posted 03-24-2019 06:43 PM               

This will be followed by a three course evening meal with Gerry at the Rossett Hall Hotel, Chester (UK), where Gerry will give a talk on his life, career and some of the lesser known aspects of the Apollo lunar missions and life at the Manned Spacecraft Center (later Johnson Space Center) during his years there.

posted 03-30-2019 04:05 AM               

I feel it’s worth mentioning that you do NOT need to have had any experience on a shooting range or even have fired a gun previously as Jeff, from the Shooting School, will provide tutors for each of our groups and we’ll go through a thorough health and safety induction beforehand.

Also, Gerry will spend time between groups as we all compete (make no mistake - Gerry will be competing too!). I haven’t yet finislised a ‘prize’ for who wins the (fun) competition but I’m working on a few ideas.

posted 03-31-2019 02:33 AM               

Jeff from the Shooting School has asked me to pass on this information for would-be participants;

At our shooting school, all our instructors are highly qualified and experienced shooters who can introduce beginners into clay shooting in a calm and enjoyable manner. For those concerned with recoil from the guns, we use low recoil shotgun cartridges & have a number of different calibre of guns to choose from, such as light 20 bore shotguns to the more common 12 bore.

It will be a fun and enjoyable shoot for all’

posted 03-31-2019 03:58 AM               

quote:

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Originally posted by Rick Mulheirn:
The winner gets to shoot an apple off crash's head!

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posted 04-04-2019 04:33 AM               

I have just booked for the Gerry Griffin event on 14th May. Looks great. It says that one autograph is included — I would like to bring a print that I have for Gerry to sign as my autograph so just checking that would be OK.

posted 04-12-2019 04:56 AM               

At the current rate of sale they will be gone by the weekend so delay and you might be disappointed.

posted 04-30-2019 01:12 AM               

Llanwddyn Community Centre presents this unique opportunity to spend the evening with Apollo Lead Flight Director for three lunar landing missions, Mr Gerry Griffin.

During the evening event, you will have a three course meal with Gerry at the Rossett Hall Hotel, Chester, where Gerry will give a talk on his life, career and some of the lesser known aspects of the Apollo lunar missions and life at the Manned Spacecraft Center (later Johnson Space Center) during his years there.

This will be followed by an auction for various signed photos and a relaxed Q&A session with Gerry.

Included with your ticket will be one autograph per person from Gerry. Please bring your own photo/poster for him to sign.

posted 05-11-2019 04:24 AM               

We will all be split into two competing teams that Gerry will spend 50% of his time with whilst shooting. The teams: MISSION CONTROL vs THE MER! Teams will be announced on the day!

Flyer for the event:

posted 05-12-2019 11:45 AM               

So it would seem...

'Cool': Some have it, some do not. This dude does:

posted 05-15-2019 07:01 PM               

Anybody who has ever met Craig will know that it was inevitable Gerry would be a friend. Craig's passion for all things Mission Control is such that he would drink Gerry's bath water given the opportunity! Thankfully for everybody concerned Craig chose to quench his thirst for all things Gerry at the local pub named ironically... "The Griffin Inn." Spot the clue to Gerry's preferred tipple of choice: Craig now bathes in the stuff!

Local hospitality and a lot of fun was the order of the day and on a gorgeous English spring day Gerry, Craig and a handful of guests found themselves at a shooting range of some repute. Previous visitors to the range have included Sir Jackie Stewart, Prince Andrew, Harrison Ford and Sean Connery: this was the real deal.

Shooters of all abilities were catered for and competition was fierce. It pains me to confirm that crash was particularly good. Speculation was rife: he had shot for Team GB shot at the Olympics... or was it the "Duck Shoot" at the local fun fare? My money was on a previous life of crime: swag bags, balaclavas and sawn off shot guns. Either way, we were on the same team so I thought it wise to let him beat me: the ego on these pilot types is so easily bruised don't you know.

Thanks goodness Stephen Chandler from London pipped crash in the overall best shot stakes, or we would never have heard the end of it. Later that evening when Gerry presented Stephen with his prize it was evident all expense had been spared on the winner's trophy but it was all about the fun and I know Stephen is delighted with his prize.

Prior to dinner Gerry kindly signed a number of items for the guests and I must thank him on behalf of Space Lectures for taking the trouble to sign several bespoke items destined for the Jack Lousma event in October. Following the meal everybody gathered around for the main event: the lecture was followed soon after by a Q&A that was as long as it was all encompassing. Nobody wanted it to end!

My hat goes off to Gerry for a fantastic evening. I have been fortunate to have met many of my heroes over the years, all of whom have been terrific: all of whom have happily recounted their stories and their respective places in history. But Gerry was somehow different. In the same way that the Mission Operations Control Room (MOCR) is being restored to its immediate post mission condition (complete with cigarette butts and coffee mugs) it seemed that Gerry had just popped out from his console to give us update on the current state of a mission. Somehow immediate and current I was transported back 50 years.

The lecture and Q&A was punctuated by a modest auction: we were there after all to raise some much needed funds for a good cause. Craig I know would like to thank in particular Walt Cunningham, Jim Lovell, Dick Koos and Space Lectures for providing auction lots for the evening. Such is the regard in which Gerry is held they were all more than happy to help.

Something like £300 was raised for the cause helped by a suave, debonair and handsome auctioneer... thrust in to the role for the first time in his 61 orbits around the sun. In reality Craig scraped the bottom of the barrel and it fell upon me to do the honours.

As proceedings wound down Gerry was more than happy to mingle with guests, pose for pictures and chat with a comfortable familiarity usually reserved for a favourite pair of slippers. It was as if he was family just shooting the breeze. A persona perfected during the course of a stellar career rubbing shoulders with administrators, politicians and presidents: Gerry knows how to engage with people.

The only time I saw Gerry lost for words was when I showed him a picture featuring three of Europe's latest ESA astronaut applicants (Craig, Colin Fitton and Peter Vierhout). More Ripe Stuff than Right, Brexit has a lot to answer for!