Congratulations to Denise, and thank you to the Professor for sending this in:
She’s Done It! Denise’s Sponsored SkyDive! She’s a Star!
If you cast your minds back to July, many of you will have filled in Sponsorship Forms for Denise’s Skydive in aid of the Derby City General Hospital Breast Cancer Clinic.
On 19 July we went out to Langar airfield (between Nottingham and Grantham – and the home of the British Parachute Schools Skydiving Centre). The winds blew and blew, and if a jump had been made Denise would probably have landed in the Netherlands. We waited all day, and eventually returned disconsolate (to drown our sorrows in a pub in Markeaton).
Since then a combination of dreadful weather and domestic problems intervened to make a jump impossible, but on Tuesday 16 September we were told that Wednesday weather would be ideal – we should get there as early as possible. So we turned up at 10.30 – only to find mist and a very low cloud-base which would make tandem jumps for starters unsafe. The day went on and on.
A group of experienced skydivers turned up who could safely negotiate through the cloud-cover and make a final safe landing. So we paced around like caged lions, buttonholing anyone who looked vaguely official for the latest weather news as the fast 16-place turbo-powered Cessna Grand Caravan aircraft (equipped to take 16 skydivers) returned from above the clouds. A Skydiving Boogie (a kind of festival with visiting divers and planes) had been scheduled, but because of the weather it did not eventuate.
click on photos to see full image
At 4pm the word came through that the cloud-base had lifted sufficiently, the three scheduled tandem jumpers (two girls and a chap) hastily kitted up, and the three instructors appeared on the scene. Denise (hyped up, psyched up, and true to form) said ” Aye, I like that big tall bloke with the little beard – I don’t want the others“, and I need hardly need to say that they had eyed each other up and that she got her man. We’d also engaged a camera-man, and the photos show the trio waiting to join the plane (along with the solo divers).
They went up to 13,000 feet, the camera-man got out of the plane, hung on to the wing strut with one hand, shot the exit from the plane and then followed the duo down. They fell in free fall from 13,000 to 9,000 feet (at about 120mph), when the parachute was opened, and they finally landed on target at about 30mph. The landing did not quite go to plan (Denise’s legs were a bit wobbly) and they collapsed with the instructor on top of her (for Denise a rather satisfying end to a hair-raising experience – “It were grand – fantastic!”).
We were late getting back, with Denise absolutely washed out – all the adrenalin drained. As luck would have it I had been able to arrange a party (and a driver) at Bramhalls in Ashbourne. There were six of us and we had a hilarious time. Denise was right back on form. I don’t remember too much – apart from the occasional cry “Come on Prof – get going – get some more champagne!”. At the end the management said to me that they hadn’t enjoyed a party so much for a long time, we got another donation, and I got a very significant cut off the bill (so some more cash for the cause).
Now there is the matter of getting in the donations, which will not be easy. If you filled in the forms at the Sycamore see Janet. Otherwise get hold of Denise (01335 390514, 07890499106, 12 Smithy Close) or me (01335 390484, 07989417106, New Cottage – opposite the School) – with your cash. Don’t make out cheques to the Charity – if you have to use them make them out to me – my PA will sort the whole thing out and we’ll let you know the takings ASAP.
We have seen the video and shall have a copy in a week or two, together with stills. I hope to get an edited version, plus the stills, on the web/blog.
In the meantime – thanks for all your support
Good on yer!
The Prof
PS You’ll make me into a blogger yet – much more fun than editing the Parish Magazine!
PARWICH.ORG 
Congratualtions Denise – and to The Prof. for a great post.
Congratulations Denise- we are all very proud of you and thank you for donating all monies to the Breast Cancer Unit at the City Hospital Derby -love you very much xxx
Denise is not merely a grand girl – she’s a brave girl (tho’ she would never admit it). To put things in perspective, in the Langar centre there are posters pointing out that sky-diving is a dangerous sport which can lead to injury and even death. What we did not then know was that on September 14 one of the Langar camara-men, a veteran of over 1000 jumps, died on landing after his third jump of the day (filming tandem drops). He appears to have been executing a “low hook” landing, involving an exciting fast 180 degree turn, misjudged it and landed on his head. His wife of one year – an instructor at Langar – was on site. So our hearts go out to her.
This all takes me back to wartime days when I did some parachute training as a young chap in the Fleet Air Arm – and thoroughly enjoyed it. I did ask my GP if I could still do a jump now – I need not tell you what her reply was. Denise, in her inimitable style, put it more succinctly – “God, Prof, you’re a silly old bugger!”
But to look at it quite seriously, thank goodness there are people prepared to take risks – which are part of life – with courage and with a light heart. This is part of the British character and why we were once a great nation. The politically correct emphasis today is to molly-coddle our kids and prevent them doing what they should normally be doing – learning to take risks so that they can face life. It’s grand to see kids hanging precariously from the top branch of my apple tree. There can be no better place than Parwich in which to bring up kids – it’s a grand place, full of grand people.
And as Denise says to me “Prof – life is not a rehearsal”.
The Prof
And I was wondering why Denise has that sparkling look in the Parwich Royal British Legion bar, having completed a jump like that, now I understand. Fantastic. Ke-eeep Jumping.
Stuart
Well done Denise, and much credit to Peter Young for his organisational skills.
Here at Pannal Methodist Church near Harrogate We have raised almost £200, which because of holidays, is taking time to collect, but should soon be on its way to Derbyshire. The Yorkshire folk here needed no persuasion to be sponsors even though the recipient hospital is a long way from us