PSSA Gliding Events

[Peter Garsden]

I can normally do it in 3 rather than 9. Just thought some of you lads might need a bit of a plan.

Gyro? I think a truss would be more helpful.

[Steve Houghton 1]

Hey guys, another PSS event is looming for this weekend and I've been out this morning doing a wind dance, and lets face it, we need some. Down here in S Wales there seems to have been plenty of wind during the week, whilst I'm stuck in the office, and hardly a breath at the weekends.

I have booked a table at the Bunch of Grapes in Pontypridd for 8pm. The restaurant requires us to choose our meals beforehand and I have to pay a £5 per person deposit. So can I have a show of hands please for those intending to eat at the restaurant that evening and please advise me of your food choices from the menu below.

Unfortunately I am unable to get a Mickeys gate key this time from my usual source as the Paraglider club has clamped down on lending it out, as I think a key was lost and it ain't no ordinary key to replace. So I'm afraid it's Shanks pony for us.

Early indications show a southerly for Saturday, so that will mean flying on Back of Wrecker. Sunday is looking like a nice westerly, which would ordinarily mean flying the far side of Mickeys, so a bit of a walk, but hey, we'll need to burn off the previous evenings dinner, right!

But another thought has occurred to me, so I have a question to ask ya'll. If we do have a westerly for Sunday, would you fancy meeting at the Bwlch lay-by at 9AM and then driving 43 miles, (1hr 25mins ish) to fly the BEST slope in the UK? Rhossili!

There is a little church car park at the foot of the hill, but if there isn't enough room, there is a national trust car park down further into the village. Either way, there is a steepish climb up to the top, (not good for carrying a 35lb Hog) but the flying is soooooo worth the trek. If you think the flying on the Orme is good, and you haven't experienced Rhossili, you're missing a treat. Anyway, it's something for you to think about.

Below is the menu for the Bunch of Grapes.

Starters
Smoked garlic and beetroot soup, home baked bread £5.00

Fillet of Breconshire beef carpaccio with truffle mayonnaise, rocket and pickled mushrooms £8.50

Seared scallops, celeriac, chestnut and fresh apple £6.80

Pork, venison and juniper terrine, beer and date relish and toasted sourdough bread £6.00

Smoked and bashed beetroots with dill yoghurt dressing and crisp rye bread crumb £5.50

Devilled lambs’ kidneys on toasted focaccia £5.80

Chargrilled asparagus, soft boiled egg on sourdough toast £6.50

Mains
8oz / 10oz Breconshire beef sirloin steak, chestnut mushrooms in wild garlic oil, hand cut chips and peppercorn sauce £18.50 / £21.50

Pan roasted lamb chump, parmesan and truffle oil risotto, wild mushrooms, charred onion, garden grown chard and pan juices £17.50

Slow cooked pork belly, roasted celeriac, purple sprouting broccoli, crumbled black pudding, crackling and cider jus £15.50

Pan fried Hake, Jersey Royal new potatoes, cockle popcorn, sorrel sauce and charred lemon £15.75

Pan fried cod, crushed Jersey Royal new potatoes, poached free range egg and garden chive butter £15.25

Pan roasted chicken supreme, peas, pancetta, braised lettuce and chicory £14.75

Wild garlic gnocchi, sautéed peas, edamame beans, spring onion and morel mushroom with tender stem broccoli and wild garlic pesto £14.00

Homemade Campanelle pasta with field mushrooms and burnt onions, walnut pesto, wild garlic and Hafod cheese shavings £11.75

Dessert
Rhubarb and vanilla trifle £6.00

Dark chocolate fondant, coffee caramel, coffee and brandy ice cream £7.50

Bara brith and Merlyn cream liqueur cheesecake, Merlyn sauce and Penderyn whisky ice cream £7.50

Sticky Toffee Pudding, butterscotch sauce, vanilla pod ice cream £5.50

White chocolate pannacotta, salted caramel, crushed meringue £5.80

Welsh cheese board, chutney, oatcakes, bread, celery £9.00

Selection of homemade ice creams and sorbets (please ask for current flavours)
£4.80

[Phil Cooke]

Hi Steve,

Firstly - on behalf of us all who will travel and enjoy the meal on Saturday night - a huge thanks for making the booking and for locally arranging the deposits etc - I will certainly be there Saturday and would like to order the following please;

