Cheers as Red Arrows fly over Chesterfield school’s summer fair

A Red Arrows flypast of a Chesterfield school’s fair “blew minds and blew eardrums” said the primary’s Parent Staff Association (PSA).

En route to Southport Airshow from their base at Waddington in Lincolnshire on Saturday, the iconic RAF display team agreed to divert to take in Walton Holymoorside Primary and Nursery School’s annual summer fair.

Thousands of people attended the event to catch a glimpse of the famous jets as well as enjoy more usual school fair activities like barbecues, bouncy castles and Splat the Rat.

And the display team passed over in formation on time, to cheers from the crowds.

Parent Rob Gregory, who had been manning the barbecue, said, “That was just awesome! I can’t believe that actually happened at our school.”

Pru Eason, vice-chair of the school’s PSA which had approached the Red Arrows about the flypast, said: “It made my neck tingle.

“I had a tear in my eye. It was incredible.”

Headteacher Ian Holmes said: “I can’t take any credit – our wonderful PSA and fantastic volunteers made this happen.

“But I’m so proud of the school and so happy that we could hold this event, and invite the whole community to be here and witness such a momentous occasion.”

The Red Arrows will be flying back through Derbyshire when they return from Merseyside on Sunday.

From 19:20 BST the Red Arrows will be flying eastwards, passing over the north of the Peak District to Matlock by 19:34 then heading east to the north of Mansfield and arriving back at RAF Waddington by 19:41.

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