Fundraising air show's mayday is answered with new home

Organisers of the Wings and Wheels shows were devastated after bosses at Wolverhampton's Halfpenny Green Airport pulled out of hosting the twice-yearly show.

A race against time was launched to find a new location in time for the Easter Wings & Wheels Air Day at the end of March. Now they have acquired a site near Bridgnorth to host the two-day event and subsequent air shows.

Event organiser Vaughan Meers said he was ''over the moon' at the news.

The show's website was bombarded with comments after it was revealed in the Express & Star last month(JAN) that Halfpenny Green Airport were no longer willing to host the popular show.

Now site owner Roy Millington came forward to offer the private airstrip on his farm at Chetton as an alternative location.

Both shows, which raise thousands of pounds for charity every year, will go ahead under the new name, Bridgnorth Wings & Wheels. A resident Hawker Harrier jet fighter on the site will taxi visitors up and down the airstrip during the two-day extravaganza.

Around 5,000 people flocked to last year's August bank holiday event which starred The Red Arrows and raised £9,000 for charity.

It was the Wings and Wheels' sixth consecutive year at the Bobbington site. Mr Meers said they had been planning a special show this year to mark its 75th anniversary as an airfield. Airport chiefs declined to give a reason for pulling out.

The hunt was on to find an alternative venue as close to Wolverhampton as possible, and discussions were held with Sleap Airfield in Shropshire, and sites in Worcestershire and Leicestershire.

Proceeds from the 2016 events will go to the development of the Tettenhall Transport Heritage Centre, and to the St.Giles Church fund at Chetton.

Alec Brew, co-organiser and curator of the museum, said it was hoped fans of the event had been 'gutted' by its demise. He hoped they would now rally round and support the new venue.

"The charity relies on money raised at these events for the restoration of our building," he said. The show will take place at its new venue on March 27 and 28.