John Evans spoke to the January meeting of the Pembrokeshire National Trust Association on the history of flying in Pembrokeshire.

John, for whom this has been a lifelong fascination, took members from the start of the century, and the first planes to be seen in the county, up to the present with facilities now restricted to Withybush and Templeton. There was a graphic description of the problems of launching airships in gales at Carew in the 1914 war and the alarming consequences of not releasing the control rope at the correct time.

He also explained the role of the many local airfields in the Second World War with stories, both funny and tragic, about the aircrew from many countries who were based here. John is to be congratulated on building up an invaluable archive.

The next meeting will take place on Tuesday, February 11, at 7.30 pm, in the Picton Centre, Haverfordwest, when David Saunders will give a talk 'Kim's Drum to the Khyber' about travels in the North West Frontier.