Cold War at Cosford
The RAF Museum at Cosford has opened its' Cold War Exhibition. The new building was opened on 7th February by Princess Anne with the Rt Hon Baroness Thatcher, 'The Iron Lady' also present. The Cold War Exhibition is housed in a purpose built new building, large enough to house the planes used during the Cold War.
The Exhibition consists of a number of planes, both NATO and Warsaw Pact, as well as military vehicles used during the period. There is an excellent set of video shows and interactive displays around the building, as well as a large number of boards explaining the events of the Cold War. The Vulcan, pictured below, is the largest plane in the new building.
I thought the Exhibition did an excellent job of getting the message across that the Cold War lasted for 40 years and affected millions of people. Despite being described as a time of peace, many nations were involved in wars and civil unrest as the different sides of the Iron Curtain supported their allies in action. The threat of Mutually Assured Destruction was very real and we owe President Reagan, President Gorbachev, and Prime Minister Thatcher a massive debt for bringing the Cold War to a peaceful end. The Exhibition depicts key events ranging from the Berlin Air lift to the Fall of the Berlin Wall.
The RAF Museum web site has all the details. This is an excellent day out with free entry and good parking. It should take about two to three hours to tour the museum.
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