Louise writes:
Last month we had a lovely day out at Southend Airport… that might not sound like the sort of place you’d typically go for fun but hear me out! Nestled away in an area away from the main entrance we went to the Visit the Vulcan Day Classic Jets Day, organised by the Vulcan Restoration Trust. The Vulcan Restoration Trust organise events throughout the year, and one of their most popular is Father’s Day. We were invited to come along to visit and were really impressed.
The Visit the Vulcan Day Classic Jets Day is a great opportunity to get ‘up close and personal’ with Vulcan XL426 and other classic jets at London Southend Airport. You can walk round Vulcan XL426 and for a very reasonable £7 you can climb inside for a guided tour of the cockpit. Alongside this are lots of displays including the cockpits of classic jets from the 1960s, ’70s and ’80s that are preserved by enthusiasts from around the country, as well as food and drink stalls.
It’s not something we would typically go to but I’m really pleased we did – the volunteers were so friendly and very knowledgable and my nine year old was transfixed. He was also very drawn to the Vulcan Restoration Trust’s souvenir stand, selling a selection of Vulcan souvenirs, including models, badges, patches, postcards, books and much more. We came away with a hat and a fridge magnet, though Dexter would have had us spend a few hundred pounds on a huge airfix model if he’d had a chance.
General admission is £7.00 for adults with accompanied under-16s FREE. The trust organise a number of events throughout the year including a 40s & 50s Vulcan Hangar Dance so keep your eye on www.avrovulcan.com/events for the next one!
After this we went for a lovely roast at Holiday Inn Southend. Again, this isn’t somewhere I would typically think of visiting but it was much better than expected! The top floor of the hotel houses the stylish 1935 Rooftop Restaurant & Bar serves classic British cuisine with views of the Essex countryside and London Southend airport – perfect for an avid planespotter! The service was great and the food tasty and very reasonably priced!
For more information about the 1935 Rooftop Restaurant & Bar, click here and for the Vulcan Restoration Trust events click here.
