At The Show
Talks & Demonstrations » Talks
The Thames Valley & Chiltern Air Ambulance Trust (TVACAA)
The TVACAA, launched in June 1999, provides a life saving service for the Thames Valley area covering Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire.
The TVACAA, who will be in attendance at this year's show, will be giving visitors an insight into the Trust by providing an informative presentation, a selection of leaflets, merchandise and some background about the Trust, detailing how important it is for them to raise awareness and money.
The Trust is a charity which receives no funding from the NHS or from the National Lottery, but relies entirely on sponsorship, donations and fundraising activities to meet the running cost of £2.8m per annum.
The Air Ambulance is a Eurocopter EC135 based at RAF Benson, South Oxfordshire. It is crewed by one pilot and two paramedics, and supported on a regular basis by a small team of doctors. The aircraft attends both trauma and medical emergencies.
The helicopter is operated in daylight hours and is on call seven days a week. The value of the Air Ambulance is in being able to bring the benefits of rapid paramedic intervention to a medical situation in order to give primary care and then airlift patients, if required, to the most appropriate hospital within the Golden Hour.
Further information is available by visiting www.tvacaa.org
'MAGIC DRAGON' - STEAM BOAT
On display at the show will be 'Magic Dragon' built by John Schofield over the course of fourteen years and is based upon a Scottish Puffer.
The Magic Dragon is built of steel and powered by a two cylinder steam engine and has a water tube boiler. Half the size of a puffer both in terms of length and beam, John had to be creative with the height and headroom.
The hold space has been divided into two cabins – a sleeping cabin with a double bunk and a dayroom. The port quarter, starboard side and gallery all have essential amenities which help provide a relaxing, comfortable atmosphere on board.
John will be on hand throughout the show to answer any questions and give an account of his fourteen year build.
Lapita Voyage
The Talks and Demonstrations Marquee this year will become home, once again, to the well-known multihull pioneer James Wharram and his partner Hanneke Boon. They will have you spellbound with their personal accounts and film about their recent 4000 nautical miles voyage in the Pacific.
The 'Lapita Voyage', sailing two double canoes from the Philippines to Tikopia and Anuta in the Solomons, was a major expedition in Experimental Marine Archaeology.
It was the first exploration of one possible migration route into the Central Pacific by Ethnic sailing craft, but it was also a fantastic sailing adventure. The two boats met squalls, storms and days of calms. They sailed without engines or escort boat in the remote seas of the Pacific.
On arrival in Anuta and Tikopia the boats were donated to the islanders for future independent voyaging.
Come along and meet James and Hanneke who made this voyage and experience first hand what it was like to sail a simple double canoe in a distant ocean. Hear their theories of how the ancestors of the Polynesians may have made such voyages.
