Folks,

Dux:

Only a brief moment?

High scores have never been our reason for posting here anyway. In your case it indicates a long lived dedication and a desire to share your vast knowledge and experience of many interesting subjects. For others, those whom you refer to as "stackers", high scores may indicate something altogether less laudable.

Returning to the far off topic of royalty I think that over here HM the Queen is highly respected and the younger royals including the POW and his new bride have seen quite an improvement in their image since the death of Diana. This in part may be due to the good work done by PR professionals and the Royals themselves.

Perhaps due to the public acceptance by the Queen of Camilla she seems to be more popular here as well. William has always enjoyed great popularity here and from afar seems accessible and more down to earth than any of the older royals. The possible exception might be Anne whom I think has always been extra hard working and a no nonsense princess causing her to stand somewhat apart. Was it Edward or Andrew who had his own film making business enterprise?

Maybe the days of royalty as we've know it are numbered? Perhaps the nobility will have to actually fully support themselves at some point? Could it be that the Prince of Wales is hedging his bets on that subject? I am not sure the benefit otherwise of Charles' attempt at moonlighting when he recently presented a quite humorous TV weather report. Did you see that?

Over here Charles seems far less stiff, pompous and humorless than ever in the past. Maybe this is due to the "handlers" or perhaps we should give his bride some credit?

Gents,

JRT,

Dunno about those last paragraphs but if the Jubilee crowds outside the Palace were any yardstick, the Monarchy will endure pretty much as it is now. A subsequent news item proclaimed that the festivities were watched by one third of the world population. It's just that the minority opposition shouts louder. Perhaps Charles is in his dotage and feeling more relaxed if he has become aware that the succession will pass into the hands of another. Hope so. Remember that sheet hanging from the railings of Kensington Palace a few years ago: Queen Camilla Never! However she is presented, a few may cheer but the public will not forget - and I am sure the Princes won't either.

The cast or dramatis personae will change but the show will go on.

Folks,

Dux:

I can't claim to know much about it however I just do not see how the scepter can be passed to any other than Charles unless he abdicates first without tossing the whole idea of hereditary succession right out a gilded window and starting over. As far as I can see the ascension to the British throne has never been a popularity contest.

So I'd still bet on Charles unless he's caught shagging a vicar or something like it pops up before the throne is vacated. Of course Charles may not outlive his mother in which case the whole thing would be moot anyway. Or would it? As for Camilla becoming Queen I'd suppose that might be a bone of contention however I have an idea that was worked out before the wedding took place. I'd add we should bear in mind that there have been more than one unpopular Queens of England.

OK. Un-twist yer nickers old fellow. Before you raise the portcullis, lower the draw bridge, call out your knights and arm yer serfs; I already defer to you in all things royal as you are a castle owning, card carrying member of the British aristocracy.

After all, what does any common colonist really know about royalty? And a gross commoner like me at that?

Gents,

JRT,

'The significance of this plan can not be overstated'. So said a royal source six years ago when Prince William revealed his game-plan to become King. When Charles adroitly steps aside, as I firmly believe he will do, that plan will come to fruition.

How they match up in the popularity stakes depends upon which poll or paper we read. I think the outcome will be largely a matter of practicality. Charles is getting on in years, a slave to his garden (and his wife), and we don't want to be spending all that money on a Coronation when we won't be getting our money's worth. In view of his treatment of Diana, the prospect of his commitments and responsibilities to sovereign matters remains questionable. William is young and vigorous and threatening to eclipse his father altogether. With the prospect of his royal visits on the agenda, he cannot fail to cement that superiority in the eyes of the world and with those people who are often still quaintly referred to as loyal subjects.

Folks,

Dux:

No doubt Charles and William will do their duty as they see it. I cannot think of others who passed on being king except Edward VIII who gave up the throne seemingly willingly. I have come to doubt however that it was purely for the reason stated. In my mind his recently revealed strong, favorable feelings toward Germany may have bordered on treason once war was declared. Although Churchill was a friend and supporter it may have been impossible for the government to accept a sovereign so politically compromised seated on the throne. I have come to believe that it is at least possible that the great love affair may have been a brilliant ruse.

I've also read the Duke and Duchess once had to be secretly whisked out of Spain to avoid a supposed plot to kidnap Edward by Germany. I believe he spent most of the war safely tucked away as governor of Bermuda. The unpopular Duchess was not allowed in England until the death and subsequent funeral of Edward.

