Always sad to learn of the untimely death of an aviator. This week David Herriot died after a short tussle with a virulent cancer. His writing did full justice to a life very well lived in his service career. See my review of his first work here. A kindly chap, who loved the comraderie of the RAF, he will be enjoying meeting up with old mates upstairs. Per Ardua.....

Camel Pilot Supreme, by Annette Carson. He was supreme, and Carson explains why. Review here.

The Intelligence & Security Committee of Parliament worked diligently on its report into Russian interference in UK affairs. The Prime Minister sat on the report for months, before it was finally published on July 21. Even in heavily redacted form it underlined the corrosive influence Russians already exert on our democratic institutions.

Less than a fortnight later, last Friday, the new elevations to the House of Lords were announced, which include a Russian owner of UK media, son of a KGB agent to boot. Could one ask for a better example of the obduracy of our tin-eared leader? What, for heaven's sake, are the benefits to the UK electorate of such a move.

In the words of Lord Acton: "All power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely." One pities HM the Queen having to sign off that largely ignoble list of new nobles!

If employment of a former Chancellor is to be a rite of passage to the Lords, I can offer Mr. Javid (or perhaps in due course Mr Sunak) a few hours of gardening work each week....

The Royal International Air Tattoo has been run virtually this weekend, and the Farnborough AirShow is also destined to run online soon. But I went to the season's first proper airshow yesterday - at Old Warden - and it was magical to see the Shuttleworth Collection's amazing aircraft in action. Prize for 'biggest balls of the evening' go, in my view, to the pilot of the Eon primary glider who took an aerotow up to 3000' or so. Magic.

A Schoolmaster's War by Harry Rée, edited by his son. Some lovely writing. To be treasured. Review is here.