and another helper packed up the envelope. I've never handled a completely sodden envelope before and the weight was unbelievable.

Our clothes and gloves were soaked (except Wayne's) but the Cubs seemed to enjoy it and we may possibly be going back next summer