I have no dog in this fight anyway. Your points are well thought out and I defer to them with the one caveat so well stated by Bobby Burns "The best laid plans of mice and men....". We may speculate but only Charles knows for sure what he will do.

Gents,

JRT,

We are off on Monday the 18th to Bideford, Devon for a few days but I hope to get one or two pictures up of 'Ollie' on the turntable at Rowsley Station before then. They were taken by a friend with a much more advanced camera.

Our hopes for a sunny week are not high but we will just have to make the best of it. It is mild enough right now but with constant showers over the last week or so.

I decided to give my Nikon L-22 to my daughter and get my previous camera repaired at some point. I was expecting too much out of it for a point-and-click camera but it is fine for general use.

Folks,

Dux:

A nice DSLR camera is probably what you are looking for with several lenses, a respectable mega pixel count and a high optical (definitely not digital) zoom feature indispensable especially for nature shots. Point and shoot is indeed a good choice by those who prefer ease of use over everything else.

The British Rail system has a long and illustrious history that will be remembered and celebrated as long as there are people like you to pass it on to the next generation and beyond. I was surprised to see in a commercial on American TV a child playing with what appeared to me to be a large scale model "Tornado" the other night.

I wish you good fortune with the weather in Devon. We hope you will have a working camera again soon and I'd say we have good reason to expect even more photos of the little Lady "M" in future. Our kids are out of school for the summer an my son has gone back to college for the summer. With all the activities of summer we may have a few photos to trade.

This past weekend there was a treasure trove of TV programs about WW2 on the Military Channel. You may be familiar with the series "World at War" with the late Sir Lawrence Olivier doing the narration. There was a program about the BoB and several on NAZI collaborators. There was an interesting program on the development of the Spitfire as well.

I was inspired to fire up BoB2. I managed to get a Spitfire up over Manston yesterday and I downed a determined 109. I stuck to him like glue and he gave me a good fight. Then I loaded up IL2-46 and managed to splash two Gustavs flying a Spitfire 9. I have not yet modded IL2 so I do not have a map of Britain. When I want a BoB scenario between Emeils and Hurricanes I must use the Normandy map instead.

Gents,

JRT,

I can't get my old Nikon repaired at a reasonable price but I had a look at the new Sony HX20 with 18.2 Mpix, 20X wide angle optical zoom.
My friend has a Canon D40 with all the bells and whistles but I don't need to get that technical.

We have received a three day bad weather blitz from today. Certainly cold and grey overcast again by this evening. We are just hoping it will pass through by Monday.

Gave RoF another go today after a few weeks break. Major Meehan was back in action. Must be a little rusty. Only just made it make after a tussle with some Albatros D.Vs and force landed near our trenches with a dead engine.

Folks,

Dux:

So far this continues to be the warmest year on record in NC since the 1940s. Despite that, so far we have not had that long string of 90 degree days we had last summer. By this time last summer we were well on our way to a record number of days when the temp met or exceeded 90 F. Today however was unseasonably cool and also overcast with an occasional drizzle. I like cool. I like warm with low humidity. I tolerate hot with low humidity. Please no hurricanes this year mister weatherman.

I have no experience with Sony cameras so I cannot offer any advice which I would certainly do regardless of the glaring fact that you did not ask. There are so many new cameras available today that I really can't see how, with a bit of research, you could not find something that meets your specific needs very nicely. There are loads of websites devoted to helping you match your technical needs as well as your price range.

My son has given up the surveying profession and gone back to college. He has ordered a brand new SOTA laptop which should come in any day now. I mention this merely because I hope to be able to get ROF and place it on his computer. Then I will finally be able to enjoy that sim along with you old man provided I can still find a boxed copy. I suppose there have been many upgrades by now and patches a plenty.

I guess some caring soul has warned Devon of your immanent arrival by now. If so the weather may not be your only worry. I'm guessing you have been there before in your younger "Jack the Lad" days and that means you will be traveling incognito and arriving in some sort of ingenious disguise. Mind you it would be unwise to run into one of the many lovely birds you left 'abandoned on the nest' as it were. Lady "J" would not be amused.

Chaps,

JRT,

We will be taking one of my brother's doggies with us called Jack the Lad!!! A West Highland White - I think I sent a pic of him some while back. That bad weather didn't show up after all other than a few light showers...not around these parts anyway.

Do they have a boxed version of RoF? The free download is always available and in my experience you won't need too many extras in the way of aircraft. I don't fly most of those I have already bought from the RoF Store but to start with, would recommend the Camel or the Fokker Dr1 for that tight-turning scrap.

Here's a few more pics to whet your appetite!