I spent the weekend in the baking hot sun last week at the seaside on our doorstep, in sunny Blackpool.

As a child, like many Wiganers, I spent a lot of time in Blackpool on staycations with my parents and grandparents.

I have very fond memories of my grandad buying me a toy from Woolworths every time we went.

The nostalgia came flooding back as my girlfriend and friends descended upon the town for the Blackpool Air Show.

Naturally a must-have stop was (arguably) the best ice cream in the country, Notarianni’s.

My friends gave it the thumbs up and off we went to find a nice bit of concrete to lie on for four hours, ready to watch the air show.

The person selling deck chairs must’ve made enough to retire off as thousands of people plotted themselves ready to see the Red Arrows later in the day.

As an air show novice, I learned some valuable lessons as I observed seasoned spectators with ice cooler boxes, pop-up tents and long lens cameras.

Air shows aren’t for the faint-hearted and I’d guess quite a few people did faint in the baking hot thirty degrees plus heat.

The tide was in and so were the sand flies, who couldn’t get enough of fresh tourist meat to land on. I did more swatting than Andy Murray at Wimbledon.

The actual air show was a spectacular feat of British spirit and skill, and the pop-up tents selling merch and showcasing what our armed forces must go through was enthralling.

I tried on the same gear our soldiers would wear into war and my admiration for them only increased, as I could hardly lift the thing over my head let along run along the desert sand.

The day concluded with a spectator air display from the Red Arrows as they launched past Blackpool Tower and showcased why we should never forget how proud we should be to be British.

Blackpool did itself proud and I’ll be returning not just for the ice cream!

Luke Marsden: Flying high at Blackpool Air Show