Broon's Ramblings

After a gap of 6 years the ramblings recommence! There have, of course, been many travels in the interim, but a trip to the Falkland Islands is worthy of record. All thanks to Mark, a mate from university who joined the Navy and is currently down south for a stint. Fancy a 19 hour trip from Brize Norton via Ascension in an Air Tanker Airbus 330 with all premium economy seating he asked? How could I refuse? Treat it as part of the experience Mark advised.

Naturally, the trip had to start by getting south and that included BA Business to LHR which was a chance to remind me of what I wouldn’t be getting. This was breakfast – at 9 am – and there was only small glass of fizz. Salmon was good too. 

Then a couple of days revisiting my youth in Oxfordshire and the train to Portsmouth to join Mark’s sons who were visiting their dad, and even more importantly taking me to Brize. All going well until the flight south was ‘moved right’ (delayed) by 24 hours because of strong winds at Mount Pleasant airfield so an unexpected but happy evening in Pompey. 

Checking in with the RAF for a flight that leaves at 23.35 must be done between 17.30 and 20.30 at the latest.  Six hours waiting at an airport seemed excessive even for me, so instead we went to The Farmer’s Dog for a pint of Hawkestone and packet of Diddly Squat Crisps (£20) since it was only three miles away.

Pub is really appealing but of course eating there was out of the question since we hadn’t booked weeks in advance. Instead, off for a bar supper in the Golden Eagle in Carterton (three pints and three mains £40) which was most satisfactory. 

And then the experience began. Extremely helpful Serco and service staff but slick it was not. Lounge functional and completely dry, as is the flight. Not arriving until 19.00 was a good move. 

Our flight left on time but was turbulent and, for me at least, pretty sleep deprived. However, it passed easily. A dry flight with largely military passengers who wait for instructions, is the way to travel. Our fellow passengers included veterans of 1982, one of whom was part of the tiny garrison when Argentina invaded. As he returned home from being a prisoner his brother, another marine, was already heading south. Breakfast was remarkably good too, as well as restorative, despite the somewhat blunt appearance.

After which the pleasure of somewhere new, Ascension Island and its transit ‘cage’ for two hours while the aircraft refuelled.

It’s accurate description of a fenced indoor and outdoor area with a NAAFI cafe, toilets, and a duty free with drink you can’t touch. Glad to have seen it though so different from 1982 when it was one of the busiest airfields on the planet. Balmy, semi sunny and humid, though having seen the volcanic landscape I suspect that’s enough.

The second half was oddly more difficult than the first. Impatience, fatigue, and doing some work probably didn’t help, but smooth flying and slightly early, we finally arrived over the Falklands which were beautiful and somewhat moody as the clouds broke progressively as we approached RAF Mount Pleasant.

And then time to shower, before heading to the mess for food to decompress with a few restorative wets. Then blissful sleep. Wildlife tomorrow though happily it should involve some flying too!!

India is remarkable, has lived up to expectations, and is a place I would like to explore more, although Delhi is now done, and I’d hope other parts might be less pushy. You can’t just walk anywhere without someone offering you advice or urging you to use their taxi/Tuk Tuk. Hotels were very good and oasis of calm with tremendous service from hordes of staff.

Despite gripe above travel was easy – from the efficient joys of the Delhi Metro to the mania of travelling by Tuk Tuk. The driving generally is insane with horns blaring and near misses galore. That said, we only saw one accident (Tuk Tuks crumple horribly) and I was terribly impressed by the responses of drivers to finding a calf walking down the fast lane of the three lane road between Agra and Delhi. It was alive when we swerved past.

We were unfortunate in that the air quality in Delhi was dreadful because of the unhelpful combination of farmers burning crops and Diwali – government efforts to ban firecrackers went only so far. However, it did not spoil the holiday save blue skies stopped after day two and you could feel it in your throat.

Rather than ramble about what we did, here is a selection of photos which hopefully give a sense of the fun we had. Suffice to say the tensions between what we enjoyed and some of the things we saw, made us think. We have far too much, and take it for granted. India’s history makes you think of where we all are currently, and I don’t just mean the Raj.

Now those of you with limited horizons might miss this on flying into Delhi. Try not to, as it’s only a ten minute taxi ride to the other side of the runway from the Terminal and it is sensational. Cost to enter was 30p and it contains some remarkable aircraft, some of which can only be seen there. There were also two charming men who positively engaged me in conversation and were both obviously IAF officers, one a former Mig and Mirage pilot.

