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Thread: "The year is 1957. An RAF pilot is heading home from Germany for Christmas..."

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    Supporting Member farley's Avatar
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    "The year is 1957. An RAF pilot is heading home from Germany for Christmas..."

    "The Shepherd", a Christmas classic to listen to.

    They play this on the radio every Christmas eve here. I think it is a great story brilliantly told.

    I urge you to listen to it when you have a full half hour to sit and give it your undivided attention.

    The book is available as well.

    Merry Christmas everyone.

    I hope you enjoy this.

    http://www.cbc.ca/radio/asithappens/...2017-1.4455219

    Edit: Just had another listen. I'm not an emotional person, but for some reason this brings me to tears. I think it makes me remember all of those who didn't make it home from the war.....
    Last edited by farley; Dec-24-2017 at 19:57.
    "If you want to fly, give up everything that weighs you down"......

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    Re: "The year is 1957. An RAF pilot is heading home from Germany for Christmas..."

    This is a great radio listen... recommend it.

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    Re: "The year is 1957. An RAF pilot is heading home from Germany for Christmas..."

    A great 30 mins respite from the rigors of the boy's PC set up, wifi extender mysteries, countless updates, present opening, wrapping disposal, cat recovery from wrapping disposal, Skype and cooking.

    Great Story. Enjoyed it very much. Missus in tears thinking about her Gt Uncle Norman, a 144 Sqdn Hampden Observer who, with the rest of the crew, never came home from a raid on Breast 6/7/41 probably as a result of similar circumstances.

    Thanks for Sharing Farley

    Merry Christmas!
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    Re: "The year is 1957. An RAF pilot is heading home from Germany for Christmas..."

    Good listen....thanks for sharing...

    ...Lew...
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    Re: "The year is 1957. An RAF pilot is heading home from Germany for Christmas..."

    Quote Originally Posted by ATAG_Lewis View Post
    Good listen....thanks for sharing...

    ...Lew...

    Glad you enjoyed it Lew.

    Just one question...... do you ever sleep? Seems like you must "work" nights.
    "If you want to fly, give up everything that weighs you down"......

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    Re: "The year is 1957. An RAF pilot is heading home from Germany for Christmas..."

    Thanks Farley.

    I read this story many years ago and believe I must have heard it read as well.

    However, I think this reading of Al Maitlands is particularly good and enjoyed listening to it again.

    Frederick Forsyth has always been a good story teller and author and a favourite of mine.

    Cheers mate

    o7
    Last edited by ATAG_Vampire; Dec-26-2019 at 16:22.
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    Re: "The year is 1957. An RAF pilot is heading home from Germany for Christmas..."

    Thanks for this...really amazing and worth a listen.
    Last edited by itsbillyfrazier; Dec-25-2017 at 11:41.

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    Re: "The year is 1957. An RAF pilot is heading home from Germany for Christmas..."

    My mind filled in all the video as I listened! Outstanding!
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    Re: "The year is 1957. An RAF pilot is heading home from Germany for Christmas..."

    bump...
    Windows 11 Pro, ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Dark Hero, 2 TB Samsung M.2 SSD 990PRO. Intel Core i9 14900KF using TPUII BIOS feature. Air Cooling with Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE CPU Cooler w/ 2 fans. Crucial 96GB DDR 5 RAM at 5600 MT/s. LG 55" 4K OLEDC7P TV, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Gaming X Trio 24G. Realtek High Definition Audio, Sony Surround amp w/ optical cable for 5.1 speakers, Ear Buds from Motherboard for Discord/TeamSpeak3. TrackIR5, Buttkicker Gamer 2, Thrustmaster Warthog, 2x Saitek X-52 (Buttons & Gear), Gear-Falcon Trim Box, Thrustmaster TPR Pendular Rudder Pedals. Voice Activated Controls.

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    Re: "The year is 1957. An RAF pilot is heading home from Germany for Christmas..."

