Bettina and Michael Openshaw, Joint Outings Organisers for the Society of Bexhill Museums in East Sussex, organised a successful day trip this June encompassing the Kent Battle of Britain Museum in Hawkinge, near Folkestone. “I really want to let people know about this museum as it is run purely by volunteers and not many people seem to have heard about it,” says Bettina.

The group of 26 travelled with Rambler Coaches of St Leonards-on-sea, East Sussex. “I always use Rambler as we get a great driver,” explains Bettina. She goes on, “When I booked the visit with the Museum, I was advised that we would need to spend at least two hours there. I wasn’t sure if this would be too long but, having visited, it certainly isn’t as we didn’t manage to see everything and it was incredibly interesting! The museum is filled with recovered planes from the Battle of Britain, both German and British, and there are also personal stories about the pilots who flew them. We even got a group discount as we pre-booked, even though the museum needs all the funds it can get.”

As well as stopping at the Museum, the group also visited the Battle of Britain Memorial enroute to Walmer Castle, near Dover. Bettina comments, “English Heritage, which runs the Castle, is always very generous. I usually get a free place as a GTO and, on this occasion, because we brought over 21 people, we got another free place as well!”