80th Anniversary of R101 Disaster
Today is the 80th anniversary of the R101 airship disaster. The R101 was built at Cardington, of course, and set off from there on its first, and tragically final, overseas voyage on October 4th 1930. It was an honour to attend a service of remembrance at Cardington Church on Sunday, and to sit amongst men and women who recall the working airship sheds as we collectively remembered all those who lost their lives in the disaster.
There is a fine memorial in Cardington to those who perished in the crash eighty years ago. For many people, the name Cardington is synonymous with airships. The iconic sheds, which housed both the R100 and R101 airships, remain as striking reminders of this significant feature of Bedford's history, which should never be forgotten.
For this reason, I am very pleased that we have an exhibition which has just opened at the Bedford Gallery entitled 'R100 and the R101: Airships at Cardington.' I've been along, and would strongly recommend it to people as an enjoyable and important exhibition of this aspect of our local history. The exhibition runs until 19th December, and thanks are due to the Airship Heritage Trust, who are putting on the exhibition in conjunction with the Council's Cecil Higgins Art Gallery and Bedford Museum. Follow the links below for more information on the exhibition and to find out more about the R101 Disaster on the Airship Heritage Trust's website.