Spitfire flypast at the IWA Festival in Cassiobury Park

One of the promised attractions, weather permitting, at the IWA National Festival this year was a flypast by a WWII Spitfire. Well, the weather could not have been better - unlike my camera!

When the time came everyone stopped what they were doing and stared into the sky. Over the PA came, slightly incongruously, the Dambusters March and some helpful commentary. Thankfully the fairground music stopped ... and then the lone fighter flew right overhead.

We were told it was a Spitfire, but aren't a Spitfire's wing tips more rounded?

This is the best photo I got, cropped from a shot mostly of the sky. Still, not too bad. The plane turned and flew over us a couple more times before flying off again. The sound was tremendous. Not loud, but briefly evocative of that other world of black and white bravery and sacrifice, loss and heroism.

There it is, heading off to its next engagement. It's that tiny speck just below the dark cloud in the centre of the frame.

Don't bother to click on the photo, here it is magnified for you.

No more than half a dozen people joined me in applauding. The fairground music started up. Everyone went back to what they'd been doing a minute before.