A cavalcade of vintage Bristol buses and Bristol cars will travel from the Aerospace Bristol museum to Cotswold Airport at Kemble, Gloucestershire, on Tuesday 16 August, to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the first flight of the Bristol Britannia.
This unique event, with tickets costing just £10, has been organised by members of the Bristol Aero Collection Trust charity in support of the Aerospace Bristol museum at Filton, which celebrates the city’s rich aviation history.
Before the passengers leave, they will be able to see Britannia exhibits in the museum, including the forward fuselage of G-ALRX which made an emergency landing on the Severn Estuary mudflats on 4 February 1954. emergency landing on the mud flats of the Severn Estuary on 4 February 1954. At Kemble they can go on board the last Britannia ever to have flown and hear from members of the Bristol Britannia XM496 Preservation Society, which looks after this aircraft. They will also have the chance to win a limited-edition print of a painting of the Britannia's first flight from Filton in 1952, entitled ‘The First Whisper’, signed by the artist, Len Hutton, and the designer, Sir Archibald Russell, of Concorde fame.
The buses, including double-deckers, have been organised by the Bristol Omnibus Vehicle Collection and some of its vehicles will be taking part. All fuel for the buses has been sponsored by Britannia Windows of Clevedon, which celebrates its 40th anniversary this year.
Tickets can be purchased by visiting the Aerospace Bristol website: https://aerospacebristol.org/britannia-cavalcade
