Jill read in the local paper that Puddy Catt had passed away and that his funeral would be on Monday 16 December 2013. Who was Puddy? In my single days at RAF Brawdy Puddy was an Instructor on 79 Sqn and also towed flags in his beloved Meteor "Winston".
He was one of the RAF's great characters and I'm sure the actor Stephen Fry must have based Lord Melchett (Black Adder Goes Fourth) on Puddy. Many paid tribute on PPRuNe and as it was not possible to get a jet flypast I offered to fly my RV-8. I did so retracing the steps Puddy and I used to takeover St Brides bay prior to dropping the Air to Air gunnery flags off at Brawdy and flew low into Little Haven bay trailling smoke before pulling up to 45 then a 540 roll to 45 down then a 180 roll to flypast his home in Walwyn's Castle.
I then joined the wake in the St Brides Inn at Little Haven where Puddy stories were being regaled in his booming style with much laughter. Puddy would have approved of it all.
Life is more interesting and richer with people like Puddy! RIP