Fascinating chat about their aircraft, Indo/Pakistan politics – in the 60s there was mutual understanding about POW conditions since both Air Force heads knew and had served with each other pre-partition, but that was now long gone – and future developments of the museum. That led to the invitation to sit in the Spitfire XVIII which I accepted with gusto.

A very good start to the holiday! Non anoraks may now skim through a small selection of pictures if they must …

The FC Terminal is as good as I hoped it would be. Never entirely full or ever feeling over busy, and therefore very different from Concorde Lounge. Alison slept in one of the nap rooms while I showered, collected more ducks, and had a tiny breakfast number three, for comparison purposes only you understand. Like Munich, staff were enthusiastic and helpful.

The food and drink offer is remarkably broad, and we later enjoyed a pre-boarding lunch of Wiener Schnitzel which was excellent!

There’s even a Duty Free Shop just for the FC Terminal itself, though we resisted the offering below which I’d have preferred to see on its side!

And did I mention ducks?

The highest spot however is the getting to the plane part. Walking for ages? Certainly not. A staff members finds you, announces your flight is ready to board, and then escorts you down a level to the parking lounge, where your passport is returned by immigration, and you stroll out to an electric Porsche! Sadly, our journey only took 75 seconds from start to finish, then a further minute up in a lift to the air bridge before being welcomed onto the aircraft.

For the first time in my puff I’d got 1A, so the front three windows were mine and the next three were Alison’s in 2A. Again, its an unfair comparison, but LH’s A380 put the BA experience to shame yet again. There are only eight seats on turning left with no overhead bins meaning the space is light and airy.

The seat felt bigger with a moveable ottoman, and there was masses of space, along with your own personal locker to put items in. Mine was in the front of the cabin, while Alison’s was at the back. It was all very satisfactory.

Good selection of films and really enjoyed being able to watch take off live using the A380’s tail camera.

The crew were tremendous, witty and willing, and the Captain even came round before take off to say hello! Food and wines were excellent.

While the wash bag, slippers, and pyjamas were high quality, brown wouldn’t have been my first choice as head of marketing design.

In a daft way, a delightful part of the experience was the washroom. Unlike BA First toilets, which being on the lower level are standard fare, the LH versions being at the front upstairs are vast. No shower, as on some of the middle eastern airlines, but room to swing a cat and admire the Brown look fully!

Flight was smooth and the main eating and film watching was in the first half. The second, everyone slept, save for the last hour when trying the light meal options while sweeping past the lights of Kabul, and the amazing sight of the Pakistan/India border which is a bright line of light running for miles and miles in the otherwise dark world below.

All too soon, and five minutes early, we were there. And within an hour in the airport hotel drinking the Duty Free whisky. If only travel was always like this.

Alison has always wanted to go to India. I have always wanted to go to the Lufthansa First Class terminal in Frankfurt. Simples. Wait til a magnificent sale (2 for 1 offer and way cheaper than BA business let alone First) comes along and then don’t quite reveal that the trip means overnighting in Munich first, a breakfast flight to Frankfurt, and then a happy half day of indulgence in the FC Terminal before finally getting on the A380. I do actually want to go to India too, it should be understood!

The LH experience has been leagues better than BA. Check in at Edinburgh was swift with staff who were responsive and friendly. They volunteered boarding passes! Aspire Lounge is fine with a reasonable selection of hot and cold food, though disappointingly full of men whose only active adjective is f***ing. Welcome to Scotland or the UK.

Flight was efficient in a 30 year old A320 with speedy boarding (BA take note) if perplexing service thereafter in two halves. First one: serve the passengers their dinner and booze. Second: hide behind the curtain and pretend you can’t see them, but give them more if they open the curtain for themselves.

Easy overnight in Hilton in the Airport before a nine minute walk from room to through security! And then the added bonus of breakfast number one in the First Class lounge at Munich. It was sublime – calm and elegant with the best Eggs Benedict I’ve ever had! Proactive and welcoming staff (BA take note), and of course a display cabinet full of LH ducks.

Hurrah! But no time to shower as off for breakfast number 2 on the 35 minute flight to Frankfurt. I am astonished to report that muesli with a little bottle of fresh milk works well with watching the sun rise over the German plains.

And then the joy of a short walk to the FC Terminal. Just stunning and I think all the talk of it being the best in the business is correct from first impressions. Welcomed in by Nadine, who escorted us through a mini security with polite staff, took our boarding cards and passports (latter to be returned on boarding) , and then showed us round the lounge to explain the options, and then brought our boarding cards back, along with our own LH ducks. Night and day in comparison with Concorde Lounge. Alex Cruz should come here for a day and learn how to provide proper customer service.

