Midland Air Museum

As the football (Aston Villa v Fulham) was switched to Sunday for TV purposes, I found myself with a spare day in the Birmingham area. I visited the Midland Air Museum, located next to Coventry Airport.

They have a fantastic range of aircraft, including some old favourites and plenty of rare types as well.

Yet another Vulcan on this trip. Always an awesome sight, even if I am getting used to them on this trip.

US Cold War aircraft, also used by the Turkish Air Force, reminded me that I have kits to finish. I drove past RAF Sculthorpe yesterday, which is where many of the former French aircraft ended up, before heading to museums like this.

A couple of Soviet types, including this Mil-24 and Mig-21.

A Polish Iskra. An advanced trainer, it was also used for ground support. The Indian Air Force also used them.

The German helicopter seen in the film Where Eagles Dare was actually a post-war Bell 47G. However, the Germans did develop a prototype, and the designer ended up in the US developing helicopters for Kaman.

They also feature a wide range of exhibits indoors and numerous models. The special exhibition is about Frank Whittle and the jet engine.

After reading Pilling's book about the Disinherited Montfortians, a trip to nearby Kenilworth Castle was a must. There was an epic 172-day siege in 1266, and the defences still look impressive today.  However, the focus of the castle display is on a later owner, Dudley's wooing of Queen Elizabeth.

I finished the day in Warwick, which has no less than three regimental museums. I'll cover them in a separate post.     

Norwich Museums

 I was in Norwich today, I think for the first time, to give a talk about the Cyprus conflict. With a couple of hours to spare, I headed for the castle and its museum.

The original castle was built by the Normans after 1066, and then strengthened throughout the Middle Ages. It is on a steep mound in the centre of the city, and became the local prison. From the outside, it looks more like a prison than a typical medieval castle.

The interior has been renovated to restore the main floors to their medieval original state. 

The rest of the castle is now used as the regional museum. Taking the story of the Iceni, Romans, Saxons and Vikings up to the Norman conquest.

The Royal Norfolk Regimental Museum is also in the castle. There are just a few display cases, but they feature some interesting items. These include a beaded snake made by a Turkish PoW, something I have seen before, but I can't recall where. The Norfolks did a tour of Cyprus, so those exhibits came in handy.

I was impressed with the city centre and found two good secondhand bookshops and a fine memorial to Edith Cavell, who hails from these parts.

After my talk, I headed out to the airport and the Aviation Heritage Museum. The star turn is the Vulcan, but they also have a Lightning, Meteor, Jaguar, Nimrod, Hunter, T33 and more, as well as civilian aircraft. They also have displays covering the region's flight heritage.

This Lockheed T-33 was on its way to the Turkish Air Force when its engine failed.

The Nimrod is huge.

There is also a tank museum outside the city, but it was closed today.

On the way back to my hotel, I broke my journey at Castle Rising, near King's Lynn. This is an imposing castle that was once owned by Bishop Odo, the brother of the Conqueror. Massive mounds and ditches surround the site, and the keep is in decent condition. 

I had dinner in King's Lynn, which has a fascinating history, particularly during the Civil War.

Lincolnshire Aviation

I am in the east of England this week, part of the country I am not familiar with. A couple of days golf with old pals, two book talks and footie on Sunday. With time to spare today, I drove up to Lincolnshire to visit some museums and castles.

Lincolnshire is dotted with airfields, a legacy of the World War II bomber bases. Handy for the bomber offensive against Nazi Germany, and it's flat. My first stop was RAF Coningsby, home of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight. These are the WW2 aircraft you see at air shows and major events, flown by RAF pilots. You can visit the hangar with a guided tour. These are volunteers, and ours was a fountain of knowledge. I expected a quick visit, but the tour took two hours and was well worth the time.

There is a small exhibition area and shop.

Then over to the hangar and the aircraft.

RAF Coningsby is one of two RAF Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) Stations which protect UK airspace. RAF Lossiemouth is the other. It is home to two frontline, combat-ready squadrons and is the training station for Typhoon pilots. There was a major exercise going on today, and Typhoons were regularly taking off and landing. They have a spectacular short take-off routine, with aircraft taking off almost vertically after leaving the runway.

Next stop was the Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Museum. Situated on another nearby airfield, the buildings are filled with aircraft memorabilia, often rescued from the surrounding area. The star attraction is a Lancaster bomber that doesn't fly, but can taxi around the site. They also have a Mosquito and a Mitchell. 

It would be rude not to visit the nearby castles. Tattersall is a rare (for the UK) brick-built castle. There was an earlier stone castle, but it was rebuilt by Lord Cromwell in 1434. The keep is well preserved, and the site is surrounded by a brick-built moat. There is also a huge church. You can watch Typhoons taking off from Coningsby from the roof.

Finally, a quick look at Bolingbroke Castle. This was a major fortress, but there is not much left after the Roundheads wrecked it, and the locals pinched the stones.