The townsfolk of Pocklington are trying to raise funds.They organise an event each year loosely based on the theme of Flying.
This years dates are friday 9th, Saturday 10th and sunday 11th of May 2008.
For the third year, Badmac have been invited back to put on a static display. Members plan to attend on Saturday 11th of May, within the church .
Pictures below taken from 2007 event.
Jack's trio of models with stans cub infront
Models infront of the large screen used for the flight sim
Simon shows the public how to fly a picoz heli
Heres the story:
It was the 10th April 1733 when a celebrated, brave and foolhardy entertainer from Burton Stather, near Scunthorpe on the banks of the river Trent, came to put on a ‘bit of a show’ in Pocklington.
His name was Thomas Pelling and from that fateful day he would become famous and thereafter be known as...
The Flying Man of Pocklington
There is a large church (All Saints) just off the town square in Pocklington whose foundations were laid by the Norman’s and was (still is) imposing enough to be known as The Cathedral of the Wolds
| Its large square bell tower stands over 100 feet high and it was from this lofty vantage point that Thomas, in front of a large incredulous audience, would fly down a rope to the Star Inn, where he no doubt hoped to have a pint. |  |
The Star Inn used to be located in Market Square, unfortunately long since demolished.
Now, the exact details of the rigging of Thomas’s ropeway have been lost in time but it involved a windlass, a lot of rope, a secure anchorage point and several men.
The time came for Thomas to fly, so with a short briefing to his men, which proved later to be totally inadequate, he climbed the bell tower stairs and out through the hatch on to the tower roof. He waved down to the crowds, climbed over the parapet, tied himself to the ropeway, gave the signal to his assistants and launched himself into the wide blue yonder!
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Thomas didn’t make the pub; he didn’t even clear the church, due to a ‘misunderstanding’ with the men working the windlass, who could possibly have already been sampling the wares of The Star Inn! The ropeway became slack and Thomas was allowed to fly too fast and too low. With a sickening thud he flew straight into the battlements of the choir end wall and with a fractured skull he fell to his death! |
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Thomas Pelling “The celebrated Flying Man of Pocklington” was buried where he had fallen at the East End of the church on the 16th April 1733, a wall mounted plaque celebrates his memory. |
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