However, enough of that, time to enjoy!

What to say? A whirlwind of seemingly constant activity and much shopping. Rosie’s first experience of NYC in a taxi from Penn Street station to the Intercontinental appeared to be overwhelming. She had never seen such a hectic and loud place. However, over the the next two days she became very fond of it.

As well as the tourism, I enjoyed the CNN nightly gutting of Trump which reflected his appalling ABC interview, but also a real transformation in approach since I was last here in February 2017, just after the inauguration. Back then CNN were polite and clearly hoping he’d behave in office. No more. Much like Eddie Mair and Boris….

Rather than boring you further, I”ll simply add photos to reflect where we went, but understand that I enjoyed seven shops, particularly the one where Rosie ended up with a little blue bag, I had a very expensive cup of coffee, and a ride in a lift with the most charming attendant who I take it has worked there for decades. He was almost as mellifluous as Alistair Cooke. For the gentleman it was Tiffany’s, and my optimism/worries about being refused entry in shorts and a t-shirt were misplaced.

Now sitting at JFK. Positively excited as trip back on the top deck of a 747 – a first for me. And better still I think it’s the retro one in BOAC colours!

It was, and the experience was good. The cabin is light and roomy and quite different from downstairs. That said, and to to my surprise, I found the steep take off into turbulence sitting backwards disconcerting.

The Independence Sea Port Museum is worth the visit. For a start it’ll make you go down to the Delaware River which is huge and filled with history. Most exciting of all you have the simply epic USS New Jersey across on the other side, while to the left is a combined rail and vehicle bridge which reminded Rosie of Golden Gate, and to the right the twin funnels of SS United States taking you back to the golden age of travel.

The museum itself is well thought out with a variety of naval, ship construction, and social history displays related to Philly’s maritime connections. As an aside, if travelling by car from the airport look out for the Philadelphia Naval Yard about half way to town. It used to contain multiple retired carriers from the Cold War but still has rows of smaller ships – destroyers/frigates – in numbers that would shame the RN.

One particular exhibit caught our attention. It was a box representing one in which a black runaway slave spent 18 hours to be carried to Pennsylvania and freedom in the C19th, again making the point that all men being created equal a century earlier was guff. Rosie just fitted.

However, the high spot is the two vessels you can visit, the cruiser USS Olympia from the C19th and the USS Becuna, a submarine which did five war patrols in the Pacific before moving onto listening to Russians until the 1960s. The common theme of both was work hard at school and become an officer. In the Becuna that apparently meant on patrol, unlike the enlisted men, you could enjoy a shower for one minute a week, whilst on the Olympia it meant you lived in the most civilised space I’ve seen on a warship.

The Becuna was not quite up to the same standard however better than hot bunking…

And here are some more shots to sate you. Rest assured Rosie enjoyed it – particularly the ice cream and lemonade in the sun.

We both throughly enjoyed ourselves, indulging in history for the most part – where else in the States would you start? As the impressive guide in Independence Hall said, speaking mostly to a class of 8th graders, this is the first dot in the ongoing join the dots that is America. He made a valiant attempt to encourage them to engage in the gun debate, making the point that amendments remain live and each generation must express its view. Some kids, and hopefully the teachers, got the point. The pupils who will no doubt carry guns may not have.

The guides we encountered were universally impressive – both National Park Service and independent – enthusiastic and knowledgeable, wanting to share the excitement of the late 1700s. The most impressive was perhaps in the Second National Bank of America – now an Art Gallery of portraits of the main players from the colonial/revolutionary period – who discoursed for 45 minutes, keeping us both interested. What was striking was the influence of the Enlightenment, and how British the colonials remained even ’til as late as 1775 when it began to tip. And all because of the idiocy of the British Government. How things change … oh no wait.

We loved Christ Church which is an elegant and light filled building with a history that goes back perhaps twelve generations! We were shown round by a lovely lady who knew Perth, having worked there when Scottish Amicable was taken over, and was clearly a Democrat. She was worried about their candidate in 2020. Biden was too old, and there were simply too many other candidates. People now seemed to be accepting Trump and she thought Pelosi had to seek impeachment, if only to prevent his behaviour becoming the new norm.