Starter - Pork, venison and juniper terrine

Main - Pan roasted lamb chump

Dessert - Sticky Toffee Pudding

As for the proposed Rhossili trip - assuming it does turn Westerly - personally I would prefer to stay local and take on the walk to the slope beyond Mickeys... Bearing in mind there is still a walk then a significant climb to perform when you eventually get to Rhossili anyway, I would prefer to avoid the extra hour or so driving and make the most of the day and the conditions we get at the Bwlch. I would also be a little concerned about parking (on mass) at Rhossili, it's that and the walk through the village with all our kit that's held us back from hosting an event there ourselves in the past... I appreciate it comes highly recommended from a lift point of view - I just don't think its suited to a potentially large gathering?

If you do decide to offer that option to anyone on the Sunday morning, will others still be able to stay local and fly the far side of Mickey's all ok?

Edited By Phil Cooke on 08/05/2018 19:48:28

[Alan Gorham_]

You seem to have the important bit well in hand Steve (ie the big feed after a hard days flying!). Great stuff, well done.

I'd like to reserve a seat please and I'll choose:

Smoked & bashed beetroots to start

Pan fried cod with crushed Jersey Royals as my main.

No pudding required after that!

I'm happy to follow the voices of experience with regards flying locations. I've not been to any sites in South Wales, so I'll just be happy to be there!

[Harry Twist]

Hi Steve, Thanks for organising the flying and the food !

Put me down as one for the meal - starter - garlic and beetroot soup

main - pan fried cod

sweet- sticky toffee pudding

Regarding the flying - again personally speaking - I also would prefer to remain in the Bwlch area.

Three reasons - firstly with the right wind directions at the Bwlch the slopes (and hence the flying) are pretty fabulous, secondly the  time spent travelling to Rhossili and back could be time spent flying - giving us a longer flying day! Thirdly and slightly selfishly -  but this will apply to others- at the end of flying on Sunday I've got a roughly 4.5hr drive home without adding the Rhossili extension.  So in summary-  if possible - I would prefer to stay in The Bwlch area to fly.

 

Edited By Harry Twist on 09/05/2018 00:14:09

[Steve Houghton 1]

Thanks for your replies guys, if I can have the rest asap please so that I can forward your meal requests onto the restaurant, I'd appreciate it.

Ok, no problem staying at the Bwlch, and as it happens the forecast is changing a bit anyway, (surprise, surprise), with sunshine & showers on Saturday with a southerly wind which should be about 20 mph plus on the slope, so it could be a good day. We would still be on Back of Wrecker.

Sunday the wind looks all over the shop currently, beginning southerly and then moving south westerly around 4 PM with only a light breeze, so if that forecast remains, we'll still be on Back of Wrecker.

Keep your fingers crossed guys.

[Phil Cooke]

Ill put a note out on the PSSA Whatsapp group to see if we can get a firmer response on here from those who are definitely travelling - I'm guessing there's a number of attendees that haven't seen these latest thread posts just yet...

[Bob Jennings 1]

Hi Steve and PSS crew. I won't be making the trip to lovely Wales as I had already committed myself to the Macclesfield Beer Festival that weekend and forgot!

I will do my penance and clear the decks to start on my Hurricane.

Have fun. I expect you'll join me in spirit for a few beers at the Grapes after a spectacular days flying.
Happy landings.

[Steve McLaren]

Hi Steve,

Can I sign up for the meal too please? I'll go for bashed beetroot, sirloin steak, and no sweet please.

Not sure what time I'll get there on Saturday yet, but I'll find you somewhere.

Thanks

Steve

[Flyer]

Hoping to drop in on Saturday, but will not need feeding Saturday evening. Looking forward to seeing you lot again.

Ade

[Steve Houghton 1]

So at the moment it looks like there are only 5 of us for dinner on Saturday. This is your final call as I will need to send the restaurant the list and make payment tomorrow morning.

I wish these weather apps would get their acts together! The local BBC were still saying this morning a southerly wind for the weekend, however XC for Cardiff airport are now saying more westerly 6 mph for Saturday and westerly 15 mph on Sunday, which will make Sunday's flying on Mickey's awesome, as it will be more like 25 mph up there. There is still time for this to change though. Fingers crossed eh.

