vt1977

Since you are in the UK and therefore presumably jumping in the UK under BPA rules you should be wearing a hook knife from Cat 8 onwards. hth

You'll find either city utterly breathtaking with more beautiful old buildings than you can imagine. But I still think Oxford's better! Vicki

Did someone say ??? Count me in! Vicki

My funniest boogie story is from Quincy in 2000… Having travelled from the UK, I was waking up pretty early most mornings due to the time difference. I got up at 6am one day and walked down to the shower block. Walking past a row of porta-potties, still half asleep I heard knocking coming from inside one of them! I wasn’t quite awake enough to think until I heard louder knocking and “Hey man! Let me out!”!!! Some dude had got wasted, passed out and his mates had locked him in a porta-potty over night! Another story from the same Quincy… there were some Brit military out there. Half the group had been out on the pull at the beer tent, the other half had taken their car and gone out, away from the DZ. Those that had been out had found a dead deer in the road (road kill) and brought it back with them… to put in one of the other guys camp beds! I’ll never forget this big guy coming back from the beer tent, complaining he hadn’t pulled and climbing into his tent… only to re-emerge screaming a couple of seconds later when he found the dead deer in his tent! His mates then dragged the deer out, hung it up on their packing tent and stuck a tent peg up its arse! Hey… you asked! Vicki

0:9:0 0: Boyfriend in another country! 9: Team training – got those 8-way launches coming out sweet!

If anyone out there is considering taking up one of these slots - go for it! I had the most awesome learning experience when I did the April camp! If it wasn’t for the fact that I have now used up nearly all of my annual holiday and am skint I’d be on both camps myself! Vicki

AFAIK it is now - last year it was USPA. Vicki

Do you smoke? Vicki

If you're short on cash to pay for jumps/kit (and I know that feeling all too well!) then see if you can get some work packing at your local DZ! I spent the whole of last weekend packing and now have a big fat wad of jump tickets to use this weekend (when, of course, its going to rain! ). Vicki

Agreed - that's a must. Adam and I did the London Eye this last winter and it was well worth it. Definitely book in advance though (you only need to book a day or two ahead usually) otherwise, especially in summer, you could end up queuing for hours! Vicki

Both the Science Museum and Natural History museum (next door to one another and free to get into) are great for kids - the entrance to the Nat Hist Museum has big dinosaur skeletons and all kinds of cool stuff that kids will enjoy. The Science Museum has a special childrens gallery with science related stuff for kids to mess around with. It also has a flight gallery full of various historic aircraft which I dare you not to enjoy... It's beautiful - you can do the whole city in a day if you don't mind walking a bit. Nethers is only really busy at the weekends - I get back from Sweden early morning on Sunday 1st August,and I daresay I'll be at Nethers that day... Places that are open during the week include Headcorn, Langar, Hibaldstow, Sibson and Hinton. Headcorn, Sibson and Hinton are probably closest to London. Shout if you need any more info!

Lots of questions! Car rental... I don't think you'll go too far wrong with anyone you find at the airport. Easy Rent-a-car are generally pretty cheap - even more so if you book well in advance. Things to see in London... that entirely depends on your interests and those of your travelling companions!

Been there done that... But aside from that... ... car surfing on the way back from the pub. Great fun, but not recommended! Climbing stuff, dancing on the roof and sleeping in the gravel it also come to mind... But hey - it's all good! Vicki

Disgraceful I'm sure... but nowhere near as disgraceful as being kicked out of the only University in your country at the time and having to set up your own lesser establishment elsewhere! Last I heard they don't even make students at Cambridge wear sub-fusc for exams anymore... tut...! Vicki

Your BPA membership covers you for 3rd party, worldwide except for the USA and Canada. I would strongly advise that if you are skydiving abroad ANYWHERE that you take out travel insurance. I'm pretty sure that my travel insurance (with AXA) covers me 3rd party world wide (would need to double check - but as I have BPA and USPA membership I am covered 3rd party anyway). My AXA insurance, worldwide, annual set me back around £120 this year. If you would prefer to get single trip insurance (although if you are going abraod more than twice in a year, this will probably not be cost efficient), you could try Harrison Beaumont. Provided you have travel insurance that covers you for skydiving and you check the small print that it covers you 3rd party as well as everything else, you should be fine. But double check with the DZ/Boogie organisers! Vicki NB If you buy your AXA insurance online be sure to choose the dangerous/hazardous sports option or you won't be covered for any of this!

If you contact Airtec they should be able to help. Vicki

Nope - Oxford was first choice - I wanted a beautiful city, with an excellent University (the oldest in the English speaking world, Cambridge having been founded later by students who were kicked out of Oxford !) and a decent night life too! And not forgetting the 3 nearby DZs...

I spent 4 years living in Oxford when I was a student and it is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. You can easily see the whole city in a day - but be prepared to do a lot of walking! You should definitely try to see all the old colleges - University College, Oriel College, Merton, Corpus, Christ Church, New College, Magdalen, Trinity, Balliol and my old college Brasenose. There are some reasonable walks with a tour guide which are probably the best way to see the place and get a feel for the history. Also try to see the University Church, the Martyrs Memorial, the Old School Quad of the Bodlein Library and the Radcliffe Camera. You can get a gorgeous view of the whole city by going up either Carfax or the University (St. Mary's) Church Tower. hth! Vicki

Remi, you're a bad greenie! He's injured you know! Vicki

Miiiaaoooow! Remi and Dave you're both in BIG trouble! Vicki

Hope to see you there again this year Sunny!

My favourites are cheese and coleslaw or spaghetti hoops with grated cheese. Yum! Vicki

Well... I'm a girl from Oxford and I rarely do anything useful! Vicki

Today is gremlin’s birthday!

Happy Birthday Rosa! I will be thinking of you and sending happy birthday hugs from across the pond. Wish I could be at Elsinore to be on your jump!