AN estimated 3,000 people converged on the RAF Burtonwood Heritage Centre at Warrington for its annual Stars and Stripes nostalgia weekend.
Recalling the years, especially during World War Two, when Burtonwood was Europe’s largest airbase, the weekend featured re-enactment groups, military and classic vehicle displays, music and dancing, memorabilia and vintage stalls and a host of other heritage attractions.
A highlight was a flypast by a 1950s de Havilland Chipmunk, for many years the RAF’s standard trainer aircraft, which circled the former airfield several times.
During the war RAF Burtonwood was handed over to the United States Air Force and was home to 18,500 American troops. Their presence had a massive impact on Warrington and the surrounding area, with hundreds of local girls becoming war brides and moving to the States
Having been briefly handed back to the RAF after the war, Burtonwood returned to the control of the USAF from 1948 and remained in American hands right into the 1990s, when the end of the Cold War period final heralded its closure. More than 60,000 American personnel served at Burtonwood over a 50-year period.
A large part of the former airbase is now home to Gulliver’s World family theme park, which helped to establish the RAF Burtonwood Heritage Centre, a fascinating museum packed with military memorabilia recalling Burtonwood’s heyday and attracting around 25,000 visitors each year.
“The nostalgia weekend is the main event in our calendar and this year’s was another great success,” said heritage centre manager Roy Thorpe-Apps. “We had some great visiting displays and a lot have already booked to come again next year. The feedback from visitors and exhibitors has been really good.
“We also had a number of veterans’ families who were given the grand tour of the heritage centre and have contributed their own memories, as well as some visitors bringing in new items for display. That’s what the heritage centre is all about and we’re always keen to hear people’s memories, to see – and copy – any old photos and to learn more about the history of Burtonwood from the people who were there.”
Roy added that a daytime dance floor had been a popular addition this year, letting people show off their jive and rock ‘n’ roll dance moves – or learn a few – while the Saturday night “Jump, Jive and Swing Dance Night” saw the marquee packed with 300 people, many in period dress.
The RV Owners’ Club – a UK club for American motorhome enthusiasts – was also at this year’s event in force, with around 30 impressive vehicles providing another spectacle for visitors.
The RAF Burtonwood Heritage Centre is open from Wednesday to Sunday, 10-30am to 5pm, with group visits possible outside those times. Anyone with memories of the airbase, or memorabilia to loan or donate, is urged to phone Roy Thorpe-Apps on 075850609781 or email [email protected]
More information about the centre can be found at:http://www.rafburtonwood.com/
1 Comment
This was a great event, I managed to make the last few hours when some of the cars etc had left.
I have to say though the advertising was woefully inadequate and I think it let down the people who had taken the trouble to take their cars and army trucks as well as the 34 massive American RV’s that had turned up
Great day but really needs to be better advertised; the only bit I saw was a smallish banner on the roundabout to Gullivers world and I live near the ASDA !!