John Martindale joined our circle of friends late, we all had known him for a long time when he was finally brave enough to go on a spotting trip with us. But I do have to say that I think on John’s part, there must have been an element of trepidation.
From memory John and Hugh Morton had been let down, whatever the arangements were doesn’t matter – if there were seats on the bad boys minibus, almost any bum that filled them was welcome.
And so it was that John and Hugh came on a trip with the bad boys, I’m sure that they had some concerns but it was that or miss whatever show we were going to.
So seating was allocated, sandwiches, Irn-Bru and Coke loaded and off we went. With two new members of the minibus crew, to clarify the same regulars had been going to shows by minibus for many years – there was even Lester our principal navigator. Just to let you know what the trips were like, Lester was a plastic decoy wood pidgeon – but a valued member of the minibus crew.
Quite what John and Hugh thought of the rabble that they were travelling with, nobody knows except them – but it couldn’t have been too bad as they became regular members of our circle. And I must be honest here, being welcomed into our circle as they were – is not something that should be taken for granted. John and Hugh became regular members of the Wednesday night meets at the Breahead Tavern, they also became regular attendee’s of the Christmas bash. If I’m being honest here, not what we expected when they came on that first minibus trip.
Our memories of John in particular go back to the very early 1970’s, where our card playing, drinking and fraternising with members of the opposite sex in the GAAEC club rooms did not impress John. But I’m guessing that it was all water under the bridge thirty something years later, it certainly seemed like that.
I clearly remember the conversation that first night in The Ram Hotel in Brandon, John seeming surprised at the jocularity – remarking that we actually had fun socially in the minibus and in the pub. It was said in such a way as to make you think that this wasn’t the norm on other group trips that John and Hugh had been on.
Over the years there were some humerous incidents involving John, few got more of a laugh than the “Stanstead Bus Incident”. Where John had asked to be dropped at the terminal to log of all things “Buses”, while we were going round logging aircraft – John was, as requested left to his own devices at the terminal. On our return, John was earnestly engaged in conversation with the airport constabulary who asked us if we knew John. The expression on his face when we denied all knowledge of him was priceless, although John didn’t seem to think it was funny at the time – he did later.
John didn’t just collect Aircraft numbers, there were Train and Bus numbers as well, he also was instrumental in the search for wrecks and the recovery of some of them, a detailed history of this can be found here.
We are now nearing the 10th anniversary of John’s passing and still have the odd laugh about the funny incidents, as with all our spotter freinds that frequented the pub with us – John Martindale, master of numbers is still thought of and missed.