By Ralph Barnett

ARBROATH’S SECOND Sea Front Spectacular in Victoria Park on Saturday more than lived up to its title with some 30,000 people converging on the area to enjoy an action-packed day out.

Last year’s inaugural event was marred by heavy rain, although it was still voted a social and commercial success, but on Saturday the organisers’ prayers were answered and the day stayed dry and, at times, was even hot and sunny.

The Spectacular theme was, once again, transport in all its variations and the event was formally opened by a low-level and high-volume fly-past by an RAF Tornado at 11 am. That signalled the start of seven hours of activity in the air and on the ground with the thousands of locals and visitors who descended on the venue being spoiled for choice about what to see and do.

Among highlights were jaw- dropping aerobatic displays by the Tornado F3 and Chinook helicopter and the first-ever public display by Captain Declan Curtis in his de Havilland Chipmunk.

The cherry on the cake for most people, however, was the all-new 2005 display routine by the BAe Systems Hawk jet trainers of the world-famous RAF Red Arrows team, who took advantage of the clear weather and high cloud base to put on a scintillating performance.

Event manager Gill Howie, of Squadron Prints, said, “As far as I am concerned that was possibly the finest thing Arbroath has ever hosted and I am just so grateful to everyone who made it the success it undoubtedly was.

“All the aircrews who took part have been raving about the event and have been telling me it’s one of the best shows they have ever been involved with.

“The atmosphere was quite phenomenal and, unlike a lot of other air shows, the close proximity between the public and the performers made for a very intimate experience.

“When they weren’t actually doing their displays, the air crews were quite happy to wander about the arena, mingling with and chatting to the crowd and they have all said it felt more like a day out to them as well, rather than a working day.

“The host of people who have to be thanked is almost endless— Tayside Police, Tayside Fire & Rescue, the RNLI lifeboat crews, HM Coastguard, the Scottish Ambulance Service, RM Condor, the RAF and Royal Navy and all the Regular Army and TA units who took part.

“The various motorcycle and car clubs and retailers who brought along their vehicles for the public to look at and the displays by Russ Swift and Kevin Carmichael meant there was plenty going on in the park as well as in the air and we are very grateful to the many thousands of people who came along to support the event.

“Last but by no means least, I would like to thank all the members of the Arbroath business community and volunteers who have worked tirelessly for many months to make this happen.

“Like me, these are people who have their own businesses to run and it is to their immense credit they have found the time and commitment to ensure the Sea Front Spectacular has been something the whole of Arbroath can be rightly proud of.”

Local businessman David Fairweather, who organised the Sea Front Spectacular tombola in conjunction with the local branch of the Royal Marines Association in addition to his other duties, said, “It’s hard to put an exact figure on the number of people who attended but we reckon that, over the course of the whole day, something like 30,000 people came along to enjoy the fun, which was just fantastic.

“The tombola was a huge success and every one of the 200-odd prizes was snapped up within less than four hours of the show starting,” he said.

Although the main event was on Saturday, Arbroath was yesterday still reverberating to the sound of helicopter rotor blades and the unique Tiger-stripe liveried RAF Puma took members of local Air Training Corps units on pleasure flights from RM Condor.

The mighty Chinook also took a final farewell flight over the town before heading back to its home base at RAF Odiham—but only after the crew had paid a last-minute visit to the “Fit o’ the Toon” to collect a box of Arbroath smokies to share with their colleagues “down south.”