FLYING a Bücker Bü 131 Jungmann, Anna Walker really did thrill the crowds with her aerobatic display on Sunday.

The Jungmann was the last biplane built in Germany. It was selected as the primary basic trainer for the Luftwaffe.

Anna Walker has been flying since she was 13, when she learned to fly a glider in Brazil. She has been an aerobatic pilot for nearly 30 years. Her credentials are impeccable for providing a creative display of classic- and competition-style aerobatics. Her display included an inverted low-level pass and I lost count of the number of loops, lines, rolls, spins and hammerheads she performed.

Anna did her audience proud and “waved” us all goodbye as she flew off into the clouds.

Operation Thunderbolt: The Raid on Entebbe, attended by one of my colleagues, was delivered by the book’s author, Saul David.

This is the true story of one of the greatest special forces’ operations of the 20th century and the first shot in the west’s long (and continuing) war against international terrorism.

On July 3, 1976, Israeli Special Forces carried out a raid to free more than 100 Israeli, French and US hostages held by German and Palestinian terrorists at Entebbe Airport, Uganda.

One hundred and two of the 106 hostages were freed.

Historian Saul David kept his audience on the edge of their seats with new revelations and huge enthusiasm.

n DAVID Starkey’s talk on Magna Carta did not surprise. Does the man ever say anything pleasant about anyone or anything?

He maintains the original Magna Carta doesn’t matter. And the hapless King John was described as a “staggeringly incompetent king”, likening him to Ed Miliband (who at least has been spared the bipolar problem).

The barons were “thick public schoolboys”. Jousting is just “rugby on horseback”.

I was left not quite knowing what to take and what to leave of his talk. But he can certainly throw barbs. I’m not quite sure why, but Russell Brand, Peter Mandelson and Sebb Blatter all came under the cosh.

It did leave me wanting to read his book, however, to see if I can separate the “performance” from the content.

Anne Perks

n THERE was entertainment for children and adults alike in the BBC marquee on Sunday morning as the team behind CBBC's Horrible Histories talked about how they make history interesting for the younger generation.

Producer Tom Miller, illustrator Martin Brown, historical consultant Greg Jenner, head writer Ben Ward and composer Richie Webb talked about the books by Terry Deary and showed clips from the latest series and shared how they create the famously silly parodies, surreal sketches and interesting facts to present history in their own inimitable style.

The programme cleverly focuses on snippets of history unavailable in your average history book, for example, that it was the Vikings who first brought sarcasm to Britain and how your own urine could help you survive a gas attack in the First World War. It was fascinating to hear about how the programmes have become popular the world over.

Christine Stock