Lanark Museum Trust airshow exhibition

SOMEONE pointed out that, of the first ten towns in Britain to stage an airshow, only one — Lanark — doesn't have an airport today.

With the centenary of Lanark's moment of aviation glory just three months away, steps are being taken to waken the town up to the fact that it played a major role in creating the aviation-dominated world we now live in.

The Royal Burgh of Lanark Museum Trust has chosen the 1910 Airshow at Lanark Racecourse - which attracted 300,000 people - as the subject of its main annual exhibition.

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Medals presented to the then pioneers of flight - beautifully crafted little shields - are on display, a replica of which will be given to every school child in Lanark.

Predominately on display is a model of the statue the Airshow Committee hopes to erect this autumn at Lanark Loch on the entrance to town, showing three competing aircraft in flight.

There are also many delightful posters from the show itself and from the many air displays held at the racecourse between the wars by Sir Alan Cobham's flying circus.

And dominating the display are three giant aircraft models, all created by Lanarkians, hanging from the museum ceiling — a 1930s Tiger Moth, an American jet fighter, and a Bleriot XI.

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The exhibition is on at the Westport from now until September and is open to the public from 10.30am to 4.30pm each Friday and Saturday.

Entrance is free but donations would be most welcome.

For more information on this story, pick up a copy of this week's Lanark Gazette which is in the shops now, priced just 48p.

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