Shoreham Village, Sevenoaks, Kent | +44(0)1959 524416
The art sale that took place at the Museum over the weekend of 11th/12th July 2009 was a rewarding endeavour towards the Museum fund-raising. In addition to a variety of prints being purchased, several original artworks were sold that included three of the last remaining Geoff Nutkins paintings from the acclaimed ‘Scenes of the Battle of Britain’. There are still some ‘bargains’ available and enquiries are welcome by either visiting or contacting the Museum.
The latest all colour edition of ‘Friends of The Few’ has been sent out to Museum Club members. Contents include:
Art Sale – 11th & 12th July 2009:
Great bargains and offers on Geoff Nutkins original artwork, limited editions, pilot and artist signed prints along with one-off specials and new pencil sketches will be available to purchase at the Museum. Entrance to the art sale is free and all proceeds from the sale of artwork will go towards the Museum extension building fund.
For more information about Geoff Nutkins artwork, please visit www.aviartnutkins.com
“Sit-in-a-Spit” – 8th & 9th August 2009:
Here’s your chance to have a great experience at a popular “Sit-in-a-Spit” event at Biggin Hill Airport. This is a rare opportunity to sit in the cockpit of the airworthy “Spirit of Kent” Spitfire and to have your photograph taken wearing authentic flying kit. There will also be guiding talks given by the “Kent Spitfire” team whose great range of merchandise will also be available to purchase.
The cost for this experience is £30 per head, with the proceeds split 50-50 between maintenance costs of the Spitfire and the Museum projects. To book your “seat”, please send a cheque to the Museum address payable to “The Shoreham Aircraft Museum” or call the Museum to book by credit card. You can also book by visiting the Museum. Please indicate your preferred day at Biggin Hill and the event starts at 10 a.m. on both days, meeting at the “Air Partner” hangar which is accessed via the main airport entrance. (Please note the meeting point could be subject to late change).
For more information about the “Kent Spitfire”, please visit www.kentspitfire.co.uk
We are pleased to share the terrific news that after a long wait, planning permission has been granted to the Museum for the extension. Building work will start as soon as possible and will hopefully open before the Museum closes for the winter period.
The centrepiece exhibit will be the ‘Schnellbomber Project’ along with additional displays of interesting relics to further enhance the already superb presentation of the Museum.
Thanks to the kind co-operation of the Army staff at the Woolwich Barracks, permission has been given to erect a stone memorial in tribute to Flying Officer Robin ‘Bubble’ Waterston of 603 ‘City of Edinburgh’ RAuxAF Squadron, who was tragically killed on 31st August 1940.
Further arrangements are necessary before a date for the unveiling can be announced, but it is hoped that this will take place in August 2009. Further details will be given in due course.
The latest all colour edition of ‘Friends of The Few’ has just been sent out to Museum Club members in time for the Easter opening of the Museum. Contents include:
For the 2009 season, the Museum has produced a new, colourful and interesting 16 panel fold-out leaflet describing Museum activities and facilities. These also include some of the exhibits on display, the Battle of Britain Pilot Memorials Project and the Schnellbomber restoration project.
If you would like one of these great new leaflets, then please send a Second Class self-addressed envelope (minimum size 110 x 220 mm) to the Museum address marked ‘Leaflet’. Anyone requiring a larger batch of leaflets for tourist/visitor centres, libraries etc. should contact the Museum.
It is with the greatest sadness that we have to announce the very sad passing of Vera Nutkins, stalwart of the Shoreham Aircraft Museum Tearoom and widow of Frank Nutkins (see news archive for March 2008). She passed away on Sunday 15th March 2009 after a recent illness.
She will always be remembered fondly by friends, Museum visitors and ramblers as well as the many cyclists who stop off for a welcome break to grab a cuppa and a cake or home made scone.
Vera was born in North Shields, Northumberland in 1926 and did her bit for our Country by serving with the Auxiliary Territorial Service during WW11 on the Ack-ack guns as a Range-Finder. After the war she met and married Frank Nutkins, who always reckoned she was responsible for the holes in his RAF aircraft!
She really was a character, the only member of the Museum who over the past twenty-odd years saw various television celebrities in the Tearoom. These celebrities were never actually seen by anyone else, but included most of the cast from ‘Coronation Street’ and ‘The Bill’, or “that bloke in that advert“. A favourite incident recalled was when a chap ordered a cup of tea and a couple of those “Dolly Parton’s please love!” To which Vera, innocent as ever, replied “Oh, we call them English Madeleine’s” ~ the uproar was immediate. Another one was when George Cooper, twin to Henry, (who knocked down Cassius Clay) and who lives locally visited one Sunday; we told her he was Henry’s brother and Vera said to him later in the Tearoom, “Eee, you’re never that Tommy Coopers brother?” That was our Vera.
No-one can ever take her place here at the Museum. She was a straight talking, sometimes dappy, lovely lady and a fantastic Mum to Geoff, the Museum’s Curator. She will be so greatly missed.
As promised to Museum members, they are now enjoying a new look and all-colour ‘Friends of The Few’ Club Newsletter that was launched with the Autumn 2008 issue; still packed with interesting articles about Museum exhibits, events, veteran stories, well researched combat accounts, special offers and competitions – it’s a veritable mix of serious reading and fun elements.
Benefits of Museum membership include:-
Annual Museum membership only costs £15.00 (£20.00 overseas) and if interested in joining, then please contact the Museum.
On Sunday 2nd November the Museum took part in a joint venture with the Kent Spitfire team at Biggin Hill to raise funds to help keep the ‘Spirit of Kent’ up where she belongs.
Supporters enjoyed a unique opportunity to view and photograph the magnificent fighter parked up in one of the original wartime revetments on the airfield where modern day Spitfire pilot Clive Denney chatted about what it is like to fly vintage aircraft; and joining Clive was Spitfire veteran Flight Lieutenant Bill Sanders who flew with 609 Squadron at Biggin Hill in 1941 and also with 19 Squadron later in the war.
Bill recently appeared on the TV news when as a treat for his 92nd birthday he was flown by helicopter to the RAF Museum at Hendon. When asked how he was enjoying his first helicopter ride, Bill replied by saying “It’s a bit slow!”
Bill was also brought to the Museum for a look around, and very kindly helped to present a cheque for the Royal British Legion amounting to £1,000 which was raised by John Ball who had trekked through France and over the Pyrenees following an old escape route taken by shot down Allied airmen during the war.
It is hoped that this enjoyable Kent Spitfire event can be repeated in the near future.
www.kentspitfire.co.uk