5th
I don't even know what the question is.

Right. When I were younger...
My Grandfather (Taid) and my Grandmother (Nanny) lived in Wales. We stay in the arse end of Scotland so we would travel down every summer for a week or two and spend fantastic summers down there. I loved every minute.

My Taid was a proper grandad, walked funny, smoked a pipe, played Dominoes in the pub, helped with the evacuation at Dunkirk (There are medals somewhere) etc. He also had a fairly substantial vegetable patch and when I was there I was always out helping him with watering, digging up, shelling peas etc.
This particular summer I asked if I could dig up the potatoes for tea. "Give me five minutes boyo" and off he toddled. Gives me a shout a few minutes later so I run out and start digging.
"Try here" - No luck
"here" - Not a tattie in sight
"Alright boyo, try this bit" - PAYDIRT!
I dug up a carrier bag full of potatoes and went running in quite the man to my nan who was watching from the kitchen. He stood outside, probably pissing himself laughing (I like to think he lit up his pipe like a hero). He'd not planted any that year and I fell for it hook, line and sinker.

Another year I went down and he took me, my mum and my mums boyfriend at the time out to Mona airfield. He took me up to speak to this pilot of a little 2 seater plane. They guy showed me all around it then told me to get in. Taid had arranged for one of his old war buddies to take me up for a flying lesson. I got to pilot it, bank around, wear FUCKING MASSIVE HEADPHONES and it was fantastic. I was about 7 I think. Maybe 8.

Best grandad ever. I fucking miss him though. He died in Hospital in 1995 (I was about 13). Luckily we were down there as we knew he was ill.
My nan was 95 this year too.
( Maffers I flow kinda strange like Spina Bifida footprints, Thu 2 Jun 2011, 21:57, 1 reply)

Flying a plane age 7 or 8?!
That has got to be every boys dream day out, game on!
( LemonEntryMyDearWatson This time, Moriarty, the hand is on the other foot, Thu 2 Jun 2011, 22:10, closed)

It was glorious.
Still remains one of the best things in my life. Wish I had photos of it.
Wouldn't be able to do that nowadays.

the headphones were as big as my head, with a mic that stuck out across my face. We flew over a lake then he said "your turn" and as he spoke the controls in front of me popped forward. I held it steady for ages, got to dip and climb again, then banked round to go back the way we came. I don't remember landing but I remember jumping out of the plane up to high-doh and my mums face of relief to see me grounded again. Haha.
( Maffers I flow kinda strange like Spina Bifida footprints, Thu 2 Jun 2011, 22:14, closed)