A Big Thank You to the Lovely People of Old Buckenham, Norfolk

This is one of our rare, unnostalgic (is that even a word? Answers on a postcard, please!) posts about aan incident that will no doubt be remembered by our family for years to come...

We’re back from our annual visit to the old country - and what an eventful trip that was. There was the usual whirlwind of catch-ups with family and friends (and I do mean whirlwind!) But we also did something we never normally do and took a trip to mainland Europe, visiting Rome and the Vatican City - though unfortunately we didn't get to see Pope Leo. But nonetheless it was my first time in Italy and we had a fabulous, unforgettable time. However it was our visit to Old Buckenham that was totally memorable - in more ways than one…

Old Buckenham? Where's That?

I’ve got to start with a sincere apology to the people of Old Buckenham because I have to be honest, until our trip there back in July, I’d never even heard of the place, let alone knew where it was. For those of you who you’ve also drawn a blank, Old Buckenham is a village in the southern part of the county of Norfolk, England. Since becoming acquainted with this village, I’ve researched so many interesting and fascinating facts about Old Buckenham. For instance its name comes from the old English for ‘homestead of a man called Bucca.’ In the nineteenth century it was home to a small religious community of Sandemanians, and fast forward to 1983, Hollywood legend James Stewart attended the opening of the Memorial Room in the village. And since 2012, Old Buckenham Airfield has hosted the annual airshow - and it was for precisely this reason that we found our way to Old Buckenham…

The Old Buckenham Airshow

The Mister is a  a huge fan of airshows, so naturally, we’ve been to a few over the years. Last year, we attended the annual airshow in Bournemouth (a place where we used to live that was meant to have been our forever home but that's a story for another day!) We took our niece and nephew there, who really enjoyed the event. As the Bournemouth Airshow will not be taking place this year, we had to see if there was another one that we could attend - which was how we discovered the Old Buckenham Airshow. So on Sunday 27th July, we set off to Norfolk with our two nephews to join in all the fun.

Bournemouth (Unsplash)

What could possibly go wrong?

Houston, We mean Norfolk, We Have a Problem...

We were caught up in traffic as we made our way to Old Buckenham, and for my husband and nephews, their main concern was that they might miss the mighty Red Arrows. Little did we all know that a bigger problem was looming…

But once we got past the traffic, everything was fine and going to plan... until it wasn’t!

We were just minutes from Old Buckenham Airfield - and in time to see the Red Arrows - when disaster struck. My husband, who is a very careful and competent driver - and dare I say, it a way better driver than I am (well, who isn’t!) - struck the corner stone of a kerb which blew out one of the front tires. I think it was the combination of a larger than average vehicle on narrower roads that he's not used to that got him. While there were plenty of grassy verges in the vicinity of the airfield, the one bit of kerb we came across, we just had to hit it!

Beautiful Norfolk

Thankfully no one was hurt or even shaken up, and the boys were caught up in the drama of it all (“We never thought we’d ever be in a car crash!” Er, you’ve still not been in a car crash. And please God, you never will. I later found out that youngest had been telling people that one of the wheels had come off completely and flew up into the air. Er, no it didn't!) Then began the mission to get home. Cue frantic calls, a very patient sister in London arranging a tow truck, and us trying to figure out how to get back home... all the way back to London... From rural Norfolk... on a Sunday evening... Yeah, good luck with that!

Red Arrows Overhead… and a Totally Flat Tyre Below

The good news was that we did get to see the Red Arrows after all - from the comfort of our breakdown spot just moments after our little mishap! And the Arrows didn’t disappoint. They roared across the sky right above us, putting on a great display. The boys were thrilled that they got to see what they came for. The grown-ups were also thrilled to see the Arrows do their thing - the only bright spot in a low point - but we were also worried because now we were stranded on a country road with bad reception, no spare tyre in our hire car, and we were frantic about how we were going to get us all home...

The Red Arrows (Berend Verheijen, Unsplash)

The Long Trudge and a Guardian Angel Named Tina

As we were a few minutes (by car) from the airfield and there was nothing we could do until the tow truck arrived - and from the sounds of it, they weren't going to be with us for quite a while - The Mister decided we should attempt to get to the airshow to prevent the day from being a complete wash-out. So off we went!

Now 'a few minutes' by car in the countryside is far, far, FAR from a couple of minutes by foot. It would be ridiculous to think otherwise - like looking at London and Liverpool on a map and thinking the two cities are only two inches apart! Well OK - we were already aware of that but it’s only when you’re in that situation you realize just how far your destination really is. The kids took everything in their stride without any whining but for The Mister and I, it just hit home how seriously unfit we are! But then just as we were about to give up, give in and just lie under some shrubs for a much needed rest,  a lovely lady - who later introduced herself as Tina took pity on the little group of people she saw limping along the road and stopped to offer us a lift. I consider myself to be a typical Londoner. I won't even make eye contact with anyone on public transport let alone accept a lift from a stranger. But you have to do what you have to do when certain situations strike hard! And thankfully we weren't getting any axe-murderer vibes from Tina - so we all gratefully hopped in!

