Today I'm at our local sports center. I have to, because the main library is being visited by Her Royal Highness Princess Anne, and for security, us plebs are forbidden from accessing the premises. Personally, you have to wonder if she only wants to reserve the computers for a quick surf whilst she's in town.

Actually I don't have anything against her at all. I do notice that a certain Shirley Burnham, a pensioner campaigning to keep the Old Town library open, was planning to use the event to highlight her concerns. So sensitive are the police about royal security that they've already told her to behave.

Parade of the Week

Swindon does seem to be a busy place lately. Just yesterday I caught the tail end of a parade setting off through the town. I asked a council employee standing near me what was going on. He told me it was the Royal Air Force getting the freedom of the town in recognition of their service. Quite right too I think, but I noticed the naval uniforms at the back of the parade line. The council guy smiled, way ahead of me, and told me the Sea Cadets had tagged along for the ride.

As a youth I was an air cadet, and my flight was stationed next door to those sea cadets. There was hardly any interaction between the two services at all. We always sort of glared across the fence at the goings on of the other side and kept a disrepectful distance.

I watched the low pass of a Hercules transport, a salute to the men of RAF Lyneham, and remembered the one occaision I sneaked out there for an unofficial joyride in an air force transport. It was a very hot day and the empty Hercules on circuit training bumped up and down so much in thermals and turbulence that enjoying the experience was impossible.

I see that the base is due to close shortly. Ever since I first lived in Swindon as a six year old child I used to see these aircraft flying overhead on their way for a landing down the road. The skies above Swindon are going to a lot less busy in future. Believe it or not, I'm going to miss that periodic whine of four turboprop engines and the woosh of a 'Fat Albert' on it's way home.