Over 57,000 people a day visited Rochester Cathedral over August to take part in a packed programme of activities provided by the Rochester Bridge Trust.
In pride of place was the newly-restored Short Scion Floatplane G-AEZF, which was on display inside the nave. The aircraft, which had been built in Rochester in 1937 and saw service during World War Two, has been painstakingly rebuilt over the past 12 years by Medway Aircraft Preservation Society Limited (MAPSL) and supported by a £40,000 grant from the Trust.
The summer event was held as an opportunity to celebrate the completed restoration, as well as highlighting the engineering behind it. The floatplane was accompanied by a wide range of free complementary educational activities provided by the Trust inside the cathedral and its grounds during the month-long event.
The activities, which attracted around 2,000 visitors a day, were designed to attract a wide cross-section of the community.
Many young people and their families enjoyed the hands-on educational activities based around the world of engineering – resulting in some 2,100 model pontoon bridges and 2,650 windsocks being made.
The three free evening lectures – one on the Floatplane restoration and two about Short Brothers – were attended by 220 people, and a tailored tour enabled blind and visually impaired audiences and their families to enjoy the items on display.
The Trust launched an art competition inviting people to depict the floatplane via whatever medium they thought best. The shortlisted images will be displayed in the Bridge Chapel. The winners of the two categories, under 18 and adult, announced on 21 September.
Nicola Parks, Director of Charitable Projects at the Rochester Bridge Trust, said: “We were delighted by the reception given by the public to our programme of summer activities in Rochester Cathedral.
“It was a fantastic community event made possible thanks to the work of our team of education officers and the support of a range of organisations including, of course, Rochester Cathedral, MAPSL, and Short Brothers Aviation Heritage.
“After 12 years of hard work, it was wonderful to see Short Scion Floatplane G-AEZF, which is such an important example of Medway’s aviation history, on display for the community in such a stunning setting. I am hoping the enthusiasm shown during our educational activities will lead to some of those taking part becoming the engineers – and specifically the bridge engineers – of the future.”