    What a fantastic listen. Listened to it uninterrupted as recommended and then just sat there for a few minutes afterwards. Simply fantastic. Can't believe I've never heard it before. (Especially living in Canada where we have CBC radio on all the time at home.)

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    Re: "The year is 1957. An RAF pilot is heading home from Germany for Christmas..."

    Bravo!

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    Re: "The year is 1957. An RAF pilot is heading home from Germany for Christmas..."

    BBC Radio3 also did a version of this that went out on Christmas Eve 2016, available on iPlayer Radio here:

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0858nv3

    You will need to register in order to listen to it.

    ~S~
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    Re: "The year is 1957. An RAF pilot is heading home from Germany for Christmas..."

    It's that time of year again.

    Listened to The Shepherd again last night on CBC's (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) As It Happens.

    This year their Christmas eve show revolves around this story, so you might want to listen to the whole show

    https://www.cbc.ca/radio/asithappens

    https://www.cbc.ca/radio/asithappens...2018-1.4930242

    Merry Christmas everyone. Happy New Year, and a great 2019 to all at ATAG.
    "If you want to fly, give up everything that weighs you down"......

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    Re: "The year is 1957. An RAF pilot is heading home from Germany for Christmas..."

    A bit late, but thought I'd remind you all about this great Frederick Forsyth story, The Shepard, brilliantly read by Alan Maitland.

    Please have a listen. Can find it here:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4P834fiIXEs

    Merry Christmas everyone, and all the best in 2020.

    farley
    Last edited by farley; Dec-26-2019 at 09:29.
    "If you want to fly, give up everything that weighs you down"......

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    Re: "The year is 1957. An RAF pilot is heading home from Germany for Christmas..."

    Wow thanks for the reminder, must ave read that 30 years ago and forgotten it


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    Re: "The year is 1957. An RAF pilot is heading home from Germany for Christmas..."

    Thanks farley.

    I listened to this two or three years ago, I don't know it may have been you who posted it?

    It's not just the story but the way Alan Maitland narates it.

    07
    Last edited by ATAG_Vampire; Dec-26-2019 at 16:21.
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    Re: "The year is 1957. An RAF pilot is heading home from Germany for Christmas..."

    Time for another listen.

    A Christmas Classic (well for a few anyhow....)

    Take a break from your busy schedule and enjoy this tale.

    Merry Christmas, and Happy Holidays everyone.

    Take care and stay safe.

    farley
    "If you want to fly, give up everything that weighs you down"......

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    Re: "The year is 1957. An RAF pilot is heading home from Germany for Christmas..."

    Thanks for the annual reminder farley. Always worth a listen. A good story.

    Let's hope 2021 is a better year for everyone.

    Merry Christmas to you and stay safe.

    Cheers

    07
    "A nation that forgets its past has no future." - Winston Churchill

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    Re: "The year is 1957. An RAF pilot is heading home from Germany for Christmas..."

    This is always a tearjerker for me too.

    Sadly Alan Maitland who reads the short story passed away in 1999 at 78. He had a fantastic voice.

    He was known in Canada as 'Fireside Al' because he regularly read his favourite short stories on air during the Christmas Holidays for the News and Info program he co-hosted, "As it Happens".

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    Re: "The year is 1957. An RAF pilot is heading home from Germany for Christmas..."

    Quote Originally Posted by RAF74_Buzzsaw View Post
    This is always a tearjerker for me too.

    Sadly Alan Maitland who reads the short story passed away in 1999 at 78. He had a fantastic voice.

    He was known in Canada as 'Fireside Al' because he regularly read his favourite short stories on air during the Christmas Holidays for the News and Info program he co-hosted, "As it Happens".
    Well said Buzz. Mr. Maitland was a brilliant story teller and a good interviewer as well. I have "The Shepherd" in print as well, and when I read it it is (thankfully) his rendition I hear inside my little noggin, and it still chokes me up when I listen to it.

    Being older, and a big CBC fan I well remember him on As it Happens.

    Long live the CBC!
    "If you want to fly, give up everything that weighs you down"......

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