Need some museum advice for a traveling Aussie

It was good to meet up with you yesterday (briefly) and please accept my apologies for not getting chance to say goodbye – glad that you had a good visit.

Enjoy the rest of your tour of the UK! 🙂

I would like to pass on my thanks for everyone who helped.
On Tuesday I managed to see Newark, East Kirkby and RAF Coningsby and Wednesday I only managed Duxford. I stayed in Cambridge at the Rectory farm (Nice place)
Thanks Howard for the informative tour of the museum and RAAF history there at Newark, and the ex Vulcan pilot too.
I was super surprised at the amount of material and information at East Kirkby, along with the aircraft recoveries. I know that I will be re visiting again there one day. Photos will follow when I get back to Australia and have time to edit and upload them.

So far, this trip is pretty much about my mrs family etc, thus I get two days to myself later in the holiday. While it has been colder than last time I was here. I think next time I come back will be in the summer.

So your trip is going well then, I hope your having some nice memories and that all of the visits have been worth while and enjoyable

Thanks to Zwitter who provided an awesome tour of Biggin Hill today. My mrs old man loved it (70th birthday pressie) and I also enjoyed the sit in the spitfire. I look forward to the next time I can come along.

Luton is dire……….. I would say if you could do it overnight in Cambridge, a stunning historical city and a stones throw from Duxford.

At the end of the day I will be back again, but this time I thought I would do some better homework than last time! I only got a few hours at Duxford and I couldn’t take it all in, so that is something I wish to actually spend some time at.

You will find Cosford a bit like that.

http://www.visitcambridge.org/things-to-do/architecture-and-heritage

You guys certainly have a super rich history when it comes to museums and old planes. I wish Australia was similar.
Thanks heaps for that site Andrew.
I think day one will comprise a very long drive and will be Newark, Coningsby and the Lancaster Just Jane (tight fit I know) then day two I will be doing Duxford and Hawker restoration. I will probably overnight down Luton way so I can do a bit of photography there before Duxford. RAF Cosford, and the others around that area I can go see next time. Plus it gives me more of an excuse to disappear from the in-laws for a day or two!

Oh also, I have a free day in Iceland too (I’m sure I can sway a visit to the aviation museum there too haha)

Thanks for the education everyone.
Cosford, Newark, RAF waddington (in the area so may as well pop by), RAF Coningsby (BBMF), Duxford and Hawker resto (possible) Are on my hit list. I am heading to Biggin hill (confirmed)
My problem is that I will be traveling from Margate and heading north to see these museums (with the GPS!). I am fully aware of the drive at hand and the thing going against me is the time the museums open (10am) As I am limited for time, which is a whole 2 days I am limited to the museums I can go see. At the end of the day I will be back again, but this time I thought I would do some better homework than last time! I only got a few hours at Duxford and I couldn’t take it all in, so that is something I wish to actually spend some time at. I also want a reason to head back to any of the museums I visit even if it is only briefly. I hope that I can provide you all with a few top images on my return.

Good luck with the visit, some great advice, I agreed about Cosford. Where in Scotland are you headed? If you’re headed up the A1 you’re going right past Duxford and Newark and East Fortune and not far from others, as well as other aviation related sights.
Hopefully you get an answer from Hawkinge, think the continued photo criticism is harsh with the items they have lost.
Enjoy your Margate stay, I lived in Broadstairs till a few years ago, always new exhibits at Manston when I pass, but seeing the airfield silent always breaks my heart.
Have a great one!

Added to the list too, thanks Moggy.

How about 14 Spitfires (including a couple with Aussie combat histories), a Bf109, Hurricane… visit Biggin – link below

www.bigginhillheritagehangar.co.uk

One of these days Tony you sod !! Anyway, one of the guys in charge on the day I visited, and told him my story about RF 398 very kindly let me go inside of the barriers that keep the General Public away from the displayed A/C so Tony could take some photos of me and the old girl, whoever that man was, “Thanks” at 76, I know it would be the way of my saying goodbye to the old girl.I agree with Tony, Cosford is THE museum NOT to miss on your visit, and if you see the right guy in charge, he may well afford you the same goodwill he extended to me.

Jim.
Lincolm .7

Yes agreed..

Here is Saint Jim ( off the Forum ) in front of his beloved Lincoln Bomber at Cosford, that he flew in many years ago, you also have stuff like the TSR2 and others you will simply never ever see again anywhere else in the World.

He wasn’t aware BTW, I was going left a bit.. right a bit… fwd a bit…etc, to get him in position 😀

..

In all fairness Brenden S, if you’ve only got 2 days then with most of the museums your probably considering then to do them justice its 1 per day. Especially with the travelling involved.
You probably can’t do as many miles in 1 hour here as you can in Australia.
Your talking of 100 miles taking at least 2 to 3 hours if your lucky. Cosford and Duxford are a full day. Relax and enjoy your day.

There’s a good museum in Iceland, too – or would that be grounds for a divorce?

In any case, better check to see if it is open in the winter, and remember that winter means real winter there. It is at Akuryei on the northern edge of the island.

And if you get the chance to go to newark just head down to midland air museum and Bruntingthorpe as well, oh and Norfolk and Suffolk at bungay all of the above are well worth a visit, oh and aeroventure at doncaster or the aeropark at east Midlands, is that enough or can we tempt you with some smaller ones. Sywell and the carpetbaggers both in Northamptonshire it depends how long you have really, but if you are going to newark let us know and we’ll see if we can make it a day to remember, like sitting in a Draken or the viggen or the vulcan and sea harrier or jaguar. I should stop now before I blow my own cover

I believe at this time of year on weekdays Bruntingthorpe is prior arrangement only, and East Midlands Aeropark is closed.

Enjoy your visit

It has to be said I echo all of the above you should do cosford if you get the chance and try to keep an open mind with any museums way of preservation and display as sadly the former is sometimes more necessary than just display. I say that due to space always being a need but sometimes display has to take second place, though please understand that not all the small to medium museum collections are lucky enough to inherit old air force buildings or airfields that are intact though Elvington is one not been mentioned and that is worth a visit. How long have you got? I feel our list will give you two weeks at least of visits, though I would imagine time is tight for you, anyway enjoy where ever you go

In the close vicinity of London there are The Mosquito Museum and Brooklands. I would agree that Cosford is one of the top five museums in the country (Duxford, Shuttleworth, Yeovilton and Hendon). The Cold War hall is too cramped but this has allowed the other halls to be more open. If you are looking for mixing other cultural items then Yeovilton can be easily combined with a visit to Stonehenge.

I agree with TonyT, I feel you are missing a really top rate museum by omitting Cosford. I am not a photographer but have seen good shots of a/c in the museum at Cosford. An interesting selection of a/c, some unique. Do realise you are on limited budget, time wise, but do think you are missing a great museum.

Any enjoy your trip where ever you end up……

You are making a serious error not including Cosford, it is not as packed as you assume, it is the best museum in the UK for aviation in my opinion by a mile.