Tina wasn't from Old Buckenham either, and as with us, it was the famous airshow that had brought her to the area too - and thank goodness it did! And while she didn’t have tickets, she planned to park up somewhere nearby and watch all the fabulous flying displays. As we drove towards the airfield, we saw a group of people who had taken over a space by a field and were making a day of it; watching the show in the skies while enjoying drinks, nibbles and no doubt - great company. Perhaps we should have joined them!

Enter the Legend That is Pete

Tina was the first in a line of kind souls that day who stopped when they realized that we may have had a problem (we did!) to see if they could try to help us. And someone else who we will eternally be grateful to is a lovely gentleman called Pete. While we at the air show, the tow truck finally arrived, and with the driver's patience wearing very thin (well how were we to know that he'd appear practically out of nowhere!) The Mister had to sprint (and I do mean sprint) back to the car to meet him, leaving me and the boys to lag behind, trekking along country roads again - dodging stinging nettles and potholes like we were on The Amazing Race East Anglia style! And the journey seemed never-ending. I think I finally know what purgatory feels like! But that’s when another angel appeared -named Pete!

“Excuse me… I think I’ve just helped out your husband – the American guy? He told me about you all so I came back to look for you.”

I had warned the boys that if anyone stopped and offered us a lift, we would have to politely decline as without the big, burly presence of The Mister, I felt we were quite vulnerable and my main concern was the safety of the children. But as this gentleman clearly knew my husband, I felt that we could trust him. He explained that he saw the car broken down by the side of the road and when he saw The Mister looking as though he was trying to beat the four minute mile, he put two and two together and offered to help.

The only three pics taken that day (Angel Noire)

And I thought it was lovely that he’d come back to look for us, and sympathized with how hard we were finding it to navigate the country roads that he normally jogged along with no issues at all! Well we are Londoners! And Pete really was an absolute angel from helping my husband to coming to find us; making sure we got into the car safely and putting us at ease, Pete kindly drove us to where my husband was waiting for us. I made sure to take Pete’s contact details - and bitterly regret not asking Tina for hers - and there will most definitely be a gift heading his way.

What We Learned from Old Buckenham

A visit to a village we’d never been to before in order to attend an airshow ended up becoming so much more - a real learning experience. And we don't just meaning watching out for the kerb! It was a day we'll never forget. Not just because of the airshow (though what we did get to see was brilliant) but because of the amazing people we encountered that day. We live in a world where we're constantly told 'no one helps anyone anymore' and 'you can't trust strangers.' Well, due to circumstances, we were forced to put our trust in complete strangers - strangers who stopped to help when they saw we were having problems and expected nothing in return. And Tina and Pete weren’t the only ones - there were other people who stopped when they saw us supposedly stranded by the side of the road with our assortment of bags and child seats. By then we were actually waiting for our cab to take us all the way back to London! But we appreciate that they stopped to see if there was anything they could do to help.

We’re always asked if we’ll ever return to Britain. The truth is - we don’t know. Right now we’re very happy with life New England, small town style but who knows what the future holds. It’s unlikely that we’ll ever return to live in the place of my birth - London. But I know I don’t want to live a million miles away from it if ever we move back to Britain - and maybe we’ve found the perfect place. It’s got the rural charm and small town feel that my husband craves but more importantly it’s got lots of big-hearted, welcoming, kind people who’ll help you with no hesitation and ask you for nothing in return. What better place could there be in which to live. That is of course, if the people of Old Buckenham are daft enough to have us - and I very much doubt they are!

While we were lucky enough to attend just a fraction of the air show, we were totally blessed to have encountered some truly amazing people - even if the circumstances were far from ideal. It's true that in a crisis, you really can encounter the best of humanity. I’d like to end this post by saying a massive thank you to the people of Old Buckenham and the kind-hearted souls who helped us that day with a special shout-out to Tina and Pete. You all rock and we are so grateful. You all helped to turn a stressful, chaotic day into one that was filled with true human connection, unexpected kindness that we are totally bowled over by, and genuine warmth. Thank you so much . 

And Finally...

If you're Tina, or you think you might know who Tina is, please contact us and let us know.

If you are the car hire or tow truck company, please could we have our devices and my husband's wedding ring back?

Photos: Angel Noire and Wix

GIFs: Wix

Blog graphics: Angel Noire