[Alan Gorham_]

Steve your local knowledge is needed please!

I'm staying in a hotel in Pencoed. What's my best option for getting to Pontypridd for food if I wanted to leave the car? It seems like I can get a train to Cardiff from Pencoed and another from Cardiff to Pontypridd but it takes just over an hour (and it looks like they run quite late for getting back to Pencoed too).

Is a taxi a better (but more expensive) option do you think?

Or am I better off driving and drinking Lemonade?

[Phil May]

Taxi will cost a fortune.
Train will take ages.
Codge a lift off someone 😁😁

[Steve Houghton 1]

I agree with Phil Alan, you'd be better off driving and staying dry, as I will be.

[Steve Houghton 1]

So the weather people have changed their minds again about Saturday and they are showing a light breeze from a southerly direction, which will mean flying from Back of Wrecker. I'll be getting up there for about 9 AM to check that is correct and we can meet up at the Ice Cream slope lay-by at 10 as usual and drive up to the Wrecker lay-by if that is the case.

Sunday is still looking westerly so it'll be a hike over to the far side of Mickeys, a 15 - 20 minute walk, depending on how fit you are or how heavy your models are. But you never know, the weather men may change their minds again.

It looks like there are only 6 of us for dinner on Saturday night and I am about to drop the restaurant an email with our food choices.

See ya'll tomorrow guys

[Steve Houghton 1]

Thanks to all who turned up to the PSSA meet at the Bwlch. Saturday we were scratching around for lift, but the Bwlch came good on Sunday when the wind changed direction to a westerly, then we had great lift in smooth air and fab flying conditions with wall to wall sunshine all day.

A particular thanks to Alan who travelled all the way from the NE of England. It's the first time I've ever seen a seaplane fly off our slopes.

Hopefully I will see you at the Llyn.

[Andy Meade]

My face is so burned! Was a great day's flying, thanks for having us

[Phil Cooke]

yeah it was a great day yesterday! - a big thanks to Steve and the SWSA for hosting - having not flown there before it was nice to try the Ice Cream slope in the morning before we moved over to Mickeys - what a day from then on - lovely!!

I've got a huge number of photos to trawl through as the light was excellent and all the models were looking great through the viewfinder all day! Ill post a link to an album here sometime soon!

[Mark Kettle 1]

I'm jealous, wish I could have gone.

[Alan Gorham_]

Big thanks from me to Steve and Nick for your efforts in letting us on your slopes!

It was a bit challenging on Saturday with light/variable winds but we did manage some flying. Sunday was excellent and I'm sure we all got as much flying as we wanted as well as much chat and banter.

Very enjoyable meal in the Bunch of Grapes on Saturday evening too!

My only grumble is that the South Wales wind has burnt me forehead lol but that's my fault for not bringing a hat.

[Steve McLaren]

Yes, thanks very much guys. It was great to finally get some flying in after the last two windless events.

Whilst we're waiting for Phil's professional quality photos, here are a few of my amateur snaps!

[Harry Twist]

Great shots Steve!

Echoing all the above, big thanks to Steve and Nick for between you - organising slopes/ booking pub meal / obtaining permissions and getting the key to allow access! Over the two days it was great to fly on three different slopes with massively varying wind direction and wind strengths. Sunday afternoon on Mickeys was superb. Thanks to everyone for the great company and banter throughout the two days. To add to Alans red forehead ( see above!) I can offer a red nose and red ears - not enough suncream added!

Edited By Harry Twist on 14/05/2018 21:15:55

[Phil Cooke]

Great photos Steve!!

Still recovering from all the fresh air and all the sun - a memorable days soaring!! Here's a link to the photos I've edited from the Sunday...

**LINK**

[Alan Gorham_]

Good photos Steve and Phil!

[Phil Cooke]

Spoken with Jez Billington from the LMSA today as planned - I'm afraid the planned PSS event at the Long Mynd this weekend has been CANCELLED please do not travel.

Latest from the LMSA

PSS EVENT THIS WEEKEND IS CANCELLED!

The weather predictions have shown no improvement overnight which regrettably forces us to cancel the event.

We now look to the backup dates in June with hope that we have better luck. Stay tuned on here and at the PSSA website!