Avro Vulcan, XH558
Southport Airshow is local to us and always a popular event. This year with the apperance of the Vulcan it was going to be even more popular than ever – typically gates increase by 20% when the cold-war bomber makes an appearance.
Knowing that the traffic would be bad there was no other alternative than the Langster to get there. Even by mid-afternoon when people were already too late to see early acts such as the Red Arrows, the queues were ten miles long*. Fortunately the dual carriageway has a cycle lane (note to the Council – it needs a good sweep), and I could ride past the fraught families. Motorcyclists had no such luck as bored drivers are too stupid/lazy to check their mirrors and leave room for filtering.
Once there I didn’t need to pay for or stress about parking either. Southport has a woeful lack of cycle parking, but I was able to clamber over the sea wall and lock it to the rainings by the flightline.
It was worth it though, as I was able to get right up to the flightline. All afternoon different aircraft would come in and start their display from the left hand of the beach.
Then at 4.20 pm the commentators announced the Vulcan was airborne and just 6 miles away, 2 minutes flying time. All eyes scanned the sky to the left.
The sneaky Vulcan pilot though flew round the back of Southport and came in fast and low over the pier to the right. No photograph can do justice to the sight of this amazing delta flying in that close. It still set off less car alarms than the Typhoon though.
Once the Vulcan had done it’s thing I leisurely packed up my camera, unlocked my bike and rode past the well-established queues along Marine Drive. I must have been back home before some folk even managed to get off the car park.
* Lancashire Constabulary have used, against my wishes, their inability to attend my RTA on 12th July due to the weight of Manchester-Blackpool charity cyclists in a report complaining to the organisers of the traffic problems caused by the do-gooding cyclists.
In the interests of even handedness I can no doubt rest assured that Lancashire Constabulary will be submitting a similar report to the organisers of Southport Airshow in respect to the traffic chaos they cause.
Can’t I?