Centenary of Louis Bleriot's flight over the English Channel on July 25, 1909

Three took up the challenge, straining nerves to keep alert;

Hubert Latham, Louis Bleriot and Charles de Lambert.

Charles de Lambert was then injured and sadly had to quit

And the two remaining rivals shaped up, 'lickety-split'.

On nineteenth July, Hubert Latham crashed into the sea;

Well now, thought Louis Bleriot, that just leaves one '“ me!

And so this inventor and dynamic engineer,

Prepared to become an illustrious pioneer.

He fine tuned his monoplane, ready by the water,

Determined to succeed '“ not be 'a lamb to slaughter'.

From Les Barraques, in France, to the white cliffs of Dover,

At low altitude, he made the crossing over.

Taking forty minutes to complete this famous flight,

He claimed the paper's thousand pounds as his, by right.

And basking in publicity and media glare,

Told how he came in to land, 'on a wing and a prayer'.

One hundred years have flown by, since this great inventor

Became the focus of the news, at its nerve centre.

Now Dover is to host a festival, in celebration

Of his wood and fabric plane, that gave us inspiration

And put "heavier than air flight over water", on the map.

For that, dear Monsieur Bleriot, we British raise our cap.

Don Filliston