The clue
“I’ve decided that the key to a successful day out with you is food,” I tell my friend. “You eat while I see fascinating places.”
“What — like this complete waste of space?” he moans with his mouth full, spraying the interior of my car with his unusual pie. Given one of the roles played by this former RAF airfield, I thought that the choice of food was fitting. Not any more — not with bits of pilchard stuck to the inside of my windscreen.
Even so, despite Friend’s scepticism, the new project (launched in 2022) seems far from over. If it succeeds, flights from here will be travelling a lot further than Zurich. The only way, as they say, is up.
But Friend has no interest in former RAF airfields, even if the two on my list are remarkably close together. As the satellite flies, the second (closed 1959) is only two miles north of us. Instead he wants to visit a school two and a half miles southwest of the first airfield. It’s the alma mater of a much-loved singer-songwriter. “You give me something in return,” he insists. “Or I’m not going.”
So reluctantly I turn towards the school, on the edge of a town that gets waves of visitors every summer. Suddenly I feel like a slave to the music. “So, essentially I should do exactly what you want?” I growl on arrival.
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“It’s the new key to success you’ve been looking for,” Friends tells me. “That’s not fair!” I counter. Friend smirks. “What are you going to do, call the police?”
And with that he heads to the nearest beach.
The questions
1. What was the name of the second RAF airfield?
2. What is the name of the town?
The prize
The winner, plus one adult guest and two children (aged 2-17), will enjoy a six-night holiday at a Neilson Beach Club of their choosing. There are seven clubs, in Greece, Italy and Croatia, offering more than 20 free activities, including equipment hire and expert tuition. One of the Greek clubs — Cosmos — is a windsurfing and cycling hotspot. The clubs have dinghy sailing, tennis and pickleball too, and you can also try wakeboarding, waterskiing, fitness classes and paddleboarding. In addition there is up to 60 hours of childcare, as well as age-specific kids’ clubs. When you want a breather, there is a poolside bar and sunloungers. For more see neilson.co.uk/beach. The prize includes flights and must be booked by September 30, 2024, and taken by June 30, 2025.
How to enter
Can’t see the competition form? Answer the questions and complete the entry form at thetimes.co.uk/travel/where-was-i by the end of Thursday, July 25. One entry per person.
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See here for the full competition terms and conditions from The Times & The Sunday Times. Your information will be used in accordance with our privacy and cookie policy.
Last week’s prize
The answers are Papcastle and Stokes. Paul Brown from South Yorkshire wins a two-night stay near Dunblane at Cromlix, owned by Andy and Kim Murray.
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