Anton said that Baby Klauds wanted to go to the Farnborough International Airshow today, so Anton, Brian, Baby Klauds and me went today. Klaudia, Anton said, was particularly interested to see the new Airbus A 380.

A drive of about an hour and a half, listening to a CD of nursery rhymes and children's songs. By the end of the journey The wheels on the bus go round and round, round and round, round and round etc. had become a firm favourite.

Arriving at Farnborough the sky was a dark grey and occasionally flecked with lightning. We walked from the carpark as the red arrows started their display. A short bus hop to the airfield and the rain began, and it continued to rain heavily for the rest of the time we were there. Nicely, a woman in the ticket booth lent Anton a pink brolly. As we lurked about the place we bumped into Mick Ginty, a friend I'd not seen for years, who was there with his dad.

There were planes flying around against the thundery grey sky including the A380. Then there were some military jets which were so noisy that they made Baby Klauds cry out in horror. I happened to be holding her at one of these moments and she flinched into me. Made me think of Buddhism again. These incredibly sophisticated and frightening war machines are our fear of each other made into terrifying objects; engines of samsara. Just hearing them displayed was bad enough. If you were in Lebanon right now and they were screeching in to bomb you it must be absolutely terrifying.

We decided to escape from the noise a bit and hung out in the restaurant, where we paid exorbitantly for some horrid food. Despite all this we had quite a good laugh. The canteen restaurant quickly flooded with deluge dodgers till it was standing room only. To its credit, the airshow managed an impressive recreation of an airport when all the flights are cancelled.

We decided to cut our losses as Klaudia was loathing it. And we were all quite relieved to leave. Back in Brighton I returned home and caught up with housework before going back to Anton and Anna's place for an excellent evening with them and Brian. Anna cooked a lovely roast chicken and we chatted and drank and listened to records till late.

Above the Airbus A380. Below the Godfathers -- me (employing the pushchair's parasol as an umbrella) and Brian with Baby K in pushchair; Baby Klauds deciding she thinks airshows suck (random man with cowboyish hat in the background turned out to be Mick Ginty).