Forums Forums Wirral History : Chasing the Past Wirral History Hooton Park

I was at that airshow too and although my memory is dim of events that day, I remember it as chriskay described it. I couldn't figure out why I didn't remember "The Hall" till I read further and found it had been demolished before my time. I suppose Rivacre Rd. has long gone now along with Rivacre Valley swimming baths. VERY sad.

It has taken me a few years to discover this but...
I vividly remember as a 7 year old being at this display with my father and an uncle. The show was great and I remember they had set up a small brick building to demonstrate bombing, although I suspect there were explosives planted around the area, simulating bombing, rather than real bombs. I watched this Meteor diving in the direction of the building and it carried on diving until it hit the ground. I don't remember much in the way of sounds but the image of this aircraft just disappearing before my eyes and the huge pall of smoke has stuck with me all these years.
I remember saying something to my father along the lines of "Wow, that was amazing but where's the plane?" His reply was a simple "Come on, we have to go home now" and he never spoke about it again.
As I say, the memory of it has stuck with me all these years yet it was only today I discovered the details of the aircraft etc.
Those, as they say, were the days. The Hooton air show with Spitfires etc and the new fangled jet Meteors. As a boy growing up in Little Neston, we used to see a lot of vapour trails from the Meteors & Vampires etc from the many airfields around the area.