After a three year forced hiatus, our little seaside town came back to life this weekend. The Air Festival is the highlight of our social calendar every year and this year it was held in conjunction with them Armed Forces Day. It was an absolute joy to see the town flooded with people again.
I live ten minutes walk away from the seafront and by early afternoon I could hear the roar of aircrafts taking part in the festival. That's the main attraction of the weekend - aircrafts performing a series of spectacular displays in air throughout the afternoon. My original plan was to head out later on in the afternoon in case is was too hot, but with our typical weather, I really didn't have to worry at all.
Fun Fair
The atmosphere was great when I got to the seafront. The fun fair was in full swing, literally, and people were having a cracking time on the rides. There's something very satisfying watching people being tossed about in the air screaming with joy, or helplessly, for some.
Food
The good old classic English fish n chips and the burger is always popular with visitors, and there was often long queues in front big the trucks. And if that isn't unhealthy enough, you can polish off your meal with some sugar loaded fudge. That will surely give you a rush and more excitement when you're thrown around on the rides.
Armed Forces Day
The Armed Forces Weekend is the last weekend of June and it is for the public to show support for those in the forces. Many places around the country will hold special events such as march and parade, fun days etc. Here we had a lot of stands from the various armed forces, ranging from cadets to veterans.
There were also some military fanatics dressed up in uniform showcasing their prize possession, trucks, guns and remote control mini tanks. Those were definitely my favourite and pulled in the crowds.
Red Barrows
We have a world famous aerobatic team called Red Arrows from the Royal Air Force RAF. They are the headliner due to close the festival. In a nod to this brilliant team, we also have the Red Barrows team formed by the RAF cadets. As the name implies, the team performs similar moves as the Red Arrows, but on ground and pushing a red wheelbarrow. Originally no thought this sounded rather silly but having seen them perform, I really have to give them credit for pushing the heavy wheelbarrow around bon the lumpy ground and remembering all the moves and positions.
Air Festival
The highlight of the week was the aircraft aerobatics display. I've mentioned this quite a few times already. During the two afternoons, I saw so many spectacular displays, dare devils flying high speed practically towards one another, ladies standing on the aircraft, and yes I do mean on top of the aircraft, as it flies and dives in the sky. And of course, the crème de la crème, the Red Arrows. They deserve bla post of their own, so sorry all, you'll have to wait a few more days. In the meanwhile, I have a little taster for you. Enjoy!
