Diana Patten’s passion, apart from being a farmer, a mother, a wife, developing Headcorn aerodrome and fundraising, was flying. Her last flight was in a Spitfire across Pett Level beach with her son as co-pilot. Greer Harris recorded her story in a book Redhead in the Clouds. Diana is also featured on two editions of our Ryecast podcast.
She’s certainly had a colourful life. She was educated to know what is right and wrong but also developed a rebellious streak; lively and exploratory, she had a unique spirit, strength of character and charm which helped her to achieve a remarkable amount.
Her son puts it: “Her joie de vivre was a great help and she was never behind the drag curve but in front at all times at whatever cost. She was described as a people person, putting events together that were fun, enjoyable and talked about for a long time.”
Her love of flying started at an early age with her aunt Paddy Naismith, who was her role model. She was an actress, pilot and racing driver (1903-1963).
Diana’s father (pilot Desmond Naismith) made her a powered model aircraft with a 2ft wingspan when she was a child. It was this and her father’s and aunt’s stories which inspired her subsequent passion for flying. Diana’s parents divorced which was hard for her, and she was then brought up by her grandparents. Her grandfather had several holiday homes, one in Germany where she spent many holidays until it was bombed during the war in 1941. At 17, Diana was sent to relations in Canada and eventually to finishing school in Switzerland.
She met her fist husband Chris Freeman and they married in 1958. His family owned Shenley Farm at Headcorn in Kent. There was a permanent military presence there as it was used in the second world war by the American, Canadian and Polish air forces, but by the time they moved to the farm, very little happened on the airfield. It was a good life but not easy as she looked after the farm, 600 sheep, a cow to milk and doing the books. However, Diana still hankered after flying which she learned in Canada.
She had some savings and money from her grandfather so decided to buy a plane of her own, an Auster 5 (GA JAJ). A hanger was built on the farm and once she converted her Canadian licence to a British one, she taught husband Chris and her son Jamie, eight years old, to fly. The plane lived in half of the hanger, the other half held sheep. Chris being an engineer started to repair aeroplanes and the site grew to what it is now. As Diana says: “I had no idea then that my fun project would evolve into the empire it is today, the excitement, adventures and problems the aerodrome expansion would bring with it.” Diana has now been married to Robin Patten for 40 years.
You can hear more from Diana on two editions of our Ryecast podcast. On this week’s episode she’s been telling James Stewart about her love of flying. For next week’s edition it’s all about her family, holidays in pre-war Germany, and school with Joan Collins. Search for Ryecast wherever you get your podcasts or visit www.ryecast.org.
Image Credits: Heidi Foster .
Fascinating to learn this. I knew Chris Freeman from when I was doing my pilot training at Headcorn back in the 1990s – he was always on the “tower” with his dogs around his feet! Always laid back and relaxed, particularly helpful to me on the one occasion that I suffered an engine problem – failed magneto – in the circuit whilst on my second solo flight!