Interestingly, this theme was repeated at wine o’clock at the Monaco where we spoke with two scientists, one Swiss, the other German, over for a meeting with their American Board. The Swiss lady, who had lived in the States, was horrified how her boss, an intelligent and not illiberal man, positively supported Trump. He told her he liked the way he upset the norms, but chillingly had added that since Trump wasn’t after him, he accepted his offensive behaviour. The German colleague laughed, and observed that much the same had happened in his country once. I cheerfully observed that at least HMQ had toned him down and reminded him of the benefit of global order as opposed to isolationism, They were pleased that I kept referring to myself as a European, as distinct from the piggy eyed blond lady beside us who became increasingly red faced as we chatted happily. Obviously a Trumpette but not prepared to engage.

That is not to say for a moment that we had anything other than positive experiences. It is a matter of joy at how polite the Americans were. They can still queue, and the sheer industry they display shames me. Useful doing the sites.

We also visited the Reading Terminal Market and Rosie shopped in Macy’s lest you think I was cruel. It was a magnificent C19th shop in a building akin to Frasers in Glasgow. Better still it has the world’s largest working organ – the pipes in the photo are fake and the vents above open and shut as the range is played! But the music was sublime and made my day more than tolerable as Rosie indulged.

Finally, good news for those who were beginning to worry, there will be a brief and separate special interest post to follow for those who like ships!

The journey started well. Torrential rain at Heathrow but the plane was apparently on time. Except it wasn’t, and was on a stand requiring a bus. Wet passengers although absolute credit to the BA employee who stood with an umbrella between the bus and the covered stairs while the deluge continued.

On board matters became much more calm. Pyjamas issued, champagne provided, followed by more and more as the delay increased. Would have been rude not to. And then off for a somewhat bumpy ride to high altitude where it never quite smoothed out but who was caring?

Joined Rosie for dinner which was good though again the BA poached egg was still solid if not quite as rubbery. Menus below for those who are interested – Rosie had salmon followed by halibut while I had asparagus and beef. Then chocolate ice cream for Rosie and cheese for me. Wines were good though was being semi abstemious by this point.

Films and a brief snooze followed, with the joy of high tea at half past midnight UK time. Somewhat different yet admirable, albeit the stewardess perplexed me by clearing it all away save a small pot of jam, which she then asked me, ten minutes later, if I wanted to keep! Eh no! One particular cinematic joy was a BOAC short film “George and the Flying Boats”. It is simply magnificent, involving a boy getting a flight in a Sandringham, and grown men wandering about on wings and near moving propellers. In short, a reminder why H&S is so overblown. If ever flying BA long haul watch it. It will delight you.

Only fifteen minutes late in Philly, where it was also very windy and wet and horrifyingly humid, and to be absolutely fair we were in the hotel seventy minutes after leaving the aircraft – first off which was most satisfying in a shameful way.

All that smugness evaporated, however, once we hit the immigration queues, where a new circle of hell had been added, just for fun or so it seemed to me. We duly saw a human being who asked aggressively why we were there, as well as scanning all fingers and thumbs and photographing us, but prior to that we had to go through an automated procedure which did much the same – though right hands only – before issuing us with a most unflattering, in my case at least, photo.

This of course sorted the wheat from the chaff and the real test I suppose was to see who was stupid enough to stand in line behind the large family from a southern state who whooped and hollered as they failed to make it work for the fifth time. With Rosie’s help we avoided that and passed through uneventfully. In due course our print outs were looked at dismissively by the officer, marked with a large cross and then taken off us as we left the area. Most odd.

It was therefore a relief to be back in the Monaco Hotel which as a Kimpton has whacky if impressive decor. Not necessarily the best thing after eighteen hours of travel but strangely reassuring and remarkably sleep inducing.

Great news! Rosie professes herself satisfied with lounges.

An easy day of travel so far as everything has run ahead of schedule. A seven month old A321 Neo – no table in the spare seat – but otherwise much the same.

What has changed since 2017 is the way my body has obviously become a temple. For with two lounges and one flight down all I have eaten is fish or fruit and veg. Not a single sausage.

BA’s flight option from Edinburgh was a mushroom tarte which was very tasty. However don’t be fooled by the “poached” egg. It had the look and feel of a squash ball and didn’t so much explode gooey goodness as crumble.

The Concorde Lounge has been much better, although the Concorde seats have gone! Lunch was very good – soup/gravadlax and then we both had the crab tortellini. Yum.

The general ambience is if anything better than last time, as is the service, largely because there are more people who actually want to take an order. Furniture is improved too, in particular groovy day beds which we are currently taking full advantage of looking at a very damp